Step 1 & 2: Definition and Context

Defining learning and behavioral objectives

The design phase, which falls exclusively to the teacher before entering the classroom, begins with clarifying the purpose.

The first step is to precisely define the objectives to be pursued. These are not limited to curricular content (what history or math concepts should they learn), but should integrate behavioral and coexistence objectives.

The teacher must ask himself: What soft skills do I want them to develop, do I want to improve group cohesion, foster respect or promote autonomy?

At this point, it is crucial to understand that a project can have multiple layers of objectives.

For example, a project on nutrition may have as a curricular objective to understand the chemical composition of food, but as a behavioral objective it may seek to reduce bullying through collaborative cooking dynamics that require positive interdependence.

Defining these "invisible" goals from the beginning allows the teacher to design activities that work on behavior and content simultaneously, maximizing instructional time and educational impact.

Identifying the context and learner profiles

The second critical step is contextualization. The same project does not work the same in two different groups, not even in the same school in different years.

The teacher must make a diagnosis of the "target audience": his or her students.

This involves analyzing not only their academic level (what do they already know?), but also their learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) and their cultural and social interests.

A project on classical opera could fail in a musically unmotivated group, but if it is adapted to analyze the lyric in current urban music, maintaining the same objectives of poetic analysis, the commitment soars. It is essential to "take the temperature" of the course.

Are you a group that works well autonomously or do you need a lot of structure? What resources do you have at home? The authenticity of the project depends on this adaptation.

If the teacher ignores the real context (e.g., designing a project that requires high connectivity in a rural area with limited internet access), it will generate frustration rather than learning.

Adapting the challenge to the reality and to the neurocognitive profiles of the students is the key to guarantee the viability of the proposal.

Summary

The initial phase requires precisely defining curricular, behavioral and coexistence objectives for the group. The teacher must identify which soft skills he/she specifically wants to enhance.

The second critical step is contextualization based on the actual profile of the students. Their academic levels, cultural interests and diverse individual learning styles are analyzed.

Adapting the challenge to the socioeconomic and technological reality guarantees the viability of the proposal. Ignoring the context of the course can generate frustration instead of meaningful learning.