Transforming the learning experience

Transcription

Transforming the
learning experience
Transforming Learning through
Innovation
Published by the Leading Practice and Design
Innovation & Next Practice Division
Department of Education and
Early Childhood Development
Melbourne
February 2009
© State of Victoria (Department of Education
and Early Childhood Development) 2009
The copyright in this document is owned by the State of
Victoria (Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development), or in the case of some materials, by
third parties (third party materials). No part may be
reproduced by any process except in accordance with
the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968, the National
Education Access Licence for Schools (NEALS) (see
below) or with permission.
An educational institution situated in
Australia which is not conducted for profit,
or a body responsible for administering such
an institution, may copy and communicate
the materials, other than third party materials, for the
educational purposes of the institution.
Authorised by the Department of Education
and Early Childhood Development,
2 Treasury Place, East Melbourne, Victoria, 3002.
This document is also available on the internet at
www.education.vic.gov.au/researchinnovation/
innovation.htm
Contents
Background
1
The transformation variables
4
Unpacking the transformation
variables
5
1 Vision for improved student
learning
5
2 School leadership 5
3 Teacher knowledge,
understanding, skills and practice 6
4 Curriculum leadership 6
5 Data collection and use
7
6 Professional learning 7
7 Sharing and transferring
knowledge and good practice
8
8 Use and application of resources
including ICT in the learning and
teaching process
8
Transformation in action 9
Taking action
9
The needs of 21st century learners
10
The capabilities of 21st century
teachers
11
What does the research say?
11
Moving from traditional to studentcentred learning
12
The design features of 21st century
learning spaces
13
Case studies
16
Case study 1
Karingal Park Secondary College
16
Case study 2
Macleod College
18
Case study 3
Mordialloc College
20
Case study 4
Matthew Flinders Girls Secondary
College
22
Case study 5
Geelong High School
24
Case study 6
Carwatha College P-12
26
Case study 7
Koonung Secondary College
28
Case study 8
Galvin Park Secondary College
30
iii
Background
Since 2003 the Victorian government provided funds for additional teachers and
capital works to 162 government schools with a secondary component through
the Leading Schools Fund initiative. The resources gave these schools significant
flexibility to innovate using the combination of time, space and Information
Communications Technology (ICT).
The objective was to improve student outcomes through innovative teacher and
school effectiveness strategies, to share and transfer leading practice within and
across schools, and to identify local solutions to education provision challenges
issues in certain geographic localities.
Transformation is a
concept of total change, a
realignment of thought and
behaviour.
The University of Melbourne 2006
Innovation is about doing
things in new or better
ways to create new and
valued outcomes …
Department of Education & Early
Childhood Development
The Blueprint for Education and Early Childhood Development announced on 2nd
September 2008 renews a commitment to Victorian education and challenges
traditional ideas and practices in education. The research undertaken with these
162 schools supports the Blueprint by accelerating awareness of innovative practice
based on their experiences, observations, research and evaluation.
Research
The University of Melbourne conducted thorough research and evaluation of the 162
schools, including two meta-evaluations and an overall evaluation, which focused
on how time, space and ICT enabled schools to focus on improving student learning
outcomes in addition to teacher and school effectiveness.
The evaluations have contributed to a significant evidence base which report on –
• the extent to which objectives are being met.
• effective strategies that are being used to achieve these objectives.
• the factors that contribute to the development and implementation of effective
strategies.
• the degree of transformation, transfer of practice and sustainability.
• the implications for future departmental initiatives.
In addition to the University of Melbourne’s evaluation, action research was
conducted with each school, longitudinal tracking of school data was completed
and each school completed self-assessments using tailored tools.
1
Success …is about deep
cultural change, requiring
local and systemic capacity
for sustaining change
over a period of time ….
‘Capacity’ is being able
to deliver a curriculum
that expands the young
people’s understanding
of the world and helps
them, in the words of
one principal, to become
actors not acted upon.
That capacity has to be
exercised at several levels:
classrooms, professional
teams, the whole school
and the wider system.
The University of Melbourne
2
The Findings
Schools demonstrating significant
success in transforming learning
environments and in managing
transferable, sustainable change
had specific characteristics and
demonstrated quite particular evidence
of progress which included:
• An explicit focus on student-centred
learning and the improvement
of teacher knowledge, skills and
practice.
• A clear and coherent vision for
improved student learning.
• ICT that is integrated, accessible and a
pedagogical tool.
• Leadership that aligns the roles and
responsibilities and activity of school
leaders with continuous improvement
of student learning.
• The existence of robust professional
teams, who plan, teach and reflect
together. Effective teams are arguably
the most critical structures of
transformation.
• Curriculum leadership that provides
breadth and depth of learning at
each of the developmental stages
of schooling and is delivered in an
integrated way.
• The collection and regular use of a
range of data by school leaders and
teachers.
• Strategies for sharing and transferring
knowledge and good practice about
how students learn, and effective
teaching and assessment.
