Students learn as a result of collaboratively engaging in design activities and reflecting on their experiences. Design challenges are set in the real world, with constraints and measurable criteria for success. LBD addresses a broad set of curriculum objectives, including the learning of domain knowledge and science skills, and communication, collaboration, decision-making, and investigation skills important over a range of domain areas and inside and out of school. Students learn through iteratively planning, constructing, and testing solutions. The iterative approach encourages them to view failures as opportunities to recognize when their knowledge is incomplete and helps them understand that they don't fully understand science concepts until they can apply them and make them work.
Students do most of their work at tables and on the floor of the classroom.
Making LBD work has required the definition and refinement of a system of classroom rituals that promote question posing, science talk, sharing of results, and reflection. It helps students organize what they know, ideas they have for addressing their challenge, and issues they need to learn more about, helping them keep track of these things as they iterate to a complete solution. Collaboration within small groups is encouraged by the prompts, hints, and examples available to help students describe their design ideas and results so others can understand them. Across-group discussion is anchored to those presentations. They are helped to structure their comments with simple suggestions.