In an era where information is readily available at our fingertips, educators face a unique challenge: how to cultivate genuine problem-solving skills and creativity in students. Enter the concept of Ungoogleable challenges - a powerful tool in modern education that pushes students beyond the boundaries of readily available information.
What Are Ungoogleable Challenges?
Ungoogleable challenges are tasks or problems that cannot be easily solved by searching for answers on the internet. They force students to think critically about the problem at hand and take ownership of their learning process, as there are no readily available examples to copy or use as a starting point.
The Impact on Learning
Unlike traditional assignments with predetermined outcomes, Ungoogleable challenges present students with genuine problems to solve. This approach significantly impacts student learning and engagement in several ways:
- Fostering Creativity: Without the crutch of existing solutions, students' creativity can flourish. They are encouraged to think outside the box and develop unique solutions.
- Enhancing Problem-Solving Skills: These challenges require students to break down complex problems, identify key components, and develop strategic approaches to solving them.
- Promoting Critical Thinking: Students must analyze the problem from multiple angles, consider various solutions, and make informed decisions based on their analysis.
- Encouraging Collaboration: When working in teams, students learn to pool their ideas, negotiate different approaches, and work together towards a common goal.
Guiding Principles for Ungoogleable Challenges
1. Emphasize the Process, Not Just the Outcome
When designing and assessing Ungoogleable challenges, it's crucial to focus on the entire problem-solving process. A suggested grading structure might look like this:
- 50% Research/Planning/Brainstorming/Prototyping
- 30% Reflection
- 20% Performance
This structure encourages students to invest time and effort in the planning, prototyping, and reflection stages, which are critical skills in real-world problem-solving scenarios.
2. Incorporate Multi-Criteria Decision Making
Implementing a two-criteria ranking system can encourage students to make strategic decisions, mimicking real-world engineering trade-offs. Examples include:
- 3D Printed Catapult: Distance vs. Accuracy
- Ball Color Sorting: Time vs. Accuracy
- Alien Rescue: Quantity vs. Time
- Earthquake Tower: Height vs. Time to Failure
3. Set Clear Constraints
Provide specific constraints that limit resources, time, or methods. This encourages creative problem-solving within realistic boundaries.
4. Foster Analogical Thinking
Encourage students to think in analogies to jumpstart the brainstorming process. This can help them relate the challenge to familiar concepts and generate innovative ideas.
Implementation Strategies
Structured Work Time
Divide the challenge work time into thirds:
- First third: Initial design and required demonstration
- Middle third: Redesign based on feedback
- Final third: Practice and skill development with the mechanism
This structure ensures that students evaluate their designs early, have time to make improvements, and develop the skills necessary to use their mechanisms effectively.
One-on-One Demonstrations
At the 1/3 mark of the challenge, conduct individual demonstrations with each group. This provides:
- Personalized attention and feedback
- A safe environment for discussion
- Targeted guidance for improvement
- Opportunity for individual planning
"Patent" System
Implement a "patent" system where the first group to share an idea with the instructor becomes the "owner" of that idea. This:
- Encourages originality
- Promotes early sharing of ideas
- Reinforces the Ungoogleable nature of the challenge
- Introduces real-world intellectual property concepts
In cases of genuinely independent similar ideas, allow both groups to proceed with their designs.
Assessment Approach
Performance Evaluation (20% of final grade)
- Use a point system to rank performances (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.)
- Convert rankings to percentages (1st = 100%, 2nd = 99%, 3rd = 98%, etc.)
- Keep the exact conversion private to maintain motivation
Process Evaluation (80% of final grade)
- 30% Individual Reflection: Based on completion with complete sentences, emphasizing honest and meaningful thought
- 50% Physical Artifacts: Evaluate sketches and other materials created during the planning and ideation stages
Maintain transparency in all aspects of grading except the final place-to-percentage conversion.
Potential Pitfalls and Solutions
- Rule Adjustments: Be prepared to adjust rules as students find unexpected solutions. For example, banning straight-up nooses if they prove to be an ineffective yet popular choice.
- Fixation on Initial Ideas: The structured work time and required demonstration help prevent students from clinging to their first idea without exploring alternatives.
- Copying Successful Groups: The "patent" system discourages direct copying while still allowing for inspiration and innovation.
- Balancing Skill and Design: The final third of work time dedicated to practice ensures that students not only create good mechanisms but also develop the skill to use them effectively.
