What is rapid prototyping and how can it apply to the ELT classroom?

Nicole Kyriacou
A teacher stood in front of her class with her students raising their hands
Reading time: 5 minutes

Tom Chi is an internet veteran with quite a resumé. His roles have been many and varied – from astrophysical researcher to Fortune 500 consultant and corporate executive, developing new hardware and software products and services.

He worked on Microsoft Outlook when it was in its infancy, was a major influence in taking Yahoo Search from 0 to 90 million users and is now Head of Product Experience at Google X – Alphabet’s secretive division focused on creating technological innovations for the future. It has produced the self-driving car and Google Glass, and its Project Loon aims to provide internet to every square inch of the earth.

At Google X, Tom was in a unique position – always having to think five, ten or even more years ahead in order to conceptualize and build the technology of the future. As you might imagine, this is far from an easy task; not only do the ideas have to be original, but they have to meet people’s future needs – something that is not easy to predict.

So, how does Tom and the others at Google X deliver their vision for the future using today's materials and technology?

That’s where Rapid Prototyping comes in. It’s a concept that allows teams to experiment, learn and adjust prototypes quickly and cheaply, so that projects (and products) get off the ground. Failure is seen as a starting block and an inevitable part of the learning process. Following his workshop, we are going to look further at rapid prototyping and how it can relate to the ELT classroom.

Integrating rapid prototyping into ELT teaching
Play
Privacy and cookies

By watching, you agree ɫèAV can share your viewership data for marketing and analytics for one year, revocable by deleting your cookies.

What are the rules of rapid prototyping?

According to Tom, rapid prototyping follows four main principles:

Rule #1:

You must find the quickest path to experience. Ideas are nothing until they have been tested; prototyping is the quickest path to go from guessing into direct experience. You will soon see an idea’s strengths, weaknesses and potential once you have tried it.

Rule #2:

Doing is the best kind of thinking. People are very good at imagining things, but until we try them, we won’t know what works and what doesn’t. By actually doing something, we’ll come up with new ideas, new challenges and new solutions.

Rule #3:

Prototyping follows a distinct pathway: from conjecture, to experimentation, to results and finally decision-making.

Prototyping rule #4:

Prototyping helps us reason in time and space: instead of lots of planning, imagination and guesswork, it makes us build something real, considering real use cases and real situations.

How does rapid prototyping affect progress?

The rapid-prototyping learning loop follows this pattern:

  1. Building a variation
  2. Testing with customers
  3. Observing results
  4. Adjusting from results

This process allows us to increase the chances of success in any given project dramatically. For example, if an idea has a 5% chance of success, by trying it 20 times there is a 64% chance of success and by trying it 50 times, there is a 92% chance of success.

Considering that each time an idea is prototyped, learning takes place, the chances of success are likely even higher with every trial.

But wait, what has rapid prototyping got to do with the ELT classroom?

Tom shows how a technology giant like Google can innovate and produce results quickly and efficiently through rapid prototyping – and all the while, he is explaining how much faster learning is when we experiment and do things.

Encouraging project-based work

Of course, our students are not innovating or building new products for tech companies, they are aiming to learn a language. But as Tom said, learning by doing is much faster and more effective than simply conjecturing and talking about theories.

Following his first rule of prototyping (find the quickest path to experience), we need to give students the experience of using the language as fast as possible. Project and task-based learning allows students to build their vocabulary, and test their grammar and overall communications skills in an authentic way.

This also covers Tom’s second rule (doing is the best type of thinking). If we can tap into our students’ creativity, we can allow them to experiment with language, discover what they know and what they don’t know, and then really work on learning the things they need for certain tasks.

When it comes to Tom’s third rule (conjecture, experimentation, results, decision-making), the teacher has more responsibility. We need to look at how we benchmark, measure and analyze our learner’s progress. Without a pathway, our students will not know how they are progressing and may easily lose motivation. The students therefore need to have a firm idea of their abilities, when they need to learn and how they are currently performing. We can then make decisions regarding individual class plans and syllabi.

