Going Deep or Going Solo?
Comparing the SOLO Curriculum Model and Webb's Depth of Knowledge for Gifted and Highly Able Learners
To reach their greatest potential, gifted and high-ability learners benefit from specialised training and curriculum. The SOLO Curriculum Model and Webb's Depth of Knowledge have been widely used in education to deepen the learning of gifted and high-ability students. This article will summarise the essential components of both models, analyse their advantages and disadvantages, and explain how they can enhance the learning outcomes for gifted and high-ability students.
SOLO Curriculum Model:
In the 1980s, John Biggs and Kevin Collis created the Structure of Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) Curriculum Model. It is a taxonomy of learning outcomes that emphasises the complexity of comprehension and the various learning phases. The SOLO paradigm contains five levels of comprehension, including:
Pre-structural: The student lacks comprehension of the activity or notion.
Uni-structural: The student has a fundamental grasp of one component of the task or topic.
Multi-structural: The learner comprehends multiple components of the activity or concept but is unable to combine them into a coherent whole.
Relational: The learner comprehends the interrelationships between several facets of a task or notion.
Extended Abstract: The learner is able to autonomously adapt knowledge of the activity or subject to new settings. This is the highest level of understanding, where the learner can think about the topic in a highly abstract and conceptual way, and apply their understanding to new and complex situations.
The SOLO model assists teachers in designing activities and evaluations that facilitate the progression of students from lower to higher levels of comprehension. Additionally, the methodology aids teachers in identifying areas where students may be failing and providing targeted guidance.
Webb's Depth of Knowledge
(DOK) is an alternative taxonomy of learning outcomes that Norman Webb established in the late 1990s. It is a framework that categorises learning tasks according to their cognitive effort and level of complexity. The four levels of the DOK model are:
Recall: The learner has the ability to recall knowledge or procedures from memory.
Skill/Concept: The learner is able to apply information or methods in a new context or to explain a topic.
Strategic Thinking: The learner can formulate a plan or strategy to address a problem or accomplish a task.
Extended Thinking: The learner is able to apply knowledge and abilities to analyse, synthesise, and evaluate information in order to solve difficult problems.
The DOK model assists educators in developing assessments that correspond to the cognitive demand of the task or concept being assessed. The methodology also aids educators in identifying areas where students may be failing and providing targeted assistance.
Some instructors claim that Webb's Depth of Knowledge (DOK) model is better suited for gifted and high-ability students than the SOLO curriculum approach. This is because the DOK model promotes higher-order thinking skills, such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, in an environment in which gifted and high-ability learners typically thrive. In contrast, the SOLO approach places a larger emphasis on the structure of comprehension, which may not be as essential for these learners, who already possess a high degree of comprehension. The DOK model also enables more differentiation of instruction since it gives a framework for generating tasks and assessments that correspond to the cognitive load required by each learner. Nonetheless, it is crucial to highlight that both models can be helpful in facilitating the learning of gifted and high-ability students, and that the choice of model may depend on the preferences and needs of the individual instructor and the students.
The SOLO and DOK models are two methods that have been widely utilised to enhance the teaching of gifted and high-ability students. These approaches give teachers with a taxonomy of learning outcomes that assists them in designing activities and evaluations that assist students in progressing from lower to higher levels of comprehension.
While there are many other evidence-based curriculum models for gifted and high-ability learners, such as Renzulli’s Enrichment Triad, and June Maker’s Differentiated Model, it is arguable that the SOLO model and Webb’s Depth of Knowledge can be used effectively across a range of subject areas, in any diverse classroom setting from mixed-ability to select entry classes. Developing expertise in one of these models will be highly beneficial and satisfying for all. By employing these models, educators can assist students in realising their full potential and prepare them for postsecondary and professional success.
Bibliography
Biggs, J., and Collis, K. (1982). The SOLO Taxonomy for Assessing the Quality of Learning New York: Academic Press
Webb, N. L. (2002). Four Subject Areas' Knowledge-Depth Levels Madison, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Center for Educational Research
Marzano, R. J., & Kendall, J. S. (2007). The New Taxonomy of Educational Goals Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, CA.
T. O'Connell and J. E. Dyment (2016). Examining the Difficulty of Physical Education Student Learning Using the SOLO Taxonomy 35(1), 60-67, in Journal of Teaching in Physical Education.
Jones, B. D., K. K. Hess, and R. S. Carlock (2015). The Connection Between Webb's Knowledge Levels and Talented and Gifted Pupils. 38(3) Journal for the Education of the Gifted: 244-265
Silver, H. F., Strong, R. W., & Perini, M. J. (2007). The Strategic Instructor: Choosing the Appropriate Research-Based Approach for Each Course Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
C. A. Tomlinson (2014). Differentiation and the Brain: How Neuroscience Facilitates a Learner-Friendly Classroom
Pamela Burton