• A clear and explicit focus on the
interconnectedness of professional
learning, curriculum resources, the
use of space and ICT for the benefit of
all staff and all teams.
Over the last five years government
investment, involving the combined
resources of additional teachers and
capital works has been tracked and
monitored. A range of direct and indirect
outcomes from this investment has been
articulated into policy and investment
discussions around future systemic
directions.
Outcomes
Connectivity
between desi
gn
and function
of educationa
l
spaces
Proven
approaches to
student centred
learning
School
n
transformatio
variables
Successful
sharing strategies
within schools,
across schools
and the system
Improved
student, teacher
and school
culture
Method for
building school
capability
New models
of education
provision
Suite of
innovative
teacher practices
Success in
addressing
variability
in school
performance
Research and
evaluation
Data
Self
assessment
Action research
Meta-evaluation
University of
Melbourne
Ongoing
evaluation
Continuous
improvement in
student outcomes
Improved teacher
and school
effectiveness
Sharing and
transference of
good practice,
knowledge and
programs
New models
of education
provision
Objectives
Additional teachers
Effective use
of information
communication
technologies
Accessible ICT
Learning spaces
Government investment
3
The transformation variables
Different types of strategy
are considered to have
improved the quality of
strategic implementation
and the achievement of
objectives in schools:
vision for improved
student learning; school
leadership; curriculum
leadership; data collection
and use; professional
learning; sharing
knowledge and practice;
resource use; and new
models of education
provision. These strategies
are seen to shape and
transform teaching and
learning practice, which in
turn impacts on the quality
of student experience,
learning and achievement.
The University of Melbourne Meta
Evaluation 2008
These findings have been synthesised
into eight key variables characterising
transformation, the central element of
which is teaching and learning. A strong
focus on all the variables is essential for
schools to achieve sustainable whole
school transformation demonstrating
evidence of innovative and studentcentred learning.
The Transformation Variables represent
the areas in which schools need to
invest strategic effort in order to
positively impact student learning
needs. One of the central messages
associated with the transformation
variables is that activity involving
8
1
Vision for
improved student
learning
2
7
School
leadership
Sharing
and transferring
knowledge and good
practice
Key variables
defining
whole school
transformation
6
The Transformation and Development
Matrix is a comprehensive rubric
including each of the eight key
Transformation Variables. It has been
developed to support schools to self
assess, discuss their current status and
future directions in order to progress
toward whole school transformation.
The matrix is available via the following
link – www.education.vic.gov.au/
researchinnovation/innovation.htm
Use and
application of
resources and ICT
Professional
learning
4
change must address every variable so
that progress towards transformation
is realised. Quality outcomes are
commensurate with quality planning
and investment.
3
Teacher
knowledge,
understanding, skills
and practice
5
4
Data collection
and use
Curriculum
leadership
Unpacking the transformation
variables
Create
Successful schools know how to make
their vision useful. They do this by turning
visions into action statements. These action
statements provide pathways for what
needs to be done and become standards for
evaluating effectiveness. As a result, the
schools transform from ordinary organisations
to communities of responsibility.
Thomas Sergiovanni
1Vision for improved student learning
Strategic
planning
Goals for
student learning
Implementation
plans based on
project management
principles
Whole school
resourcing
arrangements
A clear
and coherent
vision for improved
student learning is
reflected in:
Synergy with
school policies
Motivate
Leaders are those who know what to do next,
know why that is important, and know what
appropriate resources to bring to bear on the
problem at hand. Then, through effective
communication they influence others to
follow.
Barry Bowater
Expectations
of teacher
knowledge,
understanding, skills
and practice
2School leadership
Has leaders
actively
participating in the
change process and
professional
learning
Supports staff
development and
recognition
Clearly
aligns roles and
responsibilities
with continuous
improvement of
teaching and
learning
Clearly
aligns roles and
responsibilities
with the vision and the
strategic directions of
the school
A
distributed
leadership
structure:
Ensures
implementation
and evaluation of
strategic improvement
Focuses on
curriculum,
pedagogy and
improved student
outcomes
5
Innovate
We need to replicate in the classroom the
world in which students are living.
3Teacher knowledge, understanding, skills
and practice
Knowledge of
how students
learn
Anonymous
Practice
aligned to the
learning needs and
goals of individual
students
An explicit
focus on student
centred learning
Teachers
consistently
demonstrate:
Planning,
teaching, coaching
and reflecting in
teams
A focus on
pedagogical
improvement
Practice which
is integrated with
curriculum
Integrate
Every student can learn, just not on the same
day, or the same way.
4Curriculum leadership
Breadth and
depth of learning
programs and
pathways
George Evans
A variety of
‘for, as and of’
assessment to meet
the needs of individual
students
Strong
evidence of VELS
and PoLT in the
learning program
6
Flexible
delivery and
structure that
involves integration
Curriculum
leadership is
demonstrated by:
Whole school
curriculum
planning that is
student-centred,
innovative, sequential
Learning
and documented
programs which
enable teachers to
practise new approaches
to teaching and
learning
Investigate
The goal is to transform data into
information, and information into insight.
