Pedagogical pattern

Overview

Example structure of a pattern

• Name – single word or short phrase that refers to the pattern. This allows for rapid association and retrieval.
• Problem – definition of a problem, including its intent or a desired outcome, and symptoms that would indicate that this problem exists.
• Context – preconditions which must exist in order for that problem to occur; this is often a situation. When forces conflict, the resolutions of those conflicts is often implied by the context.
• Forces – description of forces or constraints and how they interact. Some of the forces may be contradictory. For example: being thorough often conflicts with time or money constraints.
• Solution – instructions, possibly including variants. The solution may include pictures, diagrams, prose, or other media.
• Examples – sample applications and solutions, analogies, visual examples, and known uses can be especially helpful, help user understand the context
• Resulting Context – result after the pattern has been applied, including postconditions and side effects. It might also include new problems that might result from solving the original problem.
• Rationale – the thought processes that would go into selecting this pattern, The rationale includes an explanation of why this pattern works, how forces and constraints are resolved to construct a desired outcome.
• Related Patterns – differences and relationships with other patterns, possibly predecessor, antecedents, or alternatives that solve similar problems.