Learning to Learn: Making the process of learning explicit in schools and further education colleges

Learning to Learn in Schools and Further Education: making the process of learning explicitDr Kate WallDurham University

Funded by the Campaign for Learning•National charity working for a society where learning is at the heart of social inclusion.

•national campaigns•provide support for practitioners•run demonstration projects•undertake research and lobby to influence policy.

Learning to Learn projects – the big picture

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Phase 32003-2007

(Higgins et al. 2007)

Phase 22001-2003(Rodd 2003)

Phase 12000-2001(Rodd 2001)

L2L in Schools Phase 42007-2011

Plan

Do

Review Plan

Do

Review Plan

DoReview

May-Sept 2007

Academic Year2009/20010



Aug-March2010/11

Teachers’ Professional Enquiry through Action Research

Cross case studydata collection

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L2L in FE2008-2010



Plan

DoReview Plan

DoReview

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• 85 case studies from Phase 3

• 70 case studies from Phase 4

• 25 case studies the FE Project

• Annual reports written by the university team synthesising evidence across case studies

Findings validated with Campaign for Learning, partnership teachers, university colleagues and advisory board

• Published peer reviewed papers

www.campaign-for-learning.org.uk

Northumberland LA (new to Phase 4)

Enfield LA(Phase 3)

Cheshire LA(Phase 3)

Cornwall LA(Phase 3)

Northumberland College

Lewisham College

Project overview

http://www.campaign-for-learning.org.uk/

What did you last learn?

How did you learn it?Tell the person next to you… 2 minutes each

Starting points...

Can we define L2L?

L2L is…a process of discovery about learning.

It involves a set of principles and skills

which, if understood and used, help learners learn more effectively and so become learners for life.

At its heart is the belief that learning is

learnable.

Learning to Learn is an approach that focuses on what happens

when we learn and how we can learn more effectively. Being

involved in L2L means being part of a community of enquiry that

aims for a better understanding of the learning process. An L2L

approach provides all learners with opportunities and tools for reflective and strategic thinking

that generate talk and collaboration. This helps

individuals develop skills and dispositions for successful lifelong

learning that can build their motivation and enable them to

take effective action to fulfil their learning goals.

Strategic and reflective thinking = metacognition• Strategic and reflective thinking (Moseley et al. 2005)

• Cognition about cognitive phenomena (Flavell 1979)

• Metacognition refers to one’s knowledge and control of the domain cognition (Brown et al. 1983)

Why is metacognition important?•A huge amount of empirical research has demonstrated that metacognition is one of the most powerful predictors of learning.

•John Hattie (2009) meta-analysis: metacognitive strategies have an effect size of 0.69 (equivalent to 8 months progress)

•Education Endowment Fund Toolkit (Higgins et al. 2013): Metacognitive strategies raise attainment by an average of 8 months and are relatively cheap to implement.

EEF Toolkit http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk

How much does it cost to

implement?

How secure is the

evidence base?

The average amount of progress

http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/



Metacognition in practice•Focusing on the process of learning: how did you get from A to B?

•Developing a language for talking about learning

•Thinking about affective learning dispositions

•Developing higher order thinking skills

•Asking questions about learning

•Sharing your thinking process

Not just about metacognition

Learning to Learn is an approach that focuses on what happens when we learn and how we can learn more

effectively. Being involved in L2L means being part of a community of enquiry that aims for a better

understanding of the learning process. An L2L approach provides all learners with opportunities and tools for reflective and strategic thinking that generate talk and collaboration. This helps individuals develop skills and dispositions for successful lifelong learning that can build their motivation and enable them to take effective action to fulfil their learning goals.

A group of people

prepared to listen to

each other, share

experiences and act as critical friends

An emphasis on asking questions and trying to find out the answers

A focus on thinking about

learning; experiences

and perceptions

of the learning process

Close relationships with feedbackHow much does it cost to

implement?

How secure is the

evidence base?

The average amount of progress

What did you last learn?

