CLARIFY THE PURPOSE OF LEARNING
What does this mean?
As teachers, it is crucial that we question the educational purpose of what we teach and why we teach it. The clarity with which we communicate the purpose of learning, and the ways in which we include students in consideration of the reasons for what they learn, establish conditions for meaningful engagement with lesson content.
To clarify the purpose of learning for and with students involves more than the sharing of learning intentions. The purpose of learning should be discussed and revisited throughout lessons to ensure students understand the significance of their learning, both in terms of the acquisition of knowledge, and in relation to their development as human beings more generally; that is, in terms of the process of becoming more fully human through education.
Situating learning objectives within the context of broader, overarching learning aims enables students to understand the relevance of their learning and where it fits within the curriculum as a whole. This helps students to connect ideas and can enhance their appreciation for the educational value of what they learn, particularly in relation to those big ideas and core concepts that frame their learning across the curriculum.
Education, in the final analysis, is really about the production of agency. What kind of narratives are we going to produce that students can understand, that enlarge their perspective not only on the world but on their relationship to others and themselves? To begin with methods is to completely ignore, probably, all the most fundamental questions about education.
Henry Giroux
Why is this important?
TO CLARIFY THE PURPOSE OF LEARNING IS TO:
- Focus students’ attention on what they are learning and why.
- Engage students in thinking about the significance of their learning.
- Support the development of mental models and schemas that help students to organise information, connect ideas and make sense of their learning.
- Orientate students by providing clarity around learning goals.
- Frame the process of learning by providing an overview of learning across a sequence of lessons, units or course.
- Guide students by providing markers against which progress in learning can be measured.
The central task of a teacher is to bring about possibilities for students to develop human powers (understanding, capabilities and dispositions), using knowledge as an indispensable resource or tool.
Zongyi Deng
How can this be applied in practice?
SHARE LEARNING INTENTIONS WITH STUDENTS
Share learning intentions with students using clear, concise language that is learning focused rather than task orientated and involve students in discussion of the purpose and relevance of their learning. Review students' understanding of learning intentions by asking them to explain the purpose of their learning and to relate this to prior learning.
USE SPLIT OR TIERED LEARNING INTENTIONS
Experiment with the use of tiered learning intentions to emphasise both subject specific knowledge and those 'meta' skills and capabilities to be developed through engagement with subject content. Reinforce this twofold aim by ensuring that success criteria for both aspects of learning are shared and discussed with students.
WORD LEARNING INTENTIONS AS QUESTIONS
Consider wording learning intentions as questions and where possible connect these with 'big questions' to create greater coherence between lessons. Revisit these questions regularly with students to reinforce the purpose of learning. Invite students to reword learning intentions as questions to encourage a classroom culture of enquiry.
PROVIDE A PANORAMIC VIEW OF LEARNING
Provide a panoramic perspective on learning by situating current learning in relation to ongoing, overarching learning goals. Map these out and provide students with a visual representation of learning objectives across a unit or course, ideally in terms of those big ideas and big questions studied.
PURPOSEFULLY ALIGN LEARNING INTENTIONS
Purposefully align learning intentions and success criteria. Where appropriate, involve students in the co-construction of success criteria linked to the purpose of learning.
TEACH STUDENTS TO USE VISUAL ORGANISERS
Teach students how to develop their own visual organisers to represent key aspects of their learning, including, but not limited to, those steps that can be taken to advance their learning and deepen their understanding of subject matter.
USE BIG IDEAS TO FRAME THE LEARNING PROCESS
Use big ideas to frame learning. Provide visual references to the big ideas and relate these explicitly to the purpose of learning. Consider the use of dual coding to reinforce students' understanding of this.
PREVIEW IMPORTANT IDEAS AND THEMES
Preview important ideas and themes at the start of a topic by providing an overview of key concepts and identifying the links between them. Use graphic organisers to show the connections between ideas and engage students in thinking about these in order to develop their understanding of new material.
SIGNPOST THE PURPOSE OF LEARNING WITH STUDENTS
Use learning materials to signpost the purpose of learning. Employ consistent language across handouts, digital resources and other materials to create greater coherence.
Without an indication of what it is that should be learned, and, more importantly, what something should be learned for - the question of purpose - the language of learning is unable to provide a sense of direction, which is precisely where its deficiency as an educational language lies.
Gert Biesta
