Learning Intensions & Success Criteria

During our extended period of remote learning 2020 we surveyed students about how they were finding their online classes. One of the things that I still remember clearly from that survey was the student responses that stated how important learning intentions and success criteria were for them in the remote learning environment. Two quotes from students during this time were “now we are online, my teachers aren’t using learning intentions and success criteria. These lessons lack clarity” and “please, please, please use learning intentions and success criteria…” Our students are benefiting from their use and as teachers we owe it to them to use these proven effective strategies. As a school, we have agreed on this as a strategy and to build our collective teacher efficacy, we should all be embedding their use into each of our lessons, whether on site or teaching remotely.

The images below has been created to help with the development of learning intentions and success criteria.

To further understand the benefits of learning intentions and success criteria CLICK HERE to hear from John Hattie on the interplay between the two. In this 9-minute video he:

· outlines some common errors (including a focus on what we are doing rather than why).

· gives a range of classroom ideas about how to develop and use learning intentions and success criteria.

· focuses on student ownership, particularly in determining when they achieved mastery.

In essence learning intentions and success criteria help to maintain the focus of the lesson, while enabling students to know when they have understood a topic. Learning intentions:

· Describe what the teacher wants the students to know, understand and be able to do as a result of the teaching and learning activities of the lesson.

Success criteria:

· Summarise the key things students need to focus on to achieve the learning intention.

· Are developed by the teacher and/or the student and describe what success looks like.

· They allow both teacher and students to make judgements about the quality and effectiveness of the learning.

· They are not simply the completion of set tasks.

If you are not currently using learning intentions and success criteria in your classes, consider setting yourself the goal of doing so from now on. If you would like any assistance, please don’t hesitate to see one of the Learning Leaders.