Finally, by exposing our students to authentic materials, we cover Tom’s fourth rule (reason in time and space). Authentic readings, listenings and videos give learners the opportunity to work with real-world language, trying out what they are learning in authentic contexts. It helps them imagine using the language outside of the safe environment of the classroom too, giving them the challenge they need to push them into learning faster.

Fostering a growth mindset

The very fact that Tom’s team is able to imagine and prototype what seem like impossible ideas – that then have the potential to change the world – is awe-inspiring.

We can all learn from his vision, tenacity and methodology. At the heart of the experimentation and learning at Google X lies a growth mindset.

If we help our students develop a growth mindset, they will see failure as an opportunity to learn, as well as a challenge as a chance to grow, and feedback as a constructive way to improve.

Learning is a dynamic process. As teachers, it’s important for us to look outside the world of education to find inspiration and ideas. We hope this has sparked your curiosity and added a dash of inspiration for your future classes.

Read our post 'Fostering critical thinking in the classroom' and the webinar 'Develop a growth mindset'.

Explore our language courses

More blogs from ɫèAV

  • A child and grandparent sat on a sofa together reading a book and smiling

    7 great technology books to help improve your English

    By Steffanie Zazulak
    Reading time: 3 minutes

    Technology is one of our favorite topics at the moment. This is because the use of technology can enrich the experiences of both learning and teaching English.

    Inspired by this, we set about putting together a list of the best technology and futuristic novels for English learners. Reading novels is one of the most fun and effective ways of improving your English language skills. It can expand your vocabulary and expose you to different sentence structures, as well as give you the chance enjoy some wonderful stories.

    E-readers and tablets make learning English even easier because if you don’t know a word, you can simply click on it to read its definition. On a Kindle, you can even add new words you’ve learned to its Vocabulary Builder feature. Others recommend listening to and reading text at the same time as an excellent way of enhancing the learning process. Kindle’s Whispersync for Voice is designed for just this purpose and includes audio with selected books, meaning you can listen and follow the text as you read.

    Here is our selection of seven great technology books to help improve your English:

    1. Spider-Man comic books

    Marvel’s superheroes are no strangers to technology and the comic book experts have recently released a set of comics concentrating on science, technology, engineering, art and maths. The combination of drawings and limited texts make these comic books the perfect place for English learners to start.

    2. Poptropica English Space Island Adventure

    ɫèAV English Kids Readers are stories that have been specially rewritten for English language learners aged 5-12. The great thing about using a book designed for children is that they can enjoy and learn at the appropriate level. Children's books also often have exciting plots and fun dialogue – and that is definitely the case with this story, from the Poptropica English universe, about Peter, Pepper and Captain Cloud meeting aliens on their tour around Space Island.

    Many of you will be familiar with the major movie starring Will Smith, but I, Robot actually started off as a collection of nine short stories by Issac Asimov. Written in the 1940s and 1950s, they tell a tale of humans, robots and morality. Each of the short stories can be read separately and they contain simple, descriptive language, making them perfect for English learners.

    Regarded as one of the greatest science-fiction/technology novels written in the English language, Brave New World anticipates advancements in technology that combine to affect society. Author Aldous Huxley’s unique writing style combines narrative and descriptive language, resulting in a witty and engaging read. You’ll want to keep learning and reading to find out what happens next.

    This clever novel, written by Douglas Coupland, tells its story through the use of letters and diary entries. Originally a short story, it was expanded to a full-length novel that follows the adventures of six code-crunching computer whizzes, seen through the eyes of one of the characters, Daniel. The diary entries are written in a straightforward and entertaining style, making it a fast-paced read.

