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One Pager: Definition & Meaning

Educationally and pedagogically written and reviewed by Academic Writer Maryna Polishchuk, MA and Academic Writer & Researcher Dr. Maryam Iftikhar, Ph.D.

What is a One Pager

A one-pager is a shortened, one-page overview of a subject or assignment. The idea originated in the management domain, where it is used, for example, for project reports and product presentations. In the last several years, one-pagers have become an extremely popular teaching activity. 

A one-pager is usually a single-pieced document packed with content and graphics, which makes it easy for students to learn the key information from the lessons. It is a powerful and effective learning tool for teachers, as it assists in summarizing a teacher’s knowledge of an academic topic by combining informative text and graphics.

One Pager Benefits

One pager is a vibrant, eye-catching substitute for conventional worksheets and written answers. That doesn’t undermine the need for careful and thoughtful consideration, however. In fact, the opposite is true. Students are asked to sort through the filler and choose the information they believe is essential to convey because of the restricted space on a one-pager. As a result, one-pagers provide a novel yet insightful method for reading, processing, and evaluating literature.

One-pagers are a perfect way to check student comprehension of content. These one-page assignments enable students to concentrate on their critical thinking, while longer analytical pieces might cause some students to get stuck in their fears, doubts, or laziness. To demonstrate their thinking, pupils use more of a collage technique rather than trying to put phrases or paragraphs together.

Students may create collages or use drawings. They have two options for working: independently or in groups with other students. Thus, one-pagers are a great way to work in a team and improve communication and leadership skills.

One-pagers are short tasks, so they are easy to achieve for students who have trouble with writing. Students write paragraphs as opposed to a six-hundred-word essay. Additionally, students may convey their understanding via diagrams, pictures, and other visual aids.

One-pager projects have another advantage of being shorter, it allows teachers to assign them more frequently throughout a learning unit. Since they are shorter jobs, they are quicker to mark. It will take the teacher much longer to provide insightful critique on a six-page essay than a one-pager.

The shorter duration allows teachers to provide more frequent feedback. Students learn more quickly when their work is evaluated often, as they can understand and learn from their mistakes. It’s also a quick approach for teachers to compile proof of their students’ learning achievements.

One Pager Drawbacks

Some students may refuse the initial idea of a one-pager because they think it will require a lot of creativity. When students say, “I’m not an artist,” for example, teachers must emphasize that creative skill is not a requirement for this task. While teachers may encourage the use of colors to diversify one-pagers, it is essential to remember that critical thinking is the primary requirement for the students. Also, it is critical to emphasize that it is not an artwork but rather a usual exercise.

Furthermore, a teacher should provide clear guidelines for completing a one-pager. It is also helpful to provide as many examples and templates as possible to reassure students who experience troubles with the task.

One Pager Examples

One-pagers can be applied for different purposes in the studying process. Some of them include:

  • Assisting students in comprehending key concepts and ideas.
  • Assisting students in introducing themselves in class.
  • Encouraging students to discuss the main ideas or lessons they learned from reading an essay or article online or on social media.
  • Highlighting significant events in history and pivotal moments.
  • Bringing some fun into your character analysis exercises in your English lesson.
  • Helping students in comprehending and learning new terms in vocabulary sessions.
  • Encouraging students to use one-pager templates to showcase their book report insights and lessons learned.

One Pager: Teach Simples Perspective

It is understandable why one-pagers have become so popular in recent years. Students employ one-pagers to graphically depict crucial themes and takeaways instead of merely writing words on paper. One-pagers are entertaining to make and significantly improve understanding and remembering.

In Teach Simple, we believe that one-pagers play an important role in education and are beneficial for students because they encourage students to think deeply about a text and develop the ability to distinguish the essential aspects of the lesson. One-pagers also promote the development of creative skills because students often include drawings, pictures, or other visual components in their works. One-pagers are often vibrant pieces of work and, depending on the student, may include more pictures than text. It makes it possible to ensure that one-pagers are a perfect way to develop abstract thinking in students.

With the appliance of one-pagers, it becomes easier for students to perceive material and remember the most important ideas. One-pagers also promote the development of communication skills because students often share their work with one another.

References

  • Mayo, E. L. A. I. N. E., Henson, K., & Smith, H. E. L. E. N. (2008, August). Early childhood teachers as researchers: Story as innovation, one-pagers as methodology. In The Seventh International Conference on Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices.221–226. https://doi.org/10.1080/17425964.2010.518490