The areas of interaction

Adapted from the IBO From Principles to Practice, 2008,
and the Tech guide, 2006

Introduction

The areas of interaction provide the MYP with its unique core. Teaching subject areas through these contexts allows teaching and learning to focus on attitudes, values and skills.

1.Approaches to learning (ATL) represents general and subject-specific learning skills that the student will develop and apply during the programme and beyond. The focus of this area is on teaching students how to learn and on helping students find out about themselves as learners so that they can develop learning skills.

2.Community and service considers how a student engages with his or her immediate family, classmates and friends in the outside world as a member of these communities. Through effective planning and teaching, students can learn about their place within communities and be motivated to act in a new context.

3. Health and social education delves into the range of human issues that exists in human societies, such as social structures, relationships and health. The area can be used by students to find out how these issues affect societies, communities and individuals, including students themselves. Through the area of health and social education, students can identify and develop skills that will enable them to function as effective members of societies, as well as learning about how they are changing and how to make informed decisions that may relate to their welfare.

4. Environments considers how humans interact with the world at large and the parts we play in our environments. It extends into areas beyond human issues and asks students to examine the interrelationships of different environments. This area can lead students to consider both their immediate classroom environments and global environments.

5. Human ingenuity (formerly homo faber) deals with the way in which human minds have influenced the world, for example, the way we are, think, interact with each other, create, find solutions to and cause problems, transform ideas and rationalize thought. It also considers the consequences of human thought and action.

In the final year of the programme students are engaged in the personal project. This personal project will reflect the efficacy of the integration of the areas of interaction in the school. Through the project students should be able to demonstrate ATL skills learned through the programme while focusing research and project development around at least one other area of interaction.

Commonality

These contexts for learning, the five areas of interaction, are common to the programme in all schools offering the MYP and serve to bring together the varied subject content that will be found in the diversity of cultural and linguistic settings around the world. Even though all schools share this commonality, the use that teachers make of the areas of interaction can lead to very different learning expectations. Thus, the areas of interaction provide common organizing strategies and also allow for the diversity of student needs, interests and motivations. Using all of the areas of interaction as contexts for learning gives teachers a great opportunity to engage students with environmental, health and community issues of sustainability that affect students today, and how humans can solve the problems for the future.

The areas of interaction:

  • give meaning to what is learned through the exploration of real-world issues

  • provide the contexts for the MYP fundamental concepts and the IB learner profile, which underpin the philosophy of the programme

  • encourage higher-order thinking skills to deepen understanding

  • provide a framework for student inquiry

  • can help students develop positive attitudes and a sense of personal and social responsibility

  • engage students in reflection to better understand themselves as learners

  • can lead students from academic knowledge to thoughtful action

  • contribute to an interdisciplinary approach to learning

  • provide a common language for constructing and organizing the curriculum.

Student learning expectations

MYP schools provide student learning expectations for each area of interaction. Student learning expectations for the areas of interaction are guidelines on what students are expected to learn through the areas of interaction at different stages of the programme. In the MYP this term is used to differentiate them from subject-based objectives. Whereas success in achieving the objectives is measured through applying assessment criteria, student learning expectations are not assessed, although they may be monitored. These learning expectations are differentiated from objectives because they are not rated on a scale.

All schools are recommended to use the student learning expectations in this guide as a starting point, although they may be developed further by schools to reflect student needs and school expectations. It is expected that schools will develop their own interim student learning expectations at each grade level, so that teams of teachers can use them to plan collaboratively. The interim student learning expectations developed by each school must provide for continuity and progression of learning from year 1 to year 5.

It must be noted that the interim student learning expectations for the areas of interaction mentioned above are not to be confused with the interim objectives for years 1 and 3.

Supporting student inquiry

The areas of interaction are at the heart of inquiry and active learning, and can encourage students to take responsible action in a variety of contexts encountered through the curriculum. For teachers and students, the areas of interaction provide a means to inquire into subject content by questioning, explaining, discovering and “doing”.

When students engage with units of work, by placing content into context, they will become aware of the connections between subject disciplines and will start to develop an awareness of the dimensions of each of the areas of interaction as well as a deeper subject knowledge. This awareness will lead to a better understanding of the impact of various issues on students themselves and on those around them, and of the responsibilities they have to themselves, to each other and to society in general.

Using their developing skills of ongoing reflection, students can continually re-evaluate their involvement in and their understanding of the various issues under inquiry.

