Strategies to Support Student Learning

Introduction

As with collaborative learning, students will need to be formally taught the skills and strategies to effectively develop their understanding of how they learn and understand, set and reflect upon learning goals. Depending on the age and skill level of the students scaffolding and support will be required until they become more confident and competent at reflecting on their learning.

To facilitate their personal learning students can use strategies which support metacognition. Some strategies outlined below are able to be run quickly at the end of a lesson or embedded in the ongoing nature of the lesson. Other strategies may take longer, and particularly with older students, can take considerable time.

A safe, supportive classroom culture is vital if students are to feel confident and safe when engaging in these strategies. Refer to Collaborative learning and establishing the classroom environment for advice on how to develop a productive classroom culture. It is also vital that the teacher models personal learning and provides opportunities for students to share their strategies and thoughts. Due to the personal nature of the thinking taking place in these strategies teachers should invite students to share their thinking and reflections rather than demanding it of them. As students become more confident and the classroom more supportive they will begin to openly share and discuss their learning. Younger students will find the opportunity to use aides such as smiley faces, colours and illustrations as effective tools to record and contemplate their learning.

Reflective questioning

Reflective Questioning is a powerful way to engage students in thinking about how they are learning new concepts and skills. Teachers can ask these questions at various points during the lesson to support student learning. A description and examples of reflective questioning are included in the question section of this document. Teachers need to regularly ask students 'What did you learn?', 'How do you know that you have learnt it?' and 'How will you use that learning again?' to ensure that students make the connections between their learning in one situation and the wider world.

Share time

Share time is a common strategy used in primary schools in Literacy and Numeracy blocks. By encouraging students to think about and share their learning and the strategies applied in learning, students consolidate their understanding and learn other effective strategies from class members. Sharing can take place in pairs, teams or as a whole class.

Reflection circles

Reflection circles occur when the whole class sits in a circle facing each other. The teacher is an active participant in this process. The reflection circle needs to have a focus which can be drawn from the reflective questions examples, learning goals or share time. It is important that class norms or protocols are established to ensure that all class members' opinions are valued and that the culture is supportive. Students take it in turns to respond to the questions asked or to share their learning. They also use this time to ask questions of other students.

Journals

Reflective journals

Reflective journals are used to record students' reflections, progress towards learning goals and growth as learners over time. For students to be successful in completing meaningful reflections about their learning they need to be provided with guidance and direction. Reflective journals are meaningful and support student learning when they are completed on a regular basis, are integrated into the curriculum, form the basis of other tools such as learning journals, portfolios or triangulated interviews, incorporate learning goals and are valued by the teacher and student.

Teachers can use the reflection questions or enterprise competencies as a framework to guide students' thinking and reflections. In the reflective journal students can record their feelings, thoughts and learning and look ahead at areas for improvement and how to develop their skills as a learner. To make the writing of a journal more engaging students can also be encouraged to illustrate their thoughts or to use metaphors to encourage more creative thinking. Teachers may also wish to use a continuum where students can place themselves on a line and then seek feedback from others as to where they would place them on the scale.

Learning journals

Learning journals are a commentary on the learning and development of the student over time. Entries are dated to show the student's progress and achievement of goals over time. The journals often contain samples of the student works, photographs and evidence over time of the students' development as a learner. Learning journals can contain student comments, reflections and teacher annotations. Peer and self assessments can also be included. Students can record their learning goals and provide examples of their progress towards these goals. Teachers may elect to send these journals home on a regular basis for comment and feedback from parents as well.

Capacity matrix

Capacity matrix describes, documents and assists students to monitor their learning. They can be used for peer and self assessment and assist the learner to identify what it is that they wish to learn and then track the learning over time.

Whole brain learning

Whole brain learning is a model developed by Ned Hermann to assist students to identify their own thinking styles and how this may influence the way they learn, the tasks/roles they prefer to take on, and the way they relate to others. Students are encouraged to set goals to assist them in developing less preferred areas of thinking and to maximise the use of their strengths. Further information can be found at: The Alpine School.

Habits of mind

Habits of mind are dispositions to act intelligently when confronted with a problem or dilemma. The 16 habits have been identified and developed by Costa and Kallick and are widely used in Australian schools.

The sixteen habits of mind are:

Further information can be found at Habits of Mind

Goal setting

Goal setting is the process of setting and evaluating targets and is a central part of personal learning. Students think about, plan for and document what they want to achieve and how they are going to get there, step by step. Goals can be specific in terms of knowledge or skills to be attained or broader to encompass the wider community.

Goals can be set on a daily, weekly, monthly, term, semester or yearly basis depending on their purpose and the age of the student. To assist students keep their goals on track teachers provide students with the time to reflect on their progress towards their goals and to modify goals when required. Goals should be documented and recorded in learning journals, reflective journals or portfolios. To support students in doing this teachers may chose to use a tool such as the stairs or step approach. Students determine their goal and then unpick the steps or stages to achieving this goal. Students can mark off each step as it is achieved on their way to their goal and recognise and celebrate when these have been achieved.

Design brief

A design brief is a statement that contains an outline of a context, problem, need or opportunity, and specifications that apply to the problem. It is a means by which students can develop and apply knowledge and skills to solve problems. Design briefs can vary in the amount of information they provide and the way in which this information is presented. Both of these are usually determined by the level at which the students are working. Design briefs can be developed entirely by the teacher, or with varying degrees of student input.

Problem solving

Problem solving can centre around a range of issues including, for example, production problems, workplace conflict or quality control. Students will find the following problem solving steps useful:

• define the problem
• think creatively and critically
• organise, plan and manage resources
• discuss and negotiate for successful outcomes
• frame questions and seek answers or information
• make decisions
• meet deadlines
• report to others.

For more information

• Information about the domain can be found in the Personal Learning domain introduction.
• Further teaching advice can be found in Approaches to teaching Personal Learning.
• Concepts and skills charts identify the progression in learning and developing the key concepts and skills contained in the Personal Learning standards.
• The Personal Learning progression point examples describe the type of work students typically produce at different levels.