Embedded Files
Overview
Lessons have clear learning intentions with goals that clarify what success looks like.
Lesson goals always explain what students need to understand, and what they must be able to do. This helps the teacher to plan learning activities, and helps students understand what is required.
Key Elements:
Based on assessed student needs
Goals are presented clearly so students know what they are intended to learn
Can focus on surface and/or deep learning
Challenges students relative to their current mastery of the topic
Links to explicit assessment criteria
Related Effect Sizes:
Goals - 0.56
Teacher Clarity - 0.75
Structuring Lessons:
Overview
A lesson structure maps teaching and learning that occurs in class.
Sound lesson structures reinforce routines, scaffold learning via specific steps/activities. They optimize time on task and classroom climate by using smooth transitions. Planned sequencing of teaching and learning activities stimulates and maintains engagement by linking lesson and unit learning.
Key Elements:
Clear expectations
Sequencing and linking learning
Clear instructions
Clear transitions
Scaffolding
Questioning/feedback
Formative assessment
Exit cards
Related Effect Sizes:
Scaffolding – 0.53
Formative evaluation – 0.68
Teacher clarity – 0.75
Explicit Teaching:
Overview
When teachers adopt explicit teaching practices they clearly show students what to do and how to do it.
The teacher decides on learning intentions and success criteria, makes them transparent to students, and demonstrates them by modelling. The teacher checks for understanding, and at the end of each lesson revisits what was covered and ties it all together (Hattie, 2009).
Key Elements:
Shared learning intentions
Relevant content and activities
New content is explicitly introduced and explored
Teacher models application of knowledge and skills
Worked examples support independent practice
Practice and feedback loops uncover and address misunderstandings
Related Effect Sizes:
Goals – 0.56
Worked examples – 0.57
Time on task – 0.62
Spaced practice – 0.60
Direct instruction – 0.59
Teacher clarity – 0.75
Overview
Collaborative learning occurs when students work in small groups and everyone participates in a learning task.
There are many collaborative learning approaches. Each uses varying forms of organization and tasks.
Collaborative learning is supported by designing meaningful tasks. It involves students actively participating in negotiating roles, responsibilities and outcomes.
Key Elements:
Students work together to apply previously acquired knowledge
Students cooperatively solve problems using previously acquired knowledge and skills
Students work in groups that foster peer learning
Groups of students compete against each other
Related Effect Sizes:
Peer tutoring – 0.55
Reciprocal teaching – 0.74
Small group learning – 0.49
Cooperative learning vs whole class instruction – 0.41
Cooperative learning vs individual work – 0.59
Cooperative learning vs competitive learning – 0.54
Overview:
Multiple exposures provide students with multiple opportunities to encounter, engage with, and elaborate on new knowledge and skills. Research demonstrates deep learning develops over time via multiple, spaced interactions with new knowledge and concepts. This may require spacing practice over several days, and using different activities to vary the interactions learners have with new knowledge.
Key Elements:
Students have time to practice what they have learnt
Timely feedback provides opportunities for immediate correction and improvement
Related Effect Sizes:
Time on task – 0.62
Spaced practice – 0.71
Feedback – 0.73
Overview
Formative Instructional Practices refers to the activities undertaken by teachers, and by their students in assessing themselves, which provide information to be used as feedback to modify the teaching and learning activities in which they are engaged (Black, 2014).
Key Elements
Clear criteria that defines good performance
Students' self-reflection
Detailed, actionable feedback for students
Adjustments made to work that lead to mastery
Goal-setting, self-assessment (by students)
Related Effect Sizes:
Providing formative evaluation - 0.90
Feedback - 0.73
Questioning- 0.46
Overview
Differentiated teaching methods are used to extend the knowledge and skills of every student in every class, regardless of their starting point. The objective is to lift the performance of all students, including those who are falling behind and those ahead of year level expectations.
To ensure all students master objectives, effective teachers plan lessons that incorporate adjustments for content, process, and product.
Key Elements
Range of teaching strategies that support different abilities and ways of thinking and learning
Open-ended tasks that allow students to work at different levels and paces
Group and targeted interventions to remediate learning difficulties
Students choose learning activities based on goals
Students are supported and challenged to reach their learning potential
Related Effect Sizes:
RTI - 1.07
Piagetian programs - 1.28
Second and third chance programs - 0.5
Overview
Feedback informs a student and/or teacher about the student’s performance relative to learning goals.
Feedback redirects or refocuses teacher and student actions so the student can align effort and activity with a clear outcome that leads to achieving a learning goal.
Teachers and peers can provide formal or informal feedback. It can be oral, written, formative or summative. Whatever its form, it comprises specific advice a student can use to improve performance.
Key Elements:
Precise, timely, specific, accurate and actionable
Questioning and assessment is feedback on teaching practice
Use student voice to enable student feedback about teaching
Related Effect Sizes:
Feedback – 0.73
Overview
Metacognitive strategies teach students to think about their own thinking. When students become aware of the learning process, they gain control over their learning.
Metacognition extends to self-regulation, or managing one’s own motivation toward learning. Metacognitive activities can include planning how to approach learning tasks, evaluating progress, and monitoring comprehension.
Key Elements:
Teaching problem solving
Teaching study skills
Promotes self-questioning
Classroom discussion is an essential feature
Uses concept mapping
Related Effect Sizes:
Teaching problem solving – 0.63
Study skills – 0.60
Self-questioning – 0.64
Classroom discussion – 0.82
Concept mapping – 0.64
VOCABULARY INSTRUCTION
Overview
Vocabulary instruction is necessary for students to have the ability to learn new concepts, as well as to be able to communicate their understanding regarding those ideas.
Direct instruction of vocabulary is necessary to narrow the learning gap between the students with extensive vocabularies and those with a much narrower range of vocabulary skills.
Key Elements:
Explain
Restate
Show
Engage
Discuss
Play
Related Effect Sizes:
Direct Instruction - 0.59
Explicit Instruction - 0.57
Vocabulary programs - 0.63
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