As students become more aware and acquire a better understanding of the context and of their responsibilities, this could lead to thoughtful and positive action. This action will be different from student to student and from context to context. The action may involve students in:

  • feeling empathy towards others

  • making small-scale changes to their behaviour

  • undertaking large and significant projects

  • acting on their own

  • acting collaboratively

  • taking physical action

  • suggesting modifications to an existing system to the benefit of all involved

  • lobbying people in more influential positions to act.

Whatever the action, it is expected that students will themselves be changed by the process, and that significant learning will result.

Please note that any reference to “I” in the areas of interaction questions could also be interpreted as “we” where this is more appropriate to the social ethos of the school or location.

A Closer Look at the Areas of Interaction

1. Approaches to learning

How do I learn best? How do I know? How do I communicate my understanding?

About this area

Teaching students how to learn effectively should be the ultimate goal of all schools. All teachers in a school have a responsibility to ensure that students acquire the skills and the confidence to take ownership of their own learning. Teachers cannot assume that students have the necessary skills and knowledge to be successful learners and must explicitly teach a range of learning skills and strategies. This needs to be done in an agreed way that takes into account the context of the school and the specific needs of the students. It is important that teachers make explicit to students that the generic tools for learning are applicable to all areas of study, in addition to those that are subject-specific skills.

Through approaches to learning (ATL), schools can provide students with the tools to enable them to take responsibility for their own learning. This involves planning, organizing and teaching the skills and practices that students require to become successful learners, while building on prior learning. When engaging with all MYP units of work, students will be developing and using their ATL skills. The purpose of ATL is to support student achievement measured against the subject-group objectives. A well-developed ATL framework will help develop the attitudes needed to make learning effective.

In requiring students to complete research projects, for example, it is the responsibility of teachers to know the research skills that have already been taught and practised, and to ensure that any new skills required to carry out research effectively are taught explicitly. The process of research becomes as important as the content of the project. Similarly, in setting assessment tasks, teachers should analyse the process of completing the task from the student’s point of view to ensure that the strategies and skills needed to succeed have been taught and are understood.

It is the shared responsibility of a school’s administrators and teachers, through appropriate structures and collaborative planning, to ensure that ATL is at the core of all curriculum development and of all teaching.

Technology Focus:

MYP technology should contribute to the development of thinking skills by providing students with a curriculum that offers challenging opportunities that enable them to question, investigate and evaluate data and information presented to them.

ATL skills and attitudes include:

  • learning skills—communication, information processing, organizational skills, higher-thinking strategies
    • personal attitudes—responsibility, collaboration, integrity and reflection (metacognition).
    • In technology, the design cycle is at the core of students’ experiences and is the source of ATL skills, attitudes and practices. MYP technology should provide opportunities for the development of subject-specific skills and allow time and space for the development of attitudes and dispositions to learning. Specific ATL skills that may be developed through technology include:
  • information literacy skills—while researching technology problems and their contexts
  • communication skills—when constructing plans and time lines

• organizational skills—when following plans

  • problem-solving skills—when devising products/solutions to technological problems
  • social and group-work skills—when working safely and effectively, collaborating with others and respecting their views
  • reflection skills—when reflecting upon products/solutions, and on the student’s own performance, in the evaluation stage of the design cycle.

These skills are by no means part of a taxonomy; the categories overlap and complement each other. These skills are not an end in themselves but a means to help students to manage their own learning. ATL skills cannot be developed in isolation but through an integrated and interdisciplinary approach in connection with regular classroom content.

Student learning expectations

The goal of ATL is to enable students to apply a range of ATL skills in different learning situations.

As students engage with the MYP, they will become aware of the special nature of ATL and will come to understand it as common to all subjects. Their understanding of its purpose in teaching and learning and their engagement with a school-wide ATL framework will give students the tools to recognize their responsibilities for their own learning and the community’s responsibilities for maintaining productive, cooperative and safe learning environments. Students’ ongoing reflections on their learning and on the learning processes will lead to deeper awareness and understanding of themselves as learners and of their preferred learning styles. As teachers plan to integrate this area with their subject content, they should consider approaches to learning in terms of the learning expectations. The following table gives suggestions that a school could use to develop student learning expectations for ATL.