How could you have improved your learning?Tell the person next to you… 2 minutes each

There are different ways of travelling and many places to go…

Thinking skillsAssessment for

Learning

LEARNER VOICEFormative feedback

Lear

ning

Sty

les

Enquiry based learning

Learning environments

Target settingL2L

as an umbrella term

Habits of Mind

Professional learning

???

Thinking skills activities• Thinking skills interventions tend to have a number of common features:▫ designed for learners to be successful, but include a level of challenge so that this success is meaningful.

▫ Most use collaborative talk as a focus, or involve pupils in explaining and justifying their thinking

▫ focus on key concepts and ideas and support pupils in developing connections between these ideas.

▫ As classes talk about learning they develop a vocabulary of and for learning as their awareness of learning processes and metacognitive skills become accessible (Higgins, 2001).

Odd one outMystery

Fortune linesLiving graphs

TabooDiamond 9Mind map

Venn diagramsMemory Map

….

Costa’s Habits of Mind

De Bono’s Thinking Hats

Campaign for Learning’s 5Rs

Bloom’s Taxonomy of Thinking

SOLO Taxonomy (Biggs and Collis 1982)(Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome)

Other pedagogic approaches•Assessment for Learning (Black and Wiliam)•Cognitive Acceleration in Science Education (CASE)/Cognitive Acceleration in Maths Education (CAME) (Adey & Shayer)

•Cooperative learning strategies (Spencer Kagan)•TASC wheel (Belle Wallace)•ACTs (Activitating Children’s Thinking Skills)•Philosophy for Children (Matthew Lipman)•Accelerated Learning (Alistair Smith/ Colin Rose)

•Building Learning Power (Guy Claxton)

Pedagogic half-life

So think about when and why…Time

Value

Steep impact as teachers and students learn the

activity and how best to

use it

Drop off as teachers and students get used to the activity

Improvement again when

students and teachers start to adapt the tool for different purposes

Characteristics of a ‘good’ tool for L2L• Diamond 9 • Organise the

statements into the diamond from most important to least important

• Share your diamond with the pair next to you

• What are the key areas of discussion?

Most important

Least important

Different destinations, same road?

Practitioner Enquiry through Action Research

PLAN

DO

REVIEW

System

atical

ly

collec

ted

eviden

ce

Make the findings public

Systematic enquiry made public (Stenhouse 1981)

Understanding ‘impact’

UndergraduatesHigher Education

Enquiry questions: which age phase?• What is the impact of “Learning to Learn” on learners’ dispositions and attainment?

• Does involving learners in negotiating curriculum outcomes and methods of learning have an impact on motivation, involvement and attainment?

• Can learners’ use the Virtual Learning Environment to be more independent, active learners?

• Will motivational rewards improve learners’ attitude and confidence in mathematics?

• Will learners, who have more ownership in planning their learning, make better progress and have increased enjoyment?

• How can teachers’ questioning best develop learners’ questioning?

• What impact will the introduction of an autonomous learning programme have on the development and learning experience of modern languages students?

Year 9 (13 years)Secondary SchoolYear 1 (6 years)Primary SchoolHair & Beauty (16+)Further EducationAdult learnersFurther EducationYear 6Primary SchoolWhole staff Primary School

Shedding light on ‘learning’?

http://www.campaign-for-learning.org.uk/cfl/index.asp

•85 case studies from Phase 3•70 case studies from Phase 4•28 case studies from Further Education

•(20 case studies from Higher Education)

•Annual reports written by the University team synthesising evidence across the case studies▫Findings validated with Campaign for Learning, partnership teachers and advisory board

•Peer review articles, books and professional publications

Outcomes



Learning about L2L• L2L is not a simple set of activities or techniques which can be implemented easily by a teacher or school.

• A range of methods and approaches can be successful in supporting the development of effective learning habits and dispositions.

• An approach based on collaborative professional enquiry into Learning to Learn through practical classroom strategies is clearly supportive of such development.

