Embedded Files
Most references on Learning Intentions and Success Criteria for our DPS Staff PD are taken from:
Making Learning Visible by John Hattie (please refer to the handout on the Summary of Visible Learning for Teachers)
Embedding Formative Assessment by Dylan Williams (Chapter 3 Pages 27 - 62)
visible_learning_for_teachers_summary.pdfWatch the short video on Learning Intentions and Success Criteria?
(HITS 3) Learning intentions and Success criteria.mp4What are Learning Intentions?
A learning intention for a lesson or series of lessons is a statement, created by the teacher, that describes clearly what the teacher wants the students to know, understand, and be able to do as a result of learning and teaching activities.
Clear learning intentions should help students focus not just on the task or activity taking place but on what they are learning. Learning intentions are always linked to one or more learning outcomes in the specification.
Learning intentions should summaries the purpose of the lesson in terms of learning. These should be about what the students are learning NOT what they are doing.
This could take the form of the following:
"We Are We Learning To" (WALT)
WALT also referred to as learning intention is all about outlining the objectives of the lesson.
What will your students be learning about?
What's the learning goal or aim of the lesson?
Make sure you use child-friendly language and focus on the learning outcome. Learning intentions should be written in basic, stripped back language that is accessible to all students. They should be specific and focused on learning and should be about WHAT students are learning and not HOW they are learning.
Emphasize key words to draw attention to what we want the students to learn. If students already know something about the key words, they will be more engaged as this will activate relevant schemata.
Helpful words that will help communicate how learning links to knowledge, understanding and skills are;
Know...
Understand...
Be able to...
What are Success Criteria?
Success criteria are linked to learning intentions. They are developed by the teacher and/or the student and describe what success looks like. They help the teacher and student to make judgements about the quality of student learning.
Success criteria is about the evidence you are looking for that will demonstrate what students have learned. These need to be specific and measurable.
This could take the form of the following:
"What I'm Looking For" (WILF)
WILF sometimes called success criteria is all about the ingredients the student needs to do, include or focus on in order to fulfill the learning outcome (WALT). Make sure you include detailed information about your expectations of the students.
"What - 'I can....' statements
I'm Looking - Key Features
For " - Exemplars
Ensure you are clear about the specific knowledge you want the students to learn and work back from this to create the success criteria. Students should then be able to prove that they have met this success criteria and this should be used as a form of assessing students learning.
If differentiating the success criteria, then students should be able to prove their learning against each of the levels/targets set. This will help ensure there no gaps in students learning.
The Value of Learning Intentions and Success Criteria
Research shows that students who regularly receive this information in the classroom are
more focused for longer periods of time
more motivated and active in their learning
better able to take responsibility for their own learning
So it is really important that we share learning intentions with our students!
To give our students the tools they need to take more responsibility for their own learning and achieve greater learning independence, we need to communicate to them
what they are going to learn?
why they should learn it in the first place?
how they will recognise when they have succeeded?
The use of learning intentions is not new. Teachers also use the term ‘learning objectives’ or ‘learning aims’ to share the learning with their students. The term ‘learning intentions’ is used within these materials because it puts greater emphasis on the process of learning rather than the end product.
When teachers share with students what they will be learning (the learning intention) and what they are looking for in their students’ work (success criteria) this supports students in developing the skill of managing themselves. They will also develop other key skills such as communicating (as they give and receive feedback) and the skill of staying well as they become more confident and positive about their learning.
Making the link between learning outcomes, learning intentions and success criteria (An example in English)
Learning Outcomes
Oral Language: Deliver a short oral text, alone and/or in collaboration with others, using appropriate language, style
Reading: Use an appropriate critical vocabulary while responding to literacy texts; Engage in sustained private reading as a pleasurable and purposeful activity, applying what they have learned about the effectiveness of spoken and written texts to their own experience of reading
Writing: Write competently in a range of text forms, for e.g., report, multi-modal text, review, blog, using appropriate vocabulary, tone and a variety of styles to achieve a chosen purpose for different audiences; Respond imaginatively in writing to their texts showing a critical appreciation of language, style and content, choice of words, language patterns, tone, images.