    This novel explores the wonders of the universe, but the underlying theme contemplates the repercussions of powerful machines for humanity in the past, present and future. The content of the story is rich and it often feels like you are listening to a great aunt or uncle telling stories. Better still is the fact that the technology written about in the book is not described in confusing language – in fact, anyone can understand it, making it perfect for those wishing to expand their English vocabulary.

    When a powerful computer virus called Snow Crash gets loose and somehow starts infecting humans, computer hacker Hiro teams up with a sassy skateboard messenger to save both the real world and cyberspace. The characters are quirky, as is the writing style. But it is well thought out and means you can really get to know the characters. You’ll need to concentrate closely on the plot – but the slower pace will give you time to look up any English words you’re not sure of.

  • A man sat on a bench outdoors holding a phone smiling

    Translating sayings into English – with some funny results

    By Steffanie Zazulak
    Reading time: 3 minutes

    We all use phrases to express our emotions and feelings. These are known as idioms – an expression with a figurative meaning that differs from its literal meaning. Sometimes they don’t appear to make any sense at all and this is because they have evolved to mean different things.

    We’ve previously looked at some of the strangest English phrases – where they came from and what they mean. But these quirks of speech exist in many different languages. Here, we take a closer look at some common phrases and you’ll see that translating your favorite sayings into English can produce some amusing results.

    Not my circus, not my monkey

    This idiom, “nie mój cyrk, nie moje malpy”, is used by Polish speakers to state that something is not their responsibility or “not my problem”.

    An English phrase with a similar meaning is: “Tell it to the hand.”

    Not all doughnuts come with a hole

    This English translation of the Italian phrase “non tutte le ciambelle riescono col buco”, is a reminder that things do not always turn out the way we expect. A “ciambelle” is a round cake that is popular as a treat in Italy.

    An English phrase with a similar meaning is: “You win some, you lose some.”

    The raisin at the end of a hot dog

    This Icelandic saying, “rúsínan í pylsuendanum”, acknowledges that it’s not usual to find a raisin at the end of a hot dog – so sometimes you might find an unexpected surprise at the end of something.

    An English phrase with a similar meaning is: “Out of the blue.”

    I’m not hanging noodles on your ears

    This Russian saying, “вешать лапшу на уши”, means you’re not trying to fool someone, emphasising that what you’re saying is true – even if it appears to be a surprise.

    An English phrase with a similar meaning is: “I’m not pulling your leg.”

    As clear as dumpling broth

    A sarcastic saying from Germany, “klar wie Kloßbrühe”, means that something is not at all clear – because dumpling soup is not at all clear or easy to see through.

    An English phrase with a similar meaning is: “Clear as mud.”

    Pay the duck

    This Portuguese phrase, “pagar o pato”, is used when someone takes the blame for something they didn’t do.

    An English phrase with a similar meaning is: “Be the fall guy.”

    Give pumpkins to someone

    We’re not sure why giving pumpkins to someone became such a bad thing in Spanish-speaking countries, but this idiom, “Dar calabazas a alguien”, means that you reject someone.

    An English phrase with a similar meaning is: “Show them the door.”

    To let a frog out of your mouth

    This Finnish saying, “päästää sammakko suusta”, is uttered when someone accidentally says something they shouldn’t have. There’s an animal-related English phrase that is similar, but it involves cats...

    An English phrase with a similar meaning: “To let the cat out the bag.”

    Not the yellow from the egg

    The German idiom “nicht das Gelbe vom Ei” literally translates to "not the yellow from the egg," and it is used to express that something is not particularly good. This phrase often implies that while something may be acceptable, it falls short of being excellent or ideal.

    An English phrase with a similar meaning: “It's less than perfect.”

  • Man and a woman stood together smiling

    6 more strange English phrases explained

    By Steffanie Zazulak

    In a previous blog, we shared somestrange English phrases that might have left you with some questions. The English language is full of peculiar phrases that can even confuse fluent speakers. In today's post, we'll take a look at a few more such phrases to help you expand your repertoire.