Carly Fiorina
5Data collection and use
Informs
teacher
development
Tracks,
monitors and
measures the
acquisition of new
skills, knowledge
and attributes of
teachers
Tracks,
monitors and
measures qualitative
and quantitative
student outcomes
Stimulate
Do not train children to learning by force
and harshness, but direct them to it by what
amuses their minds, so that you may be
better able to discover with accuracy the
peculiar bent of the genius of each.
Plato
Involves
formative
assessment
The collection
and use of
data by school
leaders, teachers
and students:
Defines
student success
Elevates
student voice
6Professional learning
A focus on
improving teacher
effectiveness
A focus
on improved
learning outcomes
and new teaching
strategies practised
in the learning
environment
Teacher
improvement
plans that have
a continuous
improvement
focus
Teams
planning, teaching
and reflecting
together
Professional
learning is
characterised by:
Effective
teams as the most
critical structure
of transformation
The
opportunity
for feedback from
multiple sources to
inform professional
growth
7
Collaborate
I forget what I was taught.
I only remember what I have learnt.  
Patrick White
Education is what survives when what has
been learned has been forgotten.
BF Skinner
7Sharing and transferring knowledge and
good practice
The
provision of
networked learning
opportunities in
partnership with other
schools, providers,
and industry
A community of
leading practice
that extends across
school boundaries with
a focus on student
learning needs
A successful
sharing strategy
with other schools/
providers that is focused
on improved teaching
and learning
Sharing and
transferring
knowledge and
good practice is
demonstrated by:
A clear plan
Spaces /
describing the way
resources that are
in which the skills of
used for parent and
teachers are transferred
community interaction
and will become
at different times of
Teaching
sustainable
the day
teams working
together within,
across, and beyond
school boundaries
Facilitate
Let’s find ways to be different and head
another direction – that requires a lot of
creativity.
Marco Torres
8Use and application of resources including
ICT in the learning and teaching process
Timetabling
and school
organisation
arrangements
which
support teacher
Routine and
Furniture
teams working
creative use by
which is
students and
and learning
modular and
teachers of infortogether
mobile to easily
mation communication
support different
technologies for
student groupings
Use and
research /inquiry,
and diverse
presentation, and
application of
activities
multimedia
resources including
The
development,
documentation and
implementation of an
ICT forward plan
ICT involves:
Ready access
to a variety
of resources so
that students can
demonstrate learning
in different ways
Synergy
between
professional learning,
curriculum resources,
and the use of space
and ICT
8
Transformation in action
The sequence of activity involving
the variables is depicted in the
Transformation in Action diagram.
This important diagram shows the
quite specific relationship between
the variables which corresponds with
successful whole school planning based
on student learning needs. The quality
and rigour of decisions, planning,
actions and evaluation made in each
variable are fundamental to success.
For example if the decisions made by
a school regarding improvement to
learning outcomes does not initially
focus on data and then explicitly
on investment in improved teacher
knowledge, understanding, skills and
practice, then improvement to outcomes
is more likely to be incremental than
transformational.
Taking action
Sch
Le
o ol
sh
ader
ip
Sharing and transferring
knowledge and good practice
Curriculum
leadership
Use and
application of
resources
including ICT
Professional
learning
Data collection
and use
How do we
resource the
students, teachers
and school?
Teacher knowledge,
understanding,
skills and practice
How do we share?
What do we
need to teach?
What do we
need to learn?
How do we
need to teach?
Do we know our
students?
fo
V i si o n
r imp
d
rove
ng
rni
lea
t
n
e
s t ud
9
The needs of 21st century
learners
The needs of 21st century learners
are diverse and complex. Students
learn in different ways, have vastly
different backgrounds, prior education
and socialisation. Student-centred
learning requires that the knowledge,
understanding, skills and practices
of teachers puts them in a confident
and expert role to proactively address
diversity at every developmental stage
of learning sequentially and seamlessly.
Successful schools are collecting a
range of qualitative and quantitative
student data and are using this data
to inform teacher practice. Several
data sets may be collected to provide
teachers with more specific diagnostic
information to inform learning program
design and implementation. An
expanded data base records a greater
range of achievement and collects
information regarding the development
of the whole person. Student voice
is particularly important in this
transformed learning environment
and one of the success indicators
regarding improved student outcomes
is awareness by teachers of the range
and usefulness of data in the areas of
qualitative student outcomes.
10
Feedback informing professional
practice includes data on student
performance and the use of reliable and
appropriate data-gathering instruments
for monitoring, evaluating and modifying
teaching and learning practices in order
to achieve improvement.
The purposeful collection of qualitative
and quantitative data is the foundation
of student-centred learning. Accessible
information regarding trends in
attendance, literacy, numeracy, thinking
skills, personalised learning skills,
engagement, learner qualities, retention
and post-compulsory performance are
amongst the range of data sources
available to inform assessment for
learning.
Assessment for learning builds sound
professional knowledge of the skills,
attributes and learning needs of
individual students. It enables teachers
to base line student learning and to plan
and implement learning programs that
cater for learning diversity and can be
tracked and monitored.