ATL skill area Student learning expectations could include: Key questions for use with MYP units of work
Organization

time management—including using time effectively in class, keeping to deadlines

self-management—including personal goal setting, organization of learning materials

  • What organizational tools do I have?
  • What aspects of my organization do I need to develop?
  • How can I best organize myself?
Collaboration

working in groups—including delegating and taking responsibility, adapting to roles, resolving group conflicts, demonstrating teamwork

accepting others—including analysing others’ ideas, respecting others’ points of view, using ideas critically

personal challenges—including respecting cultural differences, negotiating goals and limitations with peers and with teachers

  • How do I work with others?
  • What successes have I had when I have worked with others?
  • How can I work with others; how can they work with me?
Communication

literacy—including reading strategies,

using and interpreting a range of content-specific terminology

being informed—including the use of a variety of media

informing others—including presentation skills using a variety of media

  • What communication tools do I use?
  • Which ways of communicating do I need to improve on?
  • How can I better communicate my understanding?
Information literacy accessing information—including

researching from a variety of sources

using a range of technologies,

identifying primary and secondary sources

selecting and organizing information— including identifying points of view, bias and weaknesses,

using primary and secondary sources,

making connections between a variety of resources referencing—including the use of citing, footnotes and referencing of sources,

respecting the concept of intellectual property rights

How can I access information?
  • How do I know if the information is reliable?
  • What will I do with this information?
Reflection

self-awareness—including seeking out positive criticism, reflecting on areas of perceived limitation

self evaluation —including the keeping of learning journals and portfolios, reflecting at different stages in the learning process

How do I reflect? How have my reflections helped me learn? What other reflection tools and resources can help me?
Thinking

generating ideas—including the use of brainstorming

planning—including storyboarding and outlining a plan

inquiring—including questioning and challenging information and arguments,

developing questions,

using the inquiry cycle

applying knowledge and concepts— including logical progression of arguments

identifying problems—including deductive reasoning,

evaluating solutions to problems

creating novel solutions—including the combination of critical and creative strategies,

considering a problem from multiple perspectives

How do I think? What tools can help me think in different ways? What planning tools do I have?
Transfer

making connections—including using knowledge, understanding and skills across subjects to create products or solutions,

applying skills and knowledge in unfamiliar situations

inquiring in different contexts— including changing the context of an inquiry to gain various perspectives.

What are the “big ideas” of each of the different subjects? Do the big ideas of the subjects overlap? How can I use my knowledge, understanding and skills across subjects?

2. Community and service

How do we live in relation to each other? How can I contribute to the community? How can I help others?

About this area

The programme model places the learner at its centre; the next level represents the areas of interaction, including the place and role of the student in communities, from the immediate family and school environment to the world at large. The IB mission statement stresses that its concern extends beyond intellectual achievement: students should develop a personal value system that guides their own lives as thoughtful and active members of local and global communities.

Giving importance to the sense of community throughout the MYP encourages responsible citizenship as it seeks to deepen students’ knowledge and understanding of the world around them. Students should be encouraged to make connections between their intellectual and social development and the benefits that they can bring to the community, as well as the benefits the community can bring to them. In using this area of interaction through and across the disciplines students can discover the social reality of self, others and community. In so doing, this area of interaction fosters the affective, creative, ethical and cognitive development of the adolescent. This area starts with learning in the classroom based on the written curriculum, and leads to raising awareness that may lead to action being taken.

This area of interaction also supports the fundamental concept of intercultural awareness, which aims to encourage empathy and respect that can lead to deeper understanding. Engaging students in positive action and contact with other social and cultural environments can enrich them emotionally, socially, morally and culturally. In the MYP, the qualities and motives of an act of community and service are considered more important than the act itself or the number of hours devoted to it. For this reason, schools should establish appropriate ways of giving importance to community involvement in the minds of the students without awarding grades for community and service; the MYP does not allow the awarding of grades for any area of interaction.

The idea of community should be developed as an integral part of the programme, present in the curriculum as well as in whole-school activities. This philosophy can be further supported by schools’ extra-curricular activities. Students should become aware of specific issues, recognize their responsibilities and become empowered to act in response to needs identified in class within the curriculum.

The MYP encourages schools to structure the area of community and service within the curriculum in a way that leads students through the various stages of growth of awareness towards responsible, autonomous action. Teachers can do a great deal to raise awareness and encourage the development of positive attitudes and values, thereby promoting service activities. In order to gain the MYP certificate, students will have met the expectations of community and service to the satisfaction of the school.

