Tips

The key element in a design task is to build in authentic constraints. Asking learners to design an ideal X without also requiring them to work within a budget and within a body of legal and other restrictions doesn't really teach much.

A well crafted design task:

• describes a product that is genuinely needed somewhere by someone;
• describes resource and other constraints that are not unlike those faced by real designers of such products;
• leaves room for and encourages creativity within those constraints.

Examples

• In Future Quest, students research career possibilities and make recommendations for four simulated high school students.
• The Designing a Home WebQuest pulls students into choosing the best floor plan for a given site and guides them through the selection of materials to complete the home.