Individual student learning plans are
based on the skills, attributes and
learning needs that have been identified
for improvement.
The capabilities of 21st
century teachers
What does the
research say?
Improvement to student outcomes
is directly proportionate to teacher
knowledge, understanding, skills and
practices. Therefore, maximum benefit
is derived from investment in the
development of teachers at all stages
of their careers. Success is contingent
on rigour, positive relationships,
consistency and collective application.
A suite of teacher skills and practices
characterises effective student centred
learning approaches when they are used
in combination.
• Inquiry project based learning
• Formative assessment
• Routine creative use and application
of ICT resources
• Strong and practical teamwork
• Immersion and rotation in diverse
learning activities
• Scaffolded constructivist
individualised learning
• Professional learning in the learning
space
• Effective and explicit coaching
• Focus on higher order thinking and
students as researchers
• Active learning and positive
relationships
• Integrated curriculum and student
presentation
• Explicit instruction and one-one-one
learning.
‘It is what teachers think,
what teachers do, and
what teachers are, at the
level of the classroom that
ultimately shapes the kind
of learning that young
people get.’
Andy Hargreaves and Michael Fullan
11
Moving from traditional to
student-centred learning
12
Traditional learning
Student-centred learning
Isolated learners
Limited individual support
Limited opportunity to demonstrate higher order thinking
Use of ICT for low level tasks
Listen, watch, then write
Quiet, passive individual work
Learner preconceptions are not valued
Predictable sequences
Lack of choice
Few opportunities for student voice and learning program input
Set, closed, summative assessment tasks
Learning is the same for all students
Limited opportunity to demonstrate skills and knowledge
across learning domains
Learning is student-centred and related directly to the
improvement of student skills, attributes and learning needs
Learners can work individually or in teams and can engage in
active or passive learning
Each student has a tutor or mentor
Higher order thinking skills are explicitly incorporated into the
learning program
Students are researchers and can apply thinking skills to
inquiry and project based learning
Multiple sources of ICT can be used to create, research,
evaluate, design, present and demonstrate learning
Learner understandings are the foundation for learning
Learners follow individualised paths which are negotiated
Evidence of learning is demonstrated in many ways
Student voice is enabled and informs direction
Students self assess and reflect to inform learning
Traditional teaching
Student-centred teaching
Limited use of thinking tools
Work is alone in single classrooms
Tell, demonstrate, and direct activities and experiences
Use of closed questions
Content driven - crowded curriculum
Discipline–based knowledge
Data is used for summative assessment
Teachers regard relationships with students as good
Professional learning occurs outside the classroom
Text book based units of work
Literacy and numeracy needs are considered add ons
Teachers work in teams in indoor and outdoor learning
environments
Teachers facilitate discussions, inquiry and discovery
Deep links exist between domains and dimensions
Teachers scaffold and construct individual learning paths with
each student
Data is used for formative assessment and teacher
improvement plans
Students regard relationships with teachers as important,
productive and valuable
Professional learning occurs routinely in the classroom
Curriculum embeds strategies to develop, monitor and assess
improved learner qualities and success indicators of skills,
knowledge and understandings
Traditional classrooms
Learning spaces
No home base for learners
Sterile environments, lacking in ownership
Isolated classrooms
Class ratio 1:25
Traditional print-based report
Separate subjects-content driven
ICT access in labs or pods
Fixed inflexible furniture
Innovative well resourced spaces enable individual, small group
and large group activities
Spaces are multi-purpose and have a community orientation
Spaces feature a welcoming entry, multiple display and
presentation areas
Furniture is versatile and the spaces are well resourced with ICT
and have specialist focal points such as wet areas
Home bases provide safety, security and a sense of belonging
The design features of 21st
century learning spaces
Meeting the needs of 21st century
learners requires an expanded
teacher skill set that is grounded in
practice and teamwork. Therefore the
design of learning environments, the
sophistication of infrastructure and
flexible spatial relationships, which
were previously marginal to educational
improvement are now critical functional
considerations. New and redeveloped
capital projects now provide strategic
opportunities to rethink the relationship
between buildings, space and
technology and the core teaching and
learning priorities of schools.
Responsibility for meeting the holistic
needs of young people at every
developmental stage is no longer
the sole province of schools. The
opportunities for the wider school
community to participate with schools in
a collaborative partnership to diversify,
complement and enhance the learning
experiences of young people presents
a number of enormous possibilities
regarding a broader use of school
facilities.
The design of school environments
allows schools to use a mix of media
and locations, flexible student and
teacher groupings, and improved access
to resources. The capabilities and
confidence of teachers and students
are central considerations when
dealing with technological and cultural
change. Therefore, school design
must incorporate Information and
Communications Technology (ICT) as key
learning and teaching tools. The action
research indicates that schools have
moved beyond engaging in isolated ICT
professional learning activities for staff
and moved to the model of professional
learning in teams with a focus on
student-centred learning approaches.