To develop this area of interaction successfully within and across the subjects, community and service must be seen as an integral part of the programme and must be used by all subject teachers to inquire into subject content. Schools are reminded that all activities must be organized and monitored in ways that ensure student safety at all times.

Student learning expectations

The IB allows schools to develop this area of interaction in ways that are appropriate for their students and that reflect local realities; the idea of community and service can be interpreted in different ways by different cultural groups and must be respected. In all cases, schools must consider how to integrate the concept of community with subject content. As teachers plan to integrate this area with their subject content, they should consider community and service student learning expectations in terms of:

  • community awareness and understanding

  • reflection

  • involvement through service.

Community awareness and understanding

Before any useful involvement in the community can take place students must develop an awareness of what a community is. As students engage further with this area of interaction, they will become more aware of and understand further the complexities of a community and its different forms.

Reflection

Meaningful reflection is an essential part of students’ experience of community and service; it encourages better awareness of needs as well as the quality of response. It helps students develop positive attitudes and become aware of their own strengths and limitations. It also allows the teachers and the school to monitor the quality of community and service at the individual and at the school level.

Through their growing understanding of the concept of community, students will come to appreciate that they are all, individually, the members of various communities, and that with this membership come responsibilities. Students will also come to understand that communities themselves have various responsibilities towards their members.

Involvement through service

By considering the impact of responsibility on the choices of action, or inaction, that community membership provides, students can consider how they can become positively involved in their communities. In addition, students should consider how being an involved member of various communities will benefit them. All involvement in community and service should be seen as benefiting the service provider as well as the recipient.

Many schools have developed tools that guide the ongoing process of reflection and allow for formative assessment of student action. These tools could include:

  • journals

  • summary documents describing the activities and reflecting on their impact

  • group discussions

  • presentations of projects

  • student-led conferences.

Schools could use these formative assessment tools to arrive at a decision on whether a student has met the requirements of service at the end of the programme.

As part of the reflection process that accompanies community involvement, some schools may welcome input from responsible adults in addition to the subject teacher. In some cases older students can help organize, supervise and reflect on community and service for younger students.

It is a requirement of the MYP that students complete an element of service to qualify for certification.

The following table provides some examples of student learning expectations for community and service. Also, the table provides examples of questions that students could ask when engaging with MYP units of work set in a community and service context.

Technology Focus

Incorporating community and service into the study of technology encourages responsible citizenship as students deepen their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. The MYP technology course should also help students to reflect upon the role of technology in society and the impact of technology and technological developments in local and global settings. Often, by considering local technology-based issues, students can pursue community and service activities for themselves, and find ways in which a technology product/solution can be applied to meet a social need or solve a community problem.

Activities that may be considered to integrate community and service through technology include:

  • identifying local community needs and developing a technology product/solution to meet those needs
  • analysing the impact of a named technology or technological application on the community or on society
  • reflecting upon the role of technology in shaping life and society.

Learning Expectations

Student learning expectations could include: Key questions for use with MYP units of work
community awareness and understanding of:

the concept of community—including what “community” means, how communities are different and how they are similar, what makes a community

individuals in communities—including the role of the individual, the needs of the individual, the responsibilities of communities to their members different communities—including the various forms of community, the needs of

different communities, the issues within the communities, organizations within communities

  • How does this unit apply to my communities?
  • What impact does my community have on the content of this unit?
  • Which communities does this unit affect?
reflection on:

attitudes—including reflection upon different social patterns and ways of life, showing initiative

responsibilities—including the ethical implications of activity or inactivity within the community, using personal strengths to enhance communities, identifying personal strengths and limitations

  • How can my learning help my communities?
  • How can my communities help me learn?
  • What should I do? •
involvement through service in terms of:

community involvement—including types of involvement,

effects on communities at various levels,

personal involvement being an active contributor— including showing willingness and the skills to respond to the needs of others,

coming up with solutions to actively resolve issues within communities.

  • What needs to be done?
  • What can I do?
  • How is my involvement helping me develop?

3. Health and social education

How do I think and act? How am I changing? How can I look after myself and others?

About this area

Health and social education encompasses a range of issues and how they affect individuals, human development and interactions. It includes an appreciation of these effects in different cultural settings and at different times. It also provides students with opportunities to inquire into physical, social and emotional health and intelligence, key aspects of human development that can lead to a complete and balanced lifestyle.