Example: Pele, Geoff, Mo and Dean • Aimed to identify students’ skill

gaps and develop metacognitive skillfulness around their own perceptions of themselves as learners

• Class based discussion and reflection

• A skills audit• Small group discussion sessions

around study skill repertoire and use

• Activity to facilitate individual identification of study skills

• Tendency to link academic success to remembering ‘stuff’

• There was a lack of independent organisation and resourcefulness needed at level 3

• Work to support students better understanding of skills and their use is starting to pay off

• Need to focus on enhancing students’ personal responsibility and organisation.

What study skills do students need to make the transition from level 2

to level 3 study?

Impact on colleges and schools•L2L policies•L2L co-ordinators•Increased inter-departmental collaboration

•Expansion of innovations

Wholesale changes to induction processes were made in differing areas and working on different –

but covering all – of the principles of the 5Rs and according

to each cohort’s needs. A differentiated induction plan was developed for both National Diploma

cohorts and for the BTEC 1st course. Strategies were employed in differing degrees according to each cohort’s needs and as result of the Cycle One survey. (Mark and Tanya,

Lewisham College)Yeah definitely whole school approaches – consistent, not taking away pupils' flair and creativity, it can still be

different in classrooms with the teachers' input, but the children know so much information each time

they're moving up. (Teacher, Packmoor Primary)

Example: Jayne• Jayne has the role of a

Quality Manager• An analysis of previous

internal inspection grades showed half the staff did not improve after inspection

• A more detailed look at their targets showed improvement on these more formative elements

• The importance of good quality feedback and the time to facilitate targets related to this feedback

• Change in role to mentor/ coach

Developing a formative approach to internal inspection frameworks

Exploring sources that help teachers to understand their strengths and weaknesses

An investigation to support teachers reflection and resourcefulness in regards to their own

professional learning

Impact on teachers and teaching•Increased motivation & resilience

•Learning role models•Evidence-based practice

•Professional courage

It would seem that the more you research, the more you need to research! My journey is far

from over. Learning is a very complicated and complex issue- what works for one student does not work for another. I am not talking here of learning styles

... but more the social emotional and psychological

development that individuals go through on their learning journey. (Lesley Toyne, Northumberland College)

The headteacher and I believe in the importance of developing skills across the curriculum, skills that could be developed and used throughout life. But

could young children learn these and would they be beneficial to

their learning? (Hazelbury Infants, Enfield)

Example: Theresa • A planned rolling programme

for support staff• Developing staff’s learner

identity, knowledge and skillfulness

• Understanding their own learning successes and failures and rationalising them helped the assistants to do the same with their students.

• Learning assistants who were more metacognitively aware had a positive impact on the learners they work with

• FE is characterised by a diversity of learners and so thinking about this and how to improve the learning experience of all was important.

• Encourage ongoing reflection on previous and current learning.

• By investigating personal learning and learning theories creating a new readiness for learning.

• Through raising learning awareness improve learning resourcefulness leading to learning resilience through building self confidence and understanding

I don’t worry as much now – I know my answer will be okay, I used to panic before and then worry but I

think, hey, I can do this now. (Kehelland

Village School, Cornwall)

It helps me to learn a lot when I learn something once and I teach someone it again. My brain records

it more. (Hazelbury Junior School, Enfield)

It helped me by allowing me to try different

ways of learning and to find out what I

am best at. (Henbury High

School, Cheshire)

Benefits to learners has been to watch

their confidence grow throughout the year with their learning, how they think and how they might have

been better independent thinkers and learners within

the classroom. (Michelle Tait, Northumberland

College Cycle 2)

Impact on learners and learning•Attitudes•Confidence & self esteem

•Attainment•Metacognitive awareness

•Learning dispositions

Example: Jason• Exploring students’ use of

targets or outcomes• Will students who know their

targets and when they have achieved them feel more positive about their learning?

• What were students’ and lecturers’ views on targets and their use? Did their views differ?

• Findings:• Learners were more likely

to set performance targets than lecturers

• Students had more interest in broad, long term targets than short term, specific ones.

• Monitoring and supporting progression towards targets is essential, but difficult.

• Targets need to be shared.

If lecturers feel that students do not care enough to reach their target they

will not feel that support is necessary. But, of course, if a learner is used to not getting support or being asked about progress, they could feel they do not need to try to reach the targets. It also, looked at another way, allows responsibility to be passed on.