New learning environments are
always welcome for schools and their
communities. However, the most
awarded designs will seem to be
failures if the activity and behaviours
of the people who occupy them are not
innovative and characteristic of 21st
century education.
13
The mix of spaces in
educational environments
are important
considerations in the
functional design for any
and all developmental
stages to support
innovative teacher
practice. The focus is on
creating opportunities for
people to work together,
diversifying experiences,
maximising accessibility
and stimulating inquiry.
Indoor and outdoor learning environments
Scaffolded constructivi
individualised learning
Focus on higher order thinking
and on students as researcher
Welcoming entry and displays
Integrated curriculum and
student presentation
Immersion and rotation
diverse learning activitie
Specialist focal points
Multipurpose spaces
14
Community orientation
Effective and
explicit coaching
Strong and practical
teamwork
ist
g
Explicit instruction and
one-on-one learning
g
rs
Routine creative use and
application of ICT resources
Student skills,
attributes and
learning needs
Innovative flexible space and furniture
Active learning and positive
relationships
in
es
Professional learning in
the learning space
Home bases, learning neighbourhoods and communities
Inquiry projectbased learning
Formative
assessment
Accessible information technologies
15
Case studies
Case study 1
Karingal Park
Secondary College
Telephone: 9789 4544
Address: Belar Avenue,
Frankston, 3199
Email: karingal.park.sc@edumail.
vic.gov.au
2007 Enrolments: 1057
Region: Southern Metropolitan
project
presentation
media
analysis
self
directed & cooperative
learning
visual communication
display
skills focus
group
practical
activities
self
directed learning
cooperative
learning
problem
solving
skills focus
group
16
Learning to the MAX
In response to challenges around
student engagement, retention and
achievement, Karingal Park Secondary
College designed a project called
the MAX. It symbolises three central
pillars of the school community’s future
vision – motivation, achievement and
excellence.
In implementing the project at Years
8 and 9, teachers work and teach in
teams and have changed their teaching
styles to cater for the learning needs of
students.  They maximise the potential
for coaching and the successful
uptake of new skills. In order to build
sustainable teams, the teachers have
scaffolded and integrated the learning
programs, which have a problem-solving
foundation. A key priority is to make
learning accessible to all students.
Student-centred learning focuses on
the ability of each student to think and
apply knowledge. Explicit instruction
in small groups ensures equity and
accelerates new knowledge and skills.
Students are now learning in new
ways. Students are encouraged to
develop independent work habits,
to take responsibility for their own
learning, and to operate successfully
in cooperative group settings. The two
new flexible learning environments
are home bases for four or five class
groupings of students. Students engage
in small group collaborative work that
has a strong research focus supported
by ready access to technology. Teachers
can organise students into large groups
for lecture style tuition and into one-toone learning arrangements if required.
The teacher teams work together in
new learning environments, which
are adaptable and well-resourced.
The spaces were created from the
redevelopment of ten classrooms in
one level of a building, which also
included storage, office and circulation
space - approximately 1000 square
metres of space.  The emphasis in the
MAX centres is on the development
of positive relationships and focused
teaching matched to the learning needs
of students.
The program for Year 7 students
also takes place in a MAX learning
centre, which the college built for the
commencement of the 2007 school year
as an extension of the LSF project. A
team of Year 7 teachers focus on literacy,
numeracy and inquiry-based learning
with the students for half of their class
time. Therefore, the project philosophy,
principles and new practices are
reinforced and represent a significant
step towards sustainability.
Floor plan
Karingal Park Secondary College
was able to undertake a very large
redevelopment of one complete level
of a building, which consisted of
10 classrooms, storage, and office
and circulation space. This meant
approximately 1000 square metres
of space created two open learning
centres. Year 8 and 9 students spend 50
percent of their time in the MAX open
learning centres.
Students work in groups of varying sizes
as well as independently, in the Year 7
MAX centre. Up to 100 students can be
accommodated in the centre at any time.
Year 9 students are involved in teambased investigations. Students are
encouraged to make decisions about
the focus of their learning and the
way in which their learning will be
demonstrated. Individual reflection
and group evaluation of investigations
are important components of the
assessment program.
Furniture design and large open spaces
facilitate flexibility. This allows the MAX
centres to be highly responsive to the
needs of students, teachers, programs
and the learning focus.
17
Case study 2
Macleod College
Address: Carwarp Street,
Macleod, 3085
Email: macleod.co@edumail.vic.
gov.au
Region: Northern Metropolitan
Macleod College provides a
comprehensive P-12 education on a
single campus. Approximately 80% of
students enrolled at the college are
Year 7-12. Macleod College is currently
involved in planning education provision
solutions with 3 neighbouring secondary
colleges and 3 primary schools.
Macleod College identified improvement
in student outcomes through literacy,
numeracy, student engagement and
retention for their Leading Schools Fund
project which they named IMPACT.
The IMPACT project aims to promote
innovation in teaching and learning
through the establishment of a Year
9 program that will define and enable
modelling of best practice. The project
encourages risk-taking by teachers and
students through the exploration of nontraditional ideas, activities and actions
focusing on the use of ICT as a tool for
learning.
