Research and Product Development

Process of inquiry, synthesis and discussion.

This is the central and most extensive phase of the project, where knowledge construction occurs.

Students, guided by their planning, immerse themselves in the search for information needed to answer the guiding question. This research should not be limited to "copying and pasting" data from the Internet.

The teacher should guide them to use a variety of sources: physical bibliography, expert interviews, digital databases or field experimentation, depending on the context and available resources. After data collection, the team must process the information.

Higher cognitive skills such as analysis, synthesis and critical thinking come into play here.

Students must debate internally to filter what information is relevant and how it connects to their objective. This is the time to test hypotheses and discard ideas that don't work.

The teacher acts as an expert consultant, circulating through the groups to resolve technical doubts and ensure that the depth of the research is appropriate to the educational level.

Elaboration of the final product

The entire research process must crystallize into something tangible: the final product. This artifact is the material response to the challenge posed at the beginning.

The nature of the product should be open-ended and allow for creativity. It may take the form of a social awareness campaign, a technological prototype, an artistic work, a scientific report or a community service.

What is essential is that the product demonstrates the practical application of the knowledge acquired.

During this "workshop" or production stage, students practice technical competencies and soft skills such as time management and problem solving.

For example, if the team decides to create a documentary, they must write scripts, shoot, edit and post-produce.

The teacher must ensure that the quality of the final product reflects the previous research effort and meets the standards of excellence established in the rubric. It is the materialization of learning by doing.

Summary

In this central phase, students research using varied sources such as bibliography, experts or experimentation. It is not about copying data, but building critical knowledge.

Teams must debate internally to filter relevant information and contrast their initial hypotheses. The teacher acts as an expert consultant who solves technical doubts and guides the process.

The research crystallizes in a tangible final product that materially responds to the challenge posed. This artifact demonstrates the practical application of the knowledge and technical skills acquired.