Using Learning Progressions
Nyree Wilson - Learning Specialist
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What are learning progressions?
What are learning progressions?
Learning progressions invite teachers and students to consider what students already know and can do, then develop a set of steps to build on this prior knowledge and skills to help move them forward in their learning.
The Victorian Curriculum is a progression of standards that schools can select from to develop learning sequences and learning experiences that help build core skills and knowledge.
Learning progressions help break down and sequence the skills and knowledge students need to move from one standard to the next.
However, a learning progression may break these steps down even further depending on the students they are supporting, and the learning goals they trying to achieve.
While learning progressions map out a sequence of steps, it doesn't always mean that students will take each step, sometimes they might 'jump ahead' and if they have done so successfully, it is important to help keep them moving forward.
Quality learning progressions clearly align with the curriculum, to support accurate, consistent and reliable reporting of student learning as per departmental requirements.
They also use student friendly language and focus on one key area of skill or knowledge per-progression.
Quality learning progressions do not achieve 'perfection' - instead help promote a shared understanding about the focus of learning.
They also help facilitate moderation conversations to assess student learning by creating a shared understanding of what student learning can look and sound like at each point of the progression.
When teachers work together to 'panel' learning progressions and make adjustments to suit the students they are supporting, and to reflect the learning activities occurring in classes, the quality and clarity of the progressions improves.
NOTE
NOTE
Learning progressions can sometimes be confused with rubrics.
The best way to understand their difference is to understand their purpose.
Rubrics are a tool to report on the curriculum standards that students are able to evidence they have achieved.
Learning progressions help students work towards these curriculum standards.
Why should we use learning progressions?
Why should we use learning progressions?
Learning progressions help teachers to:
Learning progressions help teachers to:
Align our teaching with the curriculum standards.
Plan learning activities that scaffold students' skills and knowledge.
Efficiently provide feedback and promote student autonomy by supporting self-assessment.
Track student growth and plan for the next steps in their learning.
Learning progressions can also be developed to provide a map of skills, knowledge and behaviours that can help students see their growth in areas beyond the curriculum too.
Learning progressions help students to:
Learning progressions help students to:
See where they are - they can name and explain what they understand and are able to do.
See the next steps they can take to help them build on what they already know, and can do.
Identify a realistic learning goal, and identify the steps they can take to get there.
How can I use learning progressions?
How can I use learning progressions?
If you are just embarking on the learning progression superhighway, start small and focus on skills.
Identify a skill that your students need. Identify the curriculum standard that best aligns with the goal you want your students to achieve. Then, think about the steps students can take to help them work towards this goal.
Use Blooms and/or Krathwohl's verbs to identify specific learning actions and behaviours to define what students can do, say, make, or write to help them make progress toward their learning goals.
Use an existing template, modify a learning progression you've seen that made sense to you, or develop your own.
Krathwohl's Affective Verbs
Krathwohl's Affective Verbs
Defining specific learning behaviours and attitudes.
Bloom's Taxonomy Verbs
Bloom's Taxonomy Verbs
Defining stages of knowledge and ways of thinking.
A starting point that can be modified to suit your purpose.
Using micro-learning or single skill progressions to zone in on specific learning goals
Using micro-learning or single skill progressions to zone in on specific learning goals
Helping students focus on where they are in their learning and the next steps they can take by providing small focused assessment feedback.
Why doesn't the Department just develop learning progressions for us?
Why doesn't the Department just develop learning progressions for us?
Some of the greatest power of learning progressions comes from teacher knowledge of the students they support and the context in which they work with them.
Teachers are best placed to help draw on the evidenced needs of students, and to work with these students to identify goals and priorities in their learning.
However, the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) have developed learning progressions for literacy and numeracy.
READINGS
READINGS
Guide to Formative Assessment Rubrics (Learning Progressions / Learning Continuums - as usual, the edu-babble has evolved - However, the core principles are the same)
Guide to Formative Assessment Rubrics (Learning Progressions / Learning Continuums - as usual, the edu-babble has evolved - However, the core principles are the same)
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