Doing well in school usually involves learning to answer questions and carry out assignments developed by the teacher. Students struggle to come up with correct responses on tests- usually in an artificial situation in which they are expected to work alone, without thought. Yet doing well in life requires a very different set of skills- framing questions, planning, organizing, finding and analyzing information, working with others, assembling key resources and tools, testing out ideas, and trying again.

Bringing such characteristics and skills inside the curriculum and pedagogy of the high school is one of the major challenges of this era of school reform. Drawing on examples of effective teaching and learning, this report addresses the question of how educators can construct schoolwork to be more like real work.

Knowing and Doing: Connecting Learning & Work