18
The IMPACT Centre is a well designed
space that is comfortable, has easy
movement flow and good acoustics.
It allows for the flexible grouping of
students around different learning
activities and hence has enabled the
staff working in the Centre to implement
different approaches to teaching and
learning. The staff are able to team
teach, model strategies, observe
each other’s practice and undertake
professional coaching and mentoring as
part of their work together.
The Centre has stimulated the quality of
curriculum design and the creativity and
professional learning of the staff.
Floor Plan
The IMPACT Centre is 360 metres square
and involved the refurbishment of an
LTC to transform six general purpose
classrooms into an open plan area
incorporating three learning commons, a
small theatre, multimedia suite,
2 small planning rooms and a staff work
area. The centre can accommodate
150 students and has 75 desktop
computers available for student use.
The blue learning street runs the
full length of the IMPACT Centre and
ensures easy movement of groups of
students around the centre. It also
enables separation and differentiation
of learning areas.
New furniture is easily moved and
adaptable for the wide range of
activities being undertaken.
Most of these are clustered in groups of
8 to 10 desktops.
Students have access to 75 desktop
computers located throughout the
centre.
19
Case study 3
Mordialloc College
Address: 1 Station Street,
Mordialloc, 3195
Email: mordialloc.co@edumail.
vic.gov.au
Mordialloc College is implementing
a curriculum, based on VELS, that
aims to build life-long learning skills
and knowledge using the Quality in
Schools framework. It has created
an open learning environment with
transparent classrooms which enable
nine teachers to work together in a true
team environment—sharing, reflecting,
collaborating and modelling new
approaches to teaching and learning.
Literacy and numeracy are embedded
into the program. Students are provided
with a capacity matrix as a learning
tool which identifies VELS essential
learning elements from all dimensions
including traditional areas of Maths,
Floor plan
The eLearning Centre was created
through the refurbishment of eight
general classrooms.
Assembly & performance area
Deck - out door learning
area
Walk way
Num eracy
Entry
ramp
Workshops
presentations
quiet learning
area
Family group flexible learning
space
Music
centre
Neighbourhood
Yr 7 Family Group
w orkshop, & interactiv e
Learning
Area
presentation
area
College Staff
room D7
CAGE
ICT Function
& storage
Safe room
Wet area: Science, Tech, Art.
20
English, Humanities, Science, French
and Health. Resource matrices and
teacher facilitation support students to
develop projects linking the elements
they have chosen to create an inquiry
project around. Students choose how
many elements they will link together
in each project they undertake. The
program provides for applied learning,
student choice, student voice and strong
supportive relationships. Students can
request workshops, which are organized
within 24 hours, to enhance their
understanding. Students demonstrate
their learning by providing evidence that
identifies the level of understanding
they have attained for each learning
element.
Literacy
Entry
The learning area is the home base for
all Year 7 students. Whilst the Year 7
students have a “family” teacher for
pastoral care, they are not ‘taught’ by
this teacher during their learning time.
Instead they work collaboratively with
the team of teachers throughout the
day. The centre has flexible learning and
teaching spaces for groups of various
sizes and includes a resource area, wet
areas, individual pods, presentation
space and an outdoor learning area.
The front entrance of the Mordialloc
eLearning Centre is characterised by
a welcoming entry. The timber steps
and the paved and grassed areas in
the foreground are frequently used for
outdoor learning activities.
The 150 year seven students and their
team of teachers practise silent reading
each morning. Flexible furniture design
accommodates individual, small and
large student groupings. A double
classroom sized space at the rear of the
centre can be isolated for specific focus
activities and is used as a silent study
area. Interactive whiteboards located
in this area, and the main centre, are
used by both teachers and students to
support learning.
Small groups of students can participate
in tutorials offered by individual
teachers. The walls in the centre are
used to demonstrate student work,
resources and data. A central wall is
used to advertise year level and whole
school activities that students can sign
up for, as well as the daily and weekly
skills and knowledge workshops that
they may need to support their learning.
21
Case study 4
Matthew Flinders
Girls Secondary
College
Address: Little Ryrie Street,
Geelong, 3220
Email: matthew.flinders.girls.sc@
edumail.vic.gov.au
Region: Barwon South Western
Transformation through MESHing the
curriculum
In response to the need to improve
student motivation and engagement,
literacy and numeracy and ICT literacy,
Matthew Flinders Girls Secondary
College has introduced at Year 9 the
MESH (Mathematics, English, Science
and Humanities) integrated program.
This new curriculum model is inquiry
based and focuses on the development
of deep knowledge and understanding,
new skills in interdisciplinary learning,
problem based learning and projects
with local community links. Project
work immerses students in problems
requiring research, evaluation and
the design of alternative solutions.
Higher order thinking skills involve
the questioning of content and
consideration issues of wider
importance and authenticity.