Learning Intention
We are learning to read books for enjoyment, and to express that enjoyment through a well-constructed review of a chosen book.
Task
A reading project that runs for 6 to 8 weeks. Students read from a list of prescribed books. Students are organised in reading groups (4/5 students in each group). Each group agrees the book to be read and reading takes place in class and at home. Four books are read in total by each group.
At the end of the group work the individual students choose a book they enjoyed and write a review. The review can be included in the student’s portfolio of writing and can also be used as the basis for an oral presentation.
Success Criteria
Shows understanding of the chosen genre or form
Knowledge of the text under review
Conveys enthusiasm for the text (or the opposite)
Uses references well without giving away too much
Adopts an appropriate critical stance
Makes a clear recommendation
Expresses ideas fluently, imaginatively, and with control of expression
Writing displays mechanical competence
Alternatively, these criteria could be expressed in student-friendly language, e.g.:
I show a good knowledge of the book
I convey my enthusiasm for the text (or show clearly the parts I don’t like)
I express my ideas fluently and choose the right words and phrases most of the time
My writing is accurate with correct spelling and grammar
Making the link between learning outcomes, learning intentions and success criteria (An example in Math)
Making the link between learning outcomes, learning intentions and success criteria (An Example in PE)
In this PE example, the learning outcomes are also the learning intentions. In addition to the WALT and WILF, the teacher also shares with the students "What Must I Show" and "What It Looks Like", as part of making learning more visible.
Clarifying_and_Sharing_LIs__SC.pdfSome additional references on Clarifying and Sharing Learning Intentions and Success Criteria
Staff PD Workshop on Learning Intentions and Success Criteria on Wed 18-Jan 2023
The format of the workshop is as follows:
The subject teachers in each department identify and focus on some learning outcomes from the learning areas in their subject syllabus or SOW in the lower, middle and upper primary level.
The subject teachers will then discuss as a small group or as a department to develop the learning intentions, success criteria and task activities or assessment tasks that are linked to the learning outcomes.
Learning Intentions - During this discussion, reflect on the following questions on how well you have developed your classroom practice in using learning intentions. Traffic light your responses to the questions using Always, Sometimes and Never:
I set learning intentions with my students
I make sure that the learning intentions are in student friendly language
I used words associated with learning
I make sure the learning intention is clear and links to the big picture i.e. the purpose of learning
I use SMART learning intentions - specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-limited
I revisit learning intentions during the lesson and at the end of the lesson
Success Criteria - During this discussion, reflect on the following questions on how well you have developed your classroom practice in setting success criteria. Traffic light your responses to the questions using Always, Sometimes and Never:
When I set assignments I share success criteria with my students
The success criteria are linked to the learning intention
The success criteria are specific and concrete
The success criteria are clearly understood by the students
I discuss the success criteria with the students and we agree them together
I use success criteria to support peer and/or student self-assessment
I re-visit success criteria during the lessons
The subject teachers will then key-in their responses in the respective department's Padlets for easy reference and follow-up discussions.
English (Upper Primary) - Padlet link: https://dmps.padlet.org/shahizan26/met9to0pa6o7hp3n
English (Lower Primary) - Padlet link: https://dmps.padlet.org/shahizan26/3tpgqoaltic5fxsj
Mathematics- Padlet link: https://dmps.padlet.org/shahizan26/mx8eflh1hmux7628
Science - Padlet link: https://dmps.padlet.org/shahizan26/34d0iw1dbb2e8ckd
Mother Tongue - CL - Padlet link: https://dmps.padlet.org/shahizan26/akwjoupknzqhv7ps
Mother Tongue - ML & TL - Padlet link: https://dmps.padlet.org/shahizan26/iehf29vmdjopdoba
Physical Education - Padlet link: https://dmps.padlet.org/shahizan26/76lzmg96wwis7780
Art & Music - Padlet link: https://dmps.padlet.org/shahizan26/zzh8e7uf90irrypo
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