Real work versus Real world#

Dan Meyer makes the distinction between real work v real world. The idea being that how much real world (e.g. adding mobile phones to a problem) is only one dimension. Another is the reality/interestingness of the work students do. Meyer suggests problem formulation and question development as being more "real" types of work.

i.e. if the students are given a formula to apply, simply adding in some real world context (number of likes on Instagram) doesn't change the fact that the work is formulaic.

But asking students to generate questions (of interest) or formulate a problem is important to consider.

Engaging students in "fake work in the real world" is likely of limited value.

Engaging students in real work in a fake world may be more engaging than we think - mathematical-mindset