SCHEME OF WORK

TSL 3110 LINKING THEORY TO PRACTICE

DEFINITION OF A SCHEME OF WORK

According to Teaching English:

• A scheme of work is a plan that defines work to be done in the classroom. Involving learners in defining a scheme of work, whether for a short project or a long course, is an important step towards motivation and involvement.

PURPOSE It maps out clearly how resources (e.g. books, equipment, time) and class activities (e.g. teacher-talk, groupwork, practicals, discussions) and assessment strategies (e.g. tests, quizzes, Q&A, homework) will be used to ensure that the learning aims and objectives of the course are met successfully.

GUIDING PRINCIPLESQuestions to ask learners for a scheme of work include:

• What are your aims?

• What do you want to produce?

• Who is going to do what?

• What resources do you need?

• How long is it going to take?

FACTORS THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION IN DESIGNING A SCHEME OF WORK

•Who is the course for?•What is the likely number of participants?•What is the overall aim of the course?•What will participants learn?•What skills will participants develop?•Is there a syllabus?•Does it lead to a qualification?•Is it part of a larger curriculum?•Where is it likely to be held?

•What restrictions does this impose?•What resources are available?•What resources can be "begged, borrowed or stolen"?•What resources can be designed or developed?

THE STARTING POINTS

The key parts of a "scheme of work" include:

• Content

• Objectives or Outcomes

• Methods of delivery (student and teacher activity)

• Assessment strategies

• Resources

• Other remarks

COMPONENTS IN A SCHEME OF WORK

THE INGREDIENTS

• What topics/subjects need to be included?

• Is team building necessary?

• What practical activities are integral to the course?

• What assignments have to be completed?

• What essential elements need to be included?

• Is there some theme or aspect that threads throughout the course?

• How will students be assessed?

• How will the course be evaluated?

 

THE RECIPE

•Which elements need to be introduced at the beginning?

•Do you need to take account of the different starting points of students?

•Which elements depend upon successful completion or understanding of other elements?

•Which elements must come at the end?

•What preparation is required (by students) to complete elements or assignments?

•How much time will students need for this?

 

ICING THE CAKE

•Is it possible to give students an early taste of success?

•Is there something for students to make or do?

•What additional activities might be included to broaden students' experience or understanding?

•Can students' contributions be built into the course?

•Is it possible to build in some "leisure interest"?

•Do you need to take account of holidays and festivals etc.?

HOW TO WRITE A SCHEME OF WORK?

STEPS:

1. Check if your place of work has a proforma

2. Check other people's schemes of work.

3. If creating a scheme of work from scratch, then create a word document and put a table in it, or create a spreadsheet.

4. Begin by breaking down the year into chunks

5. Within each module, break down into further chunks

6. Decide how long you'll need for each of these chunks.

7. Now within each chunk, decide what lessons you could do.

8. Do this for every chunk, and for every module, and fill in the bare bones into the 'Lesson content' column on your document.

9. Now think about what resources you'll need.

10. The core Key skills (in the UK) consist of:- Application of number- Communication- ICT

11. . Don't forget that you are trying to promote equality and diversity through your teaching, and include how you will do that across the sessions on your course

12. The assessment column can be filled with how you will know, after each lesson, that the information has sunk in.