Extract from Teaching Social Studies (Annenberg Learner) 

1. Indicator: Vision of Engaged Learning

What does engaged learning look like? … responsible for their own learning. …self-regulated and able to define their own learning goals and evaluate their own achievement…. energized by their learning; their joy of learning leads to a lifelong passion for solving problems, understanding, and taking the next step in their thinking. …learners …know how to learn and are able to transfer knowledge to solve problems creatively. …involves being collaborative.

2. Indicator: Tasks for Engaged Learning

…tasks need to be challenging, authentic, and multidisciplinary. …typically complex and involve sustained amounts of time. …authentic …correspond to the tasks in the home and workplaces of today and tomorrow. …authentic tasks …in the real world outside of school. 

3. Indicator: Assessment of Engaged Learning

…presenting students with an authentic task, project, or investigation, …then observing, interviewing, and examining their presentations and artifacts to assess what they actually know and can do. …students generating their own performance criteria ……seamless connection to curriculum and instruction so that it is ongoing.