We can provide some guidance…

Making the process of learning explicit

• Focusing on the process of learning

• Asking questions about learning

• Sharing your thinking about potential answers

• Supporting metacognitive development

Recognise different learning trajectories

• Everyone’s journey is different

• But,• They all connect• They all have ups and downs

• Sharing them helps• Learning is hard work sometimes!

It’s only a guide ...

Hall, E., Wall, K., Higgins, S., Stephens, L., Pooley, I. and Welham, J. (2010) Learning to Learn with Parents: lessons from two research projects. In A. Campbell and S. Groundwater-Smith (Eds) Action Research in Education: Volume 3: Key Examples Of Action Research In Schools Within Different National Settings (Fundamentals of Applied Research Series), London: SAGE Publications: 121-135.

Hall, E., Towler, C. and Wall, K. (out for review) Developing an understanding of how network diagrams can represent and support communication across schools and colleges investigating Learning to Learn, Qualitative Researcher

Higgins, S., Remedios, R. and Wall, K. (out for review) Metacognitive thinking in classrooms: supply and demand? Metacognition and Learning

Robson, S., Leat, D., Lofthouse, R. & Wall, K. (2013). Raising the profile of innovative teaching in Higher Education? Reflections on the EquATE project. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education 25(1): 92-102

Thomas, U., Tiplady, L. & Wall, K. (2013). Stories of Practitioner Enquiry: Using Narrative Interviews to explore Teachers' Perspectives of Learning to Learn. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education

Towler, C., Wooler, P. & Wall, K. (2011). Exploring Teachers' and Students' Conceptions of Learning in Two Further Education Colleges. Journal of Further and Higher Education 35(4): 501-520

Wall, K. (2012). "It wasn't too easy, which is good if you want to learn": An exploration of pupil participation and Learning to Learn. The Curriculum Journal 23(3): 283-305

Wall, K. (2008). Understanding Metacognition through the use of Pupil Views Templates: Pupil Views of Learning to Learn. Thinking Skills and Creativity 3(1): 23-33

Wall, K., Higgins, S., Glasner, E., Mahmout, U. & Gormally, J. (2009). Teacher enquiry as a tool for professional development: investigating pupils' effective talk while learning. Australian Educational Researcher 36(2): 93-117

Wall, K., Higgins, S., Rafferty, V., Remedios, R. and Tiplady, L. (2013) Comparing Analysis Frames For Visual Data Sets: Using Pupil Views Templates to explore perspectives of learning, Journal of Mixed Methods, 7(1): 22-42

Academic publication

•Goodbourn, R., Hartley, T., Higgins, S. and Wall, K. (2009) Learning to Learn for Life 3: Research and Practical Examples for Secondary Schools, London: Continuum Publishing

•Wall, K. and Hall, E. (2009) Developing New Understandings of Learning to Learn, Research Matters, Summer 2009, Issue 33: 3-14

•Wall, K. Hall, E., Baumfield, V. Higgins, S., Rafferty, V., Remedios, R. , Thomas, U., Tiplady, L. Towler, C. & Woolner, P. (2010). Learning to learn in schools phase 4 and Learning to learn in further education. Newcastle

•Wall, K., Hall, E., Higgins, S., Leat, D., Thomas, U., Tiplady, L., Towler, C. & Woolner, P. (2009). Learning to Learn in Schools Phase 4 Year One Report. Campaign for Learning.

•Wall, K. (2010) Learning to Learn, 10 years on, Learning and Teaching Update, Issue 33: 4-6

•Wall, K. (2010) Learning to Learn: supporting reflective and strategic learning, Creative Teaching and Thinking, Autumn issue

•Warren, K. (2010) Increasing students' awareness of learning as a dynamic process, Learning and Teaching Update

•Welham, J. (2010) Involving students in the learning process, Learning and Teaching Update, Issue 33: 7-8

Professional publications

Learning to Learn: Making the process of learning explicit in schools and further education colleges

Documents

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