Learning technique: PACE-method

Introduction

This week: The PACE Method. A derivative of a prioritization technique from project management. The method helps teams distinguish important requirements from less essential desires.

Instructions

What is it?

The PACE Method is based on a four-step categorization:

Must have: Essential requirements without which the project cannot succeed. 

Should have: Important but not critical requirements.

Could have: Desirable features that have a positive impact but are not necessary.

Won't have: Features that may be considered in the future but are currently out of scope. 

For this LessonUp activity, we have adapted the method into the PACE Method:

Primary: What is truly necessary (without this, you wouldn't understand the topic).

Additional: What is helpful (beneficial to know but not essential).

Consider: What is nice but not crucial (interesting or fun but not needed for understanding).

Exclude: What is not necessary (irrelevant for now and can be excluded).

The PACE Method helps in making smart choices. It allows students to set priorities in lesson content, explore their own learning process, or solve fictional scenarios using this framework.

Students develop critical thinking, effective planning, and the ability to distinguish key points from details. They gain a clearer understanding of the difference between must-haves, wants, and wishes, making it easier to take the right steps in their learning process.

How do you implement it?

There are various ways to use this method in the classroom. Here are some examples:

• Drag-and-Drop Question
  To reinforce understanding, students can drag objects into the correct category: Important, Useful, Secondary, or Outside. This helps them assess the value of different elements and learn to distinguish between essential and less critical aspects.
  For example, before an exam period, help students categorize study materials:
  - What information is essential to pass?
  - What is useful but not critical for this test?
  This encourages students to analyze their study materials critically, plan better, and separate key information from distractions. The more often they apply this method, the more naturally they will plan and streamline their learning.
• Regular Slide
  A word problem is a great example of how the PACE Method works. Students must determine which information they can ignore and which details are crucial.
  For instance, in a math problem involving parking costs, this information might be useful but not essential. The calculation requires dividing a total amount by two, and without the parking cost data, the problem wouldn't be solvable. Thus, students naturally extract the important information themselves.
• Mind Map
  A mind map is an excellent way to categorize answers visually. By rearranging responses, students can sort ideas into PACE.
  For example, ask: "Class Party" and let students brainstorm. Then, as a group, categorize their answers into P A C E, ensuring a well-organized event plan.

How to use it?

The PACE Method can be applied in various educational contexts:

• Lesson Planning – What are the essential learning goals? What is additional enrichment? Helps teachers design more efficient lessons and focus on the core content.
• Project Work & Group Assignments – Students distribute tasks wisely: What must be done? What is optional? This prevents them from getting stuck in details and increases independence.
• Exam Preparation – What must you master? What is just helpful to know? This method aids students in effective studying and reduces stress.
• Text Structuring – What is the main message of a text? Which details support it? This enhances reading comprehension and summarization skills.

The PACE Method is based on Cognitive Load Theory, which shows that learning is more effective when students focus on the most important information and are less distracted by unnecessary details.

In educational approaches that emphasize prioritization strategies, such as formative assessment and active learning techniques, research shows that students retain knowledge better, learn more efficiently, and feel more motivated.

Werkvormen: BBBB-methode

PACE method

Learning technique

Essential & less essential organs

1. Primary

Essential organs

Indispensable for survival

2. Additional

Less essential organs

Useful, not life-threatening if lost

3. Consider

Non essential organs

Improves life but is not essential

4. Exclude

No organs

Not applicable to this lesson

Drag the organs to the correct category.

Objective: Teach students to distinguish between essential and less essential organs in the human body.

Task: Drag the organs into the correct category of the BBBB method:

Primary – essential for survival

Additional – handy but not immediately life-threatening if lost

Consider – makes life better, but not necessary

Exclude – not applicable to this lesson

Discussion: Have students reflect: What determines whether an organ is "essential"?

Imagine you have a French test.

Place the study topics in the correct PACE category.

Primary

Additional

Consider

Exclude

Verb conjugations

History of the French language

French expressions

Basic vocabulary

Sentence structure

• Doel: Leerlingen leren welke onderdelen van de taal het belangrijkst zijn voor communicatie en toetsvoorbereiding.

Opdracht:

Stel: Je hebt een toets Frans (of een andere taal). Zet de volgende leeronderdelen in de juiste BBBB-categorie:

• Belangrijk: Basiswoordenschat, werkwoordvervoegingen
• Bruikbaar: Uitgebreide grammaticale structuren
• Bijzaak: Idiomatische uitdrukkingen
• Buiten: Geschiedenis van de Franse taal

Bespreking: Laat leerlingen zelf aanvullen en bespreken: Hoe bepalen we wat het belangrijkst is? En zou deze methode je kunnen helpen?

What information do you really need to

calculate the costs?

Story:

Emma and Daan are going to an amusement park. They have both turned 40 years old, and that needs to be celebrated!

Daan pays for everything that day, but Emma really wants him to send a payment request for half of all the costs.

Now Daan has to calculate how much he has paid at the park, including parking fees and lunch.

He decides to give Emma the travel costs as a gift, at a rate of £0.18 per kilometer.

Information

• Emma is 1.69 m
• Temperature 23°C
• Lunch menu €8.99
• One-way trip 45 km
• Daan weighs 78 kg
• Parking £6.02
• Avg. waiting time 30   minutes
• 35,000 steps taken
• Ticket per person   £41.33

Learning objective: Students will learn to distinguish between essential and unnecessary information and apply the BBBB method to solve mathematical problems more efficiently!

Step 1: Sort the information using the PACE method:

Primary: What do you really need to calculate the total costs?

Adittional: Which information is helpful, but not strictly necessary?

Consider: What is interesting, but not relevant for the calculation?

Exclude: What information can you completely ignore?

Step 2: Solve the problem!

Emma and Daan are going together and sharing the parking costs. How much do they need to pay in total for their day out, including parking and lunch?

Bonus question: What if Daan includes travel costs in his calculation? How does this change the calculation? Does any other information then become relevant?

Werkvormen: BBBB-methode

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