Shining a Light on the Science of Learning

The ‘Science of Learning’ is a term that is currently being used as a ‘new’ anchor for curriculum design. It is a bit of new branding on pedagogy that makes it seem more palatable than ‘pedagogy’. The Science of Learning is, in fact, a synthesis of pedagogical theory and (a bit like a hearty stew) it is always good to know what is actually in it so that we can appreciate the ingredients we are being served a bit more.

Here are some of the key ingredients I’ve spotted that are worthwhile to know about.

1. Constructivism

Key Idea: Learning is an active, constructive process where learners build knowledge by connecting new information to their existing understanding.

Unpacking: Aligns with Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory (social interactions build knowledge). Drives the emphasis on student-centred, inquiry-based learning and encourages discussing learning to form deeper connections with new knowledge. Key players are Bruner, Piaget and Vygotsky.

What it looks like: We shouldn’t tell students what to think or what to write down. Instead, we can engineer social interactions and activities where they figure things out and make notes for themselves. It could be summarised by the difference between taking notes and making notes.

2. Cognitive Load Theory

Key Idea: Human working memory has limited capacity, and learning is more effective when the way that learning is delivered reduces extraneous cognitive load.

Unpacking: It is important to use strategies like chunking and worked examples to break content down. This also supports Dual Coding by encouraging simplification of visual and verbal information and the importance of presenting one thing in several different ways. Cognitive Load Theory makes sense when we think about how we remember phone numbers or shopping lists in categories or chunks.

What it looks like: If you fill someone’s brain with a lot of new information then their ‘brain bucket’ is too full - and it even starts leaking. It is hard to process new information if the bucket is full - so information needs to be chunked and iterated so that it can be gradually filled and the knowledge is more likely to be retained. It might look like providing a hand out before the workshop, going over it briefly in the workshop and then extending thinking beyond the workshop rather than skipping to the ‘how to apply’ in the first workshop which might overload the brain.

Chunking - maybe because if you ate the whole block at once you would feel sick! Chunking learning is similar.

3. Distributed Practice

Key Idea: Spacing learning over time (rather than massing it in one session) improves retention and retrieval. Like a well-constructed brick wall, we build on previous layers by overlapping bricks and we can build big walls one layer at a time. Another easy way to imagine this is teaching like a spiral that loops back on itself to go forward a little and then loop back to reinforce prior learning. Bruner even calls this a spiral curriculum. (I wrote a blog expanding this to a crochet analogy).

Unpacking: Distributed Practice links to Cognitive Load Theory by avoiding overload through spaced intervals and incremental knowledge and skill acquisition and it encourages revisiting prior content by applying it to new contexts.

What it looks like: One workshop might cover ‘A’. The second workshop might cover ‘B’. A better solution is to build slowly so that ‘A’ is not forgotten. So workshop 1 covers ‘A’ and workshop 2 covers and workshop 3 covers ‘ABC’. So retention and iteration and cognitive load are all catered to.

4. Schema Theory

Key Idea: Knowledge is stored in mental frameworks that are individual and different for all of us based on prior experience (schemas). Learning involves organising new information into these structures or creating new structures into which we can insert new learning effectively.

Unpacking: Well-designed schemas can limit cognitive load. Ways of presenting new information matters and might be different for every learner depending on their prior knowledge and understanding or existing schemas.

What it looks like: This might look like finding a drawing or metaphor to anchor new learning to. Like a seahorse, they fare better when they can hook their tail into something known to keep them from floating away….

5. Dual Coding

Key Idea: Combining verbal and visual representations improves understanding and memory.

Unpacking: Some learners need diagrammatic summaries or visual versions of content in order to be able to process the information most effectively. Others need information verbally and aurally - presenting information in multiple ways means that more learners can access the ‘hook’. This supports the idea that 'lecturing’ is not effective unless it is partnered with additionally and differently coded content.

What it looks like: Have you ever played Pictionary? Words go with pictures like peas and carrots. Don’t deliver with just words and don’t deliver with just pictures. Consider both to increase your chances of a ‘true hook’.

6. Visible Learning

Key Idea: Focuses on high-impact, evidence-based practices that maximise student learning, such as feedback, metacognition (thinking about thinking), and direct instruction. Visible learning is like ‘chemistry in the classroom’ where you are watching for changes in states and supports evidence-based interventions with regular data gathering. Teachers do things because they have measurable effect on learner achivement.