The extent to which young people consider and act on social and health-related issues is influenced by political, social and economic decisions at the community and national level, as well as by the actions and support of schools, families and friends. As schools work to encourage students to make informed and responsible choices, they could involve the whole community, particularly students, in the planning and development of this area of interaction.

This area is wide in scope and teachers and students may prefer to consider it at four different levels:

  • ourselves in the wider society

  • ourselves and others

  • understanding ourselves

    • looking after ourselves.

    • It is a school’s responsibility to ensure that all teachers are comfortable dealing with the wide range of issues that this area of interaction might identify. Professional development, information, common planning time, opportunities for reflection and discussion on the part of teachers are all important in developing a school culture that supports health and social education. In addition to the curricular content, schools should consider:
  • policies linked to health, safety and the school community

  • the physical and psychosocial environment

  • health and support services.

Technology Focus

MYP technology can contribute to developing knowledge and understanding of health-related issues that can threaten or enhance health. This awareness can contribute to the development of healthy habits and behaviours. Psychological, sociological, economic and ethical aspects of health and welfare should also be addressed in the technology class. Moreover, cooperative learning activities encourage the development of social skills.

Activities that may be considered to integrate health and social education through technology include:

  • development of health and social awareness campaigns within the school and local community using products/solutions developed in technology
  • evaluation of the impact of technology and technological applications on health, quality of life and social well-being
  • raising awareness that health risks and hazards can be reduced through careful design of products/solutions
  • raising awareness of social, cultural and economic factors associated with technological developments related to health (for example, dental technologies, medical diagnoses and treatments, biotechnologies).

Student learning expectations

Students are increasingly in a position where they have to make choices that require critical thinking. As teachers plan to integrate this area with their subject content, they should consider health and social education student learning expectations in terms of:

  • an awareness of and understanding of contemporary and historical social issues

  • reflection on and having opinions on a range of social issues

  • making considered and responsible choices on a range of social and health issues.

The precise choice of content, and therefore the issues, is left to schools. However, as teams of teachers identify the issues from their subject content, they will also need to consider how they will develop in students a range of skills to better prepare them for making responsible and considered choices.

The following table provides some examples of student learning expectations for each aspect of health and social education. Also, the table provides examples of questions that students could ask when engaging with MYP units of work set in a health and social education context.

Student learning expectations could include: Key questions for use with MYP units of work
awareness and understanding of: ourselves in the wider society— including issues such as freedom, government health policies and globalization
  • Which health and social issues affect my age group?
  • Which health and social issues will I have to consider as I get older?
reflection on:

ourselves and others—including issues such as relationships, sex and death

understanding ourselves— including issues such as personal management, self-esteem and growing up

looking after ourselves—including issues such as personal hygiene, diseases and substance abuse

  • What alternative courses of action are open to me?
  • What social choices have I already made?
  • How am I changing?
making choices in terms of:

ourselves in the wider society— including behaviour and ethics

ourselves and others—including personal values and taking responsibility

understanding ourselves— including self-control or needs and wants

looking after ourselves—including diet and exercise.

  • What do I need to consider so I can make the right choice?
  • What skills do I need to make the right choice?
  • How can I look after myself and others?
  • What are the consequences of making poor choices?

4. Environments

What are our environments? What resources do we have or need? What are my responsibilities?

About this area

The context provided by this area of interaction considers environments to mean the totality of conditions surrounding us. This area of interaction focuses on the place of human beings within a wide range of environments including natural, built and virtual. In their interactions, students will come to an appreciation and understanding of their effects on their environments.

  • The natural environment includes all living and non-living things that occur naturally on Earth along with its systems, landscapes and resources.

  • The built environment includes the settings for human activity, ranging from the large-scale civic surroundings to personal places, such as homes.

  • The virtual environment includes electronic environments, Internet environments and the concept of personal space.

The word “environment” can refer to a vast array of complex and often controversial “green” issues. These issues, and the finding of solutions to them, are clearly important in the lives of all people. As students will be increasingly confronted with complex and controversial global environmental issues, this area of interaction provides opportunities for students to see these global issues in the light of local concerns, and vice versa. However, these issues alone do not define this area.

Technology Focus

The issues and challenges of MYP technology can help students become aware of their rights and responsibilities as consumers of technology and designers of technology products/solutions. This awareness should prepare them to make environmentally responsible choices when dealing with technology and technological applications.