The Year 9 teachers work in a team to
develop curriculum and resources. They
coherently scaffold the inquiry to ensure
rigor and accessibility for each student.
A team of two or three teachers works
with a group of students comprising
two traditional form groups known as a
‘pod’. The program occupies 50 percent
of the curriculum time in an open
learning area with readily accessible
ICT, including notebook computers,
online classroom system, interactive
whiteboards and extensive media
production equipment.
Floor Plan
The college refurbished an area
comprising six classrooms plus
circulation and storage space to create
a Year 9 open learning interdisciplinary
area which is inviting, relaxed and
informal. The space has the flexibility
to accommodate up to 100 students
in one large group and has a wet area,
kitchenette, laboratory, a multi-media
studio, editing suite and interview room.
22
Outdoor learning occurs adjacent to the
Year 9 open learning interdisciplinary
area. Although this project involved
refurbishment of existing spaces, it has
the look of a new building because of
the new external walls.
Year 9 students present the culmination
of a one term inquiry into a topic as a
rich task. The rich task is scaffolded
earlier in the term in an immersion
stage, along with a series of inquiries
designed to answer initial questions
that lead to the development of the
overall project.
Students work individually or in pairs
on a MESH project. The MESH program
aims to develop skills in students that
match the requirements of the workforce
in the 21st century and to improve the
levels of student engagement.
23
Case study 5
Geelong High
School
Address: Ryrie Street, East
Geelong, 3219
Email: geelong.hs@edumail.vic.
gov.au
Region: Barwon South Western
Along the Learning Pathway
Geelong High School has restructured
its curriculum around the theme of
individual learning pathways. In an
effort to improve literacy and numeracy,
student motivation, engagement and
attendance, the school has implemented
strategies with an explicit focus on
pedagogy and assessment for learning,
supported by the use of information and
communication technologies (ICT). The
spotlight on teaching and learning is
supported by direct student involvement
in the structure and selection of their
pathways.
Teachers engage in coaching and
mentoring support within and beyond
the school. Coaching teams work in each
of the three focus areas - pedagogy,
assessment for learning, and eLearning.
Coaches promote and share leading
practice in teaching and learning,
including action research. Teachers have
constructed integrated inquiry units,
and incorporated thinking curriculum
strategies across learning areas.
Challenge, choice, connectedness and
motivation are the main drivers of the
program.
The integrated learning program
commences at Year 7. The students
are engaged in their own curriculum
planning and this directly influences
their performance. Intensive individual
facilitation by teachers enables students
to plan their learning. Each student
maps a learning pathway by applying
Habits of Mind tools. Engagement in
global classroom projects is supported
by integrated ICT across the curriculum.
As a result, blogging and the use of
interactive whiteboards are now regular
classroom activities for teachers and
students. Digital portfolios have been
established for students and staff.
The students are located for significant
periods of time in an Open Learning
Centre developed from the existing
library. This centre provides extensive
ICT infrastructure to support the
learning.
Floor plan
Geelong High School redeveloped
the library building to create an open
learning centre. The refurbished area on
the first floor of the building, includes a
significant investment in ICT.
24
The new open learning centre
interconnects with existing buildings.
The resources previously housed in
the library have been relocated to the
ground floor of this building along with
the IT support centre.
Year 7 students can work in small
groups on integrated curriculum units.
The furniture used in the open learning
centre is light and easily moved to form
different configurations.
Year 7 students can also work in the
central computer space. The glass walls
of the computer space divide the open
learning centre naturally into other work
areas including a presentation area with
tiered steps.
25
Case study 6
Carwatha College
P-12
Address: Browns Road, Noble
Park, 3147
Email: carwatha.p12@edumail.
vic.gov.au
26
Ownership of Learning
The ‘Who Owns the Learning?’ program
has been implemented by Carwatha P-12
College to raise student achievement,
especially in literacy and numeracy, and
to improve engagement and retention.
The program is student-centred and
involves cooperative learning, multitasking and inquiry-based research.
An inquiry learning centre consists of
flexible spaces and ready access to
ICT resources. The centre is the home
base for Years 7 and 8 students for at
least fifty percent of their time. It can
accommodate up to 140 students who
can access software, computers, and
have improved access to the internet.
The flexible design of the centre
supports teachers to diversify the
learning program to meet the individual
learning needs of students. Diverse
learning styles and needs are readily
accommodated by spaces for lectures
and presentations, group space for
project work, social space for informal,
unstructured interaction and space for
reflection.
Teachers are involved in team teaching,
coaching and mentoring other teachers
to improve their skills in catering for
the needs of individual students. As a
P-12 school, this includes primary and
secondary teachers working together.
The teacher teams are responsible
for meeting the developmental needs
of students rather than delivering
subjects. The teachers scaffold student
learning through cooperative learning,
multi-tasking, and the provision of
rich, authentic experiences, delivered
through integrated units of work which
are based around inquiry learning.
Floor plan
The inquiry learning centre includes new
and refurbished space.
Students work in small groups and use
ICT tools to deliver presentations.
