Rich Learning Tasks. The Mathematics Education into the 21st Century Project Working Group No. 6 - 2007 Conference

History of Working Group This is the 5th meeting of the Rich Learning Task working group. Previous meetings: Australia (Palm Cove, Queensland) 2001; Italy (Terrasini, Palermo, Sicily) 2002; Czech Republic (Brno) 2003; Malaysia (Johor Baru) 2005 Introducing the Two Learning Games and Rich Learning Tasks (From Gary's paper.) The classroom can be thought of as an arena in which 'the learning game' is played. At first glance, there would appear to be myriad variations of this game. When stripped to their essentials, however, the number of learning games reduces to two. I label one, 'the knowledge game', the other, 'the sense-making game'. These two learning games are quite different in character and purpose. They make different demands on the players. They are governed by different rules. They have different goals. They foster and reinforce different dispositions, habits, and beliefs in the players. (Of course, there are knowledge and sense-making components in both games. However, knowledge is acquired and used very differently in the two games and the purpose, nature, quality, and quantity of the sense-making is also very different in the two games.) In addition, the habits, and dispositions fostered by one game act as impediments to playing the other game. I then go on to say, Played well, both learning games can prepare players for success in school. However, only the sense-making game prepares players for life beyond the classroom. Unfortunately, the knowledge game is the learning game played most frequently, in most classrooms. Rich Learning Tasks require and foster the playing of the Sense-Making Game.