Activities that may be considered to integrate environment through technology include:

  • analysis of the impact of technology and/or technological products/solutions on local and global environment
  • analysis of the effective use of resources, materials and energy in the development of technological products/solutions
  • analysis and evaluation of alternative technologies and technological applications with reduced impact on the environment
  • discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of environmentally friendly technologies
  • development of technology products/solutions to address local environmental problems.

Student learning expectations

Through this area of interaction students should develop an awareness and understanding of a range of environments and their qualities. Students should also explore the nature of our environments and the interactions between and interdependencies of various environments.

The entire school community will over time develop awareness through investigation, discussion and debate and should use these activities to develop deeper understanding of the contexts provided by various environments. Students will then come to understand better their responsibilities towards their environments, and will be better placed to take positive and appropriate action. Teachers can help students gain an understanding of these concepts and issues at the personal, local and global levels.

Reflecting on their actions, students can make clear links with human ingenuity (homo faber) to help them question the effectiveness of their actions and encourage them to take responsibility to effect positive change. This area can also complement the reflective practices and sense of involvement developed in community and service.

As teachers plan to integrate this area with their subject content, they should consider environments in terms of the learning expectations. The following table provides some examples of student learning expectations for each aspect of environments. Also, the table provides examples of questions that students could ask when engaging with MYP units of work set in the context of environments.

Student learning expectations could include: Key questions for use with MYP units of work
awareness and understanding of:

the roles our environments play in the lives and well-being of humankind

the effects of one environment on another

the effects of our actions, attitudes and constructs, such as sustainable development and conservation

physical, social, political, economic and cultural dimensions

the nature and role of local and international organizations

responsible for protecting our natural environments

how organizational policies in one environmental dimension can affect other environments

  • How do I affect my environments?
  • How do my environments affect me?
reflection on:

our responsibilities to our environments

the role of virtual environments in modelling our other environments

  • How can we make informed and responsible choices?
  • What are the lifestyle implications of making environmental choices?
taking action on: a range of issues related to environments.
  • How can I affect my environments in a positive way?
  • What difference can I make as an individual?

5. Human ingenuity (formerly homo faber)

Why and how do we create? What are the consequences?

About this area

Human ingenuity is the way in which human minds have influenced how we think, work, play, construct and conduct friendships and other relationships, interact with each other, find solutions to problems, cause problems, transform things and rationalize thought. It also considers the consequences of human thought and action.

Human history is full of examples of humans as thinkers, inventors and creators from all subject areas. Human ingenuity goes beyond looking solely at individuals, and looks at human contributions both in context and as part of an ongoing process, seeing them as logical, clever and reasoning, as well as illogical, fallible and devious.

The area of interaction, human ingenuity, is much more than the presentation of a product or concept as an example of human achievement; it can lead to a reasoned judgment of scientific, ethical, aesthetic and technological transformations and an appreciation of their consequences. This may result in the celebration of this achievement or the recognition of negative consequences—in many cases, it will lead to both.

It should prompt the creative and innovative involvement of the whole school community in presenting a holistic view of human activity, both in the past and in the present. In all subjects, students will encounter examples of the constructive and destructive activities of human beings. This does not necessitate additional subject content, but it does require a process of thorough reflection.

This area of interaction is open-ended and provides opportunities for discussion and further inquiry beyond individual subject borders. It may raise ethical issues such as progress, how development in one culture may be inappropriate to another and the responsibility we need to take for our own progress.

Human ingenuity encourages students to see the relationships between diverse subjects, as it can be used to inquire into a broad range of human activities. These include:

  • systems—laws, methods of government, transport, education, healthcare

  • communication—statistics, language, mathematical formulae, codes

  • technology—buildings, machinery, tools

  • thought—principles, concepts, ideas, opinions, attitudes

  • art—painting, sculpture, embroidery, theatre, music

  • culture—fashion, rituals and customs, food.

This area of interaction, above all others, provides students with opportunities to explore the very nature of the subject disciplines themselves. It can prepare students for the demands made by courses such as the theory of knowledge as part of the IB Diploma Programme.

Technology Focus

Human Ingenuity allows students to focus on the evolution, process and products of human creativity and their impact on life and society. Homo faber aims to provide opportunities for students to appreciate the human capacity to invent, create, transform, enjoy and improve the quality of life. Homo faber is at the heart of inquiry and helps students to examine, question and reflect upon the processes and products of human creativity.