Skills to work independently are
emphasised as well as the capacity to
work in teams. Students use ICT for
researching elements of inquiry projects
being undertaken in pairs.
Spaces are multipurpose to
accommodate large student groups
when necessary. The flexibility to have
larger groups for specific activities such
as teacher presentations, improves
consistency of communication across
the year level.
27
Case study 7
Koonung Secondary
College
Address: 615 Elga Road, Mont
Albert North, 3129
Email: koonung.sc@edumail.vic.
gov.au
Region: Eastern Metropolitan
Navigating Learning Behaviours
Koonung Secondary College has
developed a Year 8 Navigator Program
based on an inquiry approach using
Costa’s Habits of Mind and Gardiner’s
Multiple Intelligences. This involves
team teaching, coaching and mentoring
and the specific incorporation
of ‘learning behaviours’ into the
curriculum.
Teachers work in teams which plan,
assess and teach together. They have
adapted their teaching to focus on
student centred learning and student
self evaluation. Goal setting processes,
cooperative learning among students,
enhanced research skills and use of ICT
are central to the program. Planning
and teaching across domains aims to
ensure that learning is relevant to real
life situations. Teachers are involved
in ongoing self evaluation and share
their learning with whole staff through
targeted workshops.
The College has built a Flexible Learning
Centre consisting of redeveloped space
from four classrooms and a corridor,
and a new space with a large open
area, a presentation space and two
breakout areas. The new spaces have
provided a flexible environment which
supports ready access to resources
and creative demonstration of learning.
Students have the opportunity to build
an understanding of the importance
of making the right choices in an open
learning environment which results in
them producing quality work.
28
Whilst in the centre the Year 8 students
operate as two groups of approximately
75 students. Humanities, English
and Maths are delivered through a
cross curricula thematic program.
Engagement of the Year 8 cohort is
being monitored using new and more
consistent methods. Thinking tools such
as graphic organisers are used regularly
to assist students in becoming more
self directed learners. Students are
supported in their completion of a wide
range of learning and assessment tasks
through accessible and sophisticated
ICT, including banks of laptops and
interactive whiteboards.
As part of the development of
sustainability and reinforcement of the
new pedagogy, Year 9 students also use
the centre for the Live Life program and
all Year 7 students spend large blocks of
class time in the centre doing inquirybased work.
Floor plan
The Flexible Learning Centre consists
of space that has been redeveloped
from four classrooms and a corridor,
and a new space with a large open
area, a presentation space and two
breakout areas. Year 9 students use
the centre each Wednesday for the Live
Life program and all Years 7- 8 students
spend large blocks of class time in the
centre doing inquiry-based work.
Year 8 students work in small groups in
the flexible open area.
Students engage in project based
learning in groups using ICT to support
different learning activities.
Display spaces enable ready
demonstration of student learning and
show different learning activities.
29
Case study 8
Galvin Park
Secondary College
Address: Shaws Road, Werribee,
3030
Email: galvin.park.sc@edumail.
vic.gov.au
Region: Western Metropolitan
Student at the Centre
Galvin Park Secondary College
has developed a student-centred
approach to curriculum planning
and has personalised learning
through a sub-school and tutor group
structure. It aims to improve student
performance in literacy and numeracy,
student engagement, connectedness,
attendance and retention.
Team teaching in ICT rich flexible
learning spaces involves delivery of an
integrated multi-disciplinary learning
program. A shared extranet ensures
ready access to student data, individual
learning plans, curriculum materials and
student records.
Professional learning teams of five or six
teachers have responsibility for groups
of 75 to 90 students. Tutor teachers
OLS T
OLS S
OLS H
30
guide the progress of students along
learning pathways through careful
monitoring of toolbox choices against
individual learning capacity and needs.
All students in Years 7-9 spend a third
of their week in the flexible learning
spaces. The personalised approach
sees students working independently
or in groups using accessible resources
to design, research and evaluate key
questions or problems. Students
showcase understanding and skills to
teachers, parents and members of the
community through digital portfolios.
The college initially redeveloped three
existing classrooms and circulation
space to create one flexible learning
space for use by Year 7. Subsequently,
the college converted three classrooms
and a hall into a Year 8 space, and
created a Year 9 space from two
classrooms, a prep area and a staff area.
Floor plan
The college initially redeveloped three
existing classrooms and circulation
space to create one flexible learning
space for use in 2006. This is shown on
the plan as OLS H (now used by Year
7). During 2006 the college refurbished
three classrooms and a hall space
to create a Year 8 space (OLS S) and
refurbished two classrooms, a prep
area and a staff area to create a Year
9 space (OLS T). All students in years
7-9 spend a third of their week in the
flexible learning spaces, working on an
integrated applied learning program.
The Year 8 flexible learning space
accommodates approximately 80
students at one time. The whole Year 8
cohort (245 students) uses the space for
ten out of 30 periods per week.
Students can demonstrate to other
students using the Winextranet site.
Groups of Year 8 students can engage in
diverse activities as part of their Applied
Learning Program.
31

Transforming the learning experience

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