Case Study: The Alien Rescue Challenge
The Alien Rescue challenge exemplifies an Ungoogleable challenge that has evolved over a decade of implementation. This case study demonstrates how the principles and strategies discussed earlier can be applied in practice.
Challenge Overview
Students work in pairs to design a mechanism to rescue toy aliens from a sealed maze through a small opening. The narrative involves rescuing Little Green Aliens from the pizza planet, trapped in an underground bunker filled with poisonous gas.
The Maze and Constraints
The challenge takes place in a specially designed maze with the following characteristics:
- The front of the maze is sealed with a clear sheet of plastic.
- There are three aliens in total, with blue footprints indicating their exact location and rotation.
- A 4" x 4" opening is located on the right side of the maze, through which all aliens must exit.
- The maze is fixed in place and immovable.
Students must work within specific constraints:
- No part of any team member can enter beyond the 4" wide by 4" tall opening.
- Only one mechanism may be inserted into the bunker; switching mechanisms during an attempt is not allowed.
- Materials are limited to: 10 feet max total of string or fishing line, scrap wood, paperclips, rubber bands, straws, manila folders, paper, cardstock, cardboard, wood glue, hot glue, nails, screws, bolts, staples, magnets, and 3D Printed Parts.
- The playing field may not be damaged or moved during evaluation.
Performance Grading
The performance aspect (20% of the overall grade) is evaluated using a point system that balances speed and effectiveness while penalizing rule violations. A custom electronic grading mechanism, built by electronics students, facilitates accurate and efficient grading. This device features:
- One button for each alien rescued
- A start/reset button to control the timer
- An LCD screen displaying time remaining, number of aliens rescued, and current score
The Design Performance score is calculated as follows:
Design Performance = 40 + Objective + Efficiency – Penalties
- Base Score: All teams start with 40 points.
- Objective Points (Max 30 points):
- 10 points for each Alien Rescued
- Efficiency Points (Max 30 points):
- 30 Points: < 30 Seconds
- 28 Points: < 45 Seconds
- 24 Points: < 1 Minute
- 20 Points: < 1:15 Minutes
- 16 Points: < 1:30 Minutes
- 12 Points: < 1:45 Minutes
- Maximum time allowed is 1:45
- Penalties:
- -50 Points: Trespassing Beyond Doorway Plane
- -50 Points: Operator Violation
- -100 Points: Damage to Alien or Playing Field
- -100 Points: Use of any Non-Permitted Material(s)
This grading system encourages students to balance speed and accuracy while adhering to the challenge constraints. It also introduces real-world considerations such as penalties for rule violations, mirroring consequences in professional settings.
Alignment with Ungoogleable Challenge Principles
- Process Emphasis: While the performance grading is detailed, it only accounts for 20% of the overall grade. The majority (80%) is based on research, planning, prototyping, and reflection, reinforcing the importance of the entire problem-solving journey.
- Multi-Criteria Decision Making: Students must balance the number of aliens rescued (quantity) with the time taken (efficiency), mirroring real-world engineering trade-offs.
- Clear Constraints: The challenge provides specific material and operational limitations, encouraging creative problem-solving within realistic boundaries.
- Technology Integration: The custom electronic grading mechanism adds an extra layer of technology to the challenge, demonstrating how different areas of STEM education can be combined in a single project.
- Real-World Parallel: The scoring system, including penalties for rule violations, mirrors real-world project constraints and consequences.
The Alien Rescue challenge demonstrates how Ungoogleable challenges can be designed to foster creativity, enhance problem-solving skills, and prepare students for real-world challenges, all while providing an engaging and memorable learning experience.
Conclusion
Ungoogleable challenges represent a powerful tool in modern education. By presenting students with problems that don't have readily available solutions, educators can foster creativity, enhance problem-solving skills, and prepare students for real-world challenges. The structured approach to implementation, careful assessment strategies, and awareness of potential pitfalls can help ensure these challenges provide a rich, engaging learning experience.
As demonstrated by the Alien Rescue challenge, these principles can be applied to create complex, multi-faceted learning experiences that engage students on multiple levels. Such challenges not only test students' ability to solve problems but also their capacity to work within constraints, manage time, and think strategically.
As we continue to navigate an increasingly information-rich world, the ability to think critically and solve unique problems will become ever more valuable. Ungoogleable challenges provide an effective way to cultivate these essential skills in our students, preparing them for the complex, often unpredictable challenges they'll face in their future careers and lives.