AusVELS: Constructing the new learner

SLAV Conference

20 March 2015

Dr David Howes

Executive Director, Curriculum

Update

• AusVELS• Senior Secondary

Senior SecondaryExtended investigation

Eltham High School• In what way does Virginia Woolf use metaphor in ‘A Room of One’s Own’ to

discuss the concept of ‘truth’?• Does the portrayal of women in American Apparel advertisements influence the

perceptions of physical appearance amongst girls aged 15-18 in a Victorian northern zone high school in?

Brauer College • What are Australia’s responsibilities regarding East Timor in the context of the

neo-liberal theory of international relations?

Warrnambool College • What impact does Indonesian language education have on attitudes,

understandings and potential prejudices in students towards the Hijab worn by Indonesian Muslim women?

And more …

John Monash Science School • Are smaller, more compact constructed wetlands a viable

alternative to full-scale systems with regard to urban stormwater treatment? A comparative case study.

University High School• How does synthetic DNA compare against hard disk drives, solid

state drives and magnetic tapes as a storage medium for digital data?

• How do enclosure conditions impact the behaviour of the Eastern Barred Bandicoot? A comparison of the stress indicated by the Eastern Barred Bandicoot when kept in an open range enclosure type, as opposed to the stress indicated by the Eastern Barred Bandicoot when kept in smaller, solitary enclosures.

And more … independent investigations in the Sciences:Area of Study 3 Practical investigation

A student-designed or adapted practical investigation related to energy and/or food is undertaken in either Unit 3 or Unit 4, or across both Units 3 and 4. The investigation relates to knowledge and skills developed across Unit 3 and/or Unit 4. The investigation requires the student to identify an aim, develop a question, formulate a hypothesis and plan a course of action to answer the question and that complies with safety and ethical requirements. The student then undertakes an experiment that involves the collection of primary qualitative and/or quantitative data, analyses and evaluates the data, identifies limitations of data and methods, links experimental results to science ideas, reaches a conclusion in response to the question and suggests further investigations which may be undertaken.

Not just science …

TIMSS …

Social and emotional skillsSocial and emotional skills are powerful drivers of well-being and social progress. Children can learn some of these skills which would help them achieve long-term goals, work better with others and manage their emotions.

Social and emotional skills

Today’s children will need a balanced set of cognitive, social and emotional skills in order to succeed in modern life. Their capacity to achieve goals, work effectively with others and manage emotions will be essential to meet the challenges of the 21st century. While everyone acknowledges the importance of socio-emotional skills such as perseverance, sociability and self-esteem, there is often insufficient awareness of “what works” to enhance these skills. Teachers and parents don’t really know whether their efforts at developing these skills are paying off, and what they could do better. 

Social and emotional skills

While international research has come up with some measures that can help to improve teaching and parenting practices, they can be better conceptualised and validated.

AusVELS: next iterationLEARNING AREAS GENERAL CAPABILITIES

o Englisho Mathematicso Scienceo Health and physical educationo Languageso Humanities and social sciences

(History, Geography, Civics and citizenship, Business and economics)

o The Artso Technologies (Design and Digital

technologies)

o Critical and creative thinkingo Personal and social capabilityo Intercultural understandingo Ethical understanding

Implementation

By 2017

The circle of life, the universe and everything …

AGREED COMMON CONTENT• Subjects

• General Capabilities

REPORTING LEARNING

ACHIEVEMENT

TARGETS• School• Class

• Individual

EFFORT• Support

• ExtensionS

Most effective strategies

Constructing the new learner

• Encouraged to be interested and curious• Able to ask a good question• Able to explore how to answer their

question• Willing to develop answers• Persistent, resilient, self-aware