Types of Example Projects

Example projects help model expectations and the invisible mental processes for learners in a creative learning program. Having a diverse set of examples (created by different people) supports different entry points into the activity, from “low floors” to “high ceilings” and “wide walls.”

When there is only 1 example, learners might feel like that single example is the “right answer” and become compelled to copy it. Providing a variety of examples shows that you expect a variety of outcomes, and allows learners to see themselves in the process.

One thing to remember is not to treat examples preciously, and allow learners to have their hands on it and use it to help them imagine (like in the creative learning spiral) themselves in the creative learning process.

Low floor examples support and invite diverse learners into an activity. They help set expectations are are often simple. Some of those expectations could include inviting learners to bring in their own passions, showing off playful (risk-taking) experimentation, or how inspiration from peers can foster your own ideas.

Proof of concept examples are a bare-bones type of example that focuses more on how something works, rather than appearances and aesthetics. They can be a guide that helps with troubleshooting, and can support facilitation if you don’t have enough people to help out. They can be “low floor” or “high ceiling.”

Failure examples show that sometimes even your ideas or visions for a project is not always easy to create. It helps model persistence, and learning in the process. When presenting a failure example, include an explanation of your goals or visions. This type of example can be a support for learners who also struggle to envision their ideas, a “low floor” example that models difficulties with function or aesthetics, or even a launching point for “high ceiling” learners who might want more of a challenge.

Personally meaningful examples helps model how you, the facilitator, bring yourself into the activity. It invites learners to incorporate their passions. It’s also a great example that reduces the likelihood of learners who are new to creative learning and may want to just copy the example.

High ceiling examples can quickly overwhelm learners new to the activity. Learners might feel frustrated if they do not have the skills needed to create this example, or might want to create the same thing because they really like it. I recommend hiding these examples and bringing them out to show to learners who can handle more of a challenge. Remember that having a variety of high ceiling examples foster a variety of interests.

Tool-based examples demonstrate the power of using more advanced tools. This could look like an example that shows more precision by using x-acto knives, or precision and repeatability by using a laser cutter. Tool-based examples could invite learners’s curiosity to learn to use a tool, and supports building “higher ceiling” STEM skills. But when presented without access to the tool, they can be a source of frustration, because it can be too difficult to recreate the example without the tool. (Remember that in learning to use these tools, learners need time, space to, and resources to mess around, fail, and iterate.)

More about examples:

• Making Good Activity Examples (At some point, I’ll integrate the content in this thread into that page)
• Tinkering and the Art of the Perfect Example | Exploratorium by Luigi Anzivino, who goes into incomplete examples
• Reflection on Data Gems at Full STEAM Ahead goes into the directions different learners launch from a variety of examples

Reflect:

• What type of examples are you most familiar with in your learning or teaching experiences?
• Are there other types of examples you don’t see here?
• How would you describe your internal experiences, feelings, or sense of expectations with different types of examples?