The study of MYP technology provides many opportunities to incorporate homo faber into the curriculum. Homo faber goes beyond the sole creation of the product/solution. It leads students to examine, experience and reflect on the creative process. Students are expected to reflect upon the origin, process, context, development and impact of the product/solution on individuals, societies and the world. Technological developments and innovations can be assessed from a social, economic, political, environmental, cultural and ethical perspective.

Activities that may be considered to integrate homo faber through technology include:

  • analysis of specific products/solutions and processes derived from technology and how they have changed the world
  • evaluation of social and ethical factors associated with technology and technological developments
  • appreciation of the responsibility of designers, and of those who develop new technologies, for the uses and consequences of their products and designs.

Student learning expectations

With human ingenuity students can inquire into subject content and reflect on the ingenuity of humans from various perspectives. Teachers should accept that students will want to explore negative as well as positive traits. A balanced approach to inquiry within this area of interaction can be achieved by considering subject content from various perspectives: process, origin, development, impact, context and product.

Research, reflection and analysis are required to make the inquiry cycle a useful tool and a relevant learning experience. Students need to become conscious of the processes in which they are engaged or that they have experienced. They also need to consider other people’s processes in similar tasks and how these processes may contribute to the student’s own work. This is an important step towards recognizing the evolution of thought and of the creative process. Students need to recognize the impact of a range of creations from different times in history on themselves and on others; this should include predictions on future developments and their effects.

As teachers plan to integrate this area with their subject content, they should consider human ingenuity in terms of the learning expectations. The following table provides some examples of student learning expectations for each aspect of human ingenuity. Also, the table provides examples of questions that students could ask when engaging with MYP units of work set in a context of human ingenuity.

Student learning expectations could include: Key questions for use with MYP units of work
awareness and understanding of:

the meaning of “ingenious”

a range of systems, solutions and products

the processes involved in innovation, creation, development and change

the individual desire to create, develop or change things

how systems or products develop and change over time

  • Why do humans create, develop or change products or solutions? How and why do products or solutions change over time? How do we celebrate human endeavour and achievement?
reflection on:

the impact of innovation and creation on individuals, communities, societies and the world

the products of innovation, creation and development in context

how subjects have “ways of thinking” a range of systems, solutions and products

  • What are the consequences of creating?
  • How can I make responsible choices based on my understanding?
  • What impact have creations had on individuals, society and the world?
  • What future developments can I foresee?
taking action to: create solutions and products to solve own • and others’ problems think creatively. •
  • What are my challenges and what solutions can I come up with?
  • How can I have a personal involvement as an innovator, creator and developer?
  • How can I use my thinking in one subject to help me in another?

Summary

The areas of interaction provide the contexts for learning—teachers use them to frame subject content so that students can connect their learning with the real world and also connect the learning in one subject with that in another.

These contexts for learning, the five areas of interaction, are common to all schools offering the MYP. They serve to bring together the varied subject content that will be found in the different cultural and linguistic settings around the world. The areas of interaction give meaning to what is learned through the exploration of real-world issues and provide the MYP with its unique core of skills, values and attitudes.

The personal project in the final year of the programme will reflect the efficacy of the integration of the areas of interaction in the school. Through the project students should be able to demonstrate ATL skills in addition to building research and project development around at least one other area of interaction.

The IB provides schools with student learning expectations for each of the areas of interaction in this guide. These expectations are recommended as a starting point for schools to determine how the areas of interaction will be used by students during the programme—they provide a framework for student inquiry.

MYP requirements

Schools must use the student learning expectations provided for each area of interaction to:

  • plan the development of students’ ATL skills and thinking processes to ensure a logical progression of skills taught and reinforced over time

  • develop their own interim student learning expectations at each grade level to create a framework that ensures continuity and progression of learning in each area of interaction

    • provide ongoing professional development opportunities for teachers to further their understanding of the areas of interaction.

    • Schools must ensure that:
  • the areas of interaction are central to unit planning; the student learning expectations and key questions will assist in refining the focus

  • they define “satisfactory” community and service, for the purposes of MYP certification

  • the areas of interaction are included appropriately at the beginning of planning for the personal project and continue to influence throughout

  • the areas of interaction are used to develop interdisciplinary units.