Here is a great infographic from the Visible Learning website.

Unpacking: Teaching strategies need to be explicit and reflective. Learners should be able to talk about what they are learning and how they are learning it so that learning methodology and outcomes are all visible. The key player to find out more about Visible Learning from is John Hattie.

What it looks like: Success and the steps needed to reach success are clearly outlined so that students or participants can see what they are doing and know where they are at on a clear scale, rubric or success descriptor framework.

7. High-Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS)

Key Idea: Deliberate and reflective practices (e.g., questioning, feedback, explicit teaching) have been shown to be highly effective in improving student outcomes.

Unpacking: Draws from Cognitive Load Theory (e.g., worked examples) and Distributed Practice. Encourages Constructivist engagement via collaborative and inquiry-based methods.

What it looks like: Designing activities to be data-driven. Similar to visible learning, HITS are measurable and the impact is data-informed. HITS is all about measuring the impact in ways that are proven to be effective.

8. Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Key Idea: Designing flexible learning environments to accommodate diverse learner needs from the outset means that no student is left behind. Learning is designed to cater to all rather than the normal few.

Unpacking: Applies principles of Dual Coding in ways students access, process and show their understanding of learning.

What is looks like: Predicting needs and learning interventions before they happen - providing clear text, enlarged text, alt text, dual coding, iconographic summaries in more with the needs to diverse learners in mind. Remember, not accommodating known learning needs is akin to hosting a workshop on the third floor and not providing a ramp or elevator to wheelchair users. Once you know better - you do better, right?

——-

It seems like a lot, doesn’t it? Yes, great learning has a lot of lenses applied to it for sure!

Of course there are more - but 8 quick-fire theories seemed like a digestible chunk for now.

What should we do with the science of learning?

Well, like a good stew - a balance of ingredients will make it rich and tasty. The science of learning calls for a mix of explicit instruction and constructivist methodology to enrich teaching and learning experiences. It is never one theory - and it always needs to be a special blend crafted for the people in front of you.

And, of couse, if you need support - I can help you with all of the above and more!

Lastly, just in case you fancy some more reading - here’s a small recommended list:

Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Brown, Roediger, & McDaniel

Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning by Agarwal & Bain

The Case for Constructivist Classrooms by Brooks & Brooks

Visible Learning: The Sequel: A Synthesis of Over 2,100 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement, Hattie.

How People Learn by Bransford, Brown, & Cocking.

Working Memory and Learning by Gathercole & Alloway

Cognitive Load Theory in Action by Ayres, Kalyuga, & Sweller.

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink.

Principles of Instruction by Barak Rosenshine.

CAST Framework for UDL.

From Cult to Culture - Fostering a Culture of Active Learning

Have you ever been so bored in a meeting or workshop that you stop listening? Thinking about what’s for lunch or even what laundry you have to do at home is likely to be a lot more interesting…

Corporate training often fails to engage employees, leading to low retention and wasted resources. Imagine sitting through yet another tedious, lecture-based session, knowing full well that most of it will be forgotten by tomorrow. This outdated approach can leave a lot of companies struggling to see a return on investment (ROI).

If you are just going to talk at them, you might as well have an empty theatre. Image of an empty lecture hall.

A huge problem with current learning design practices is that the models for learning are largely still informed by the industrial age. The learner is a passive recipient of knowledge as if arriving as an empty cup that needs to be filled with wisdom from the presenter. The problem with this model is that ‘being talked at’ is not engaging nor is it memorable. Passive learning experiences make it difficult for learners to retain knowledge that has only heard or seen.

The other side of this problem is that presenters are also anchored to their chosen presentation platform. They diligently prepare presentations that fill the workshop allocation with talking time deigned to optimally fill the minds of attendees. When this happens, they are stuck presenting and not free to talk with and work alongside individual learners. Oftentimes they are so ‘tied to talking’ or ‘imprisoned by presenting’ that attendees do not get to talk to them one on one at any stage of the training process. Their knowledge is therefore not able to be shared in ways that might genuinely add value.

So what’s the fix?

Here’s a quick case study (before I worked my magic):

The company required employees to attend a three day face to face workshop.The presenter was flown in and accommodation and travel was part of the L&D spend. Attendees were given a large printed book (100+ pages) with ‘fill in the gaps’ activities as well as some dictation notes pages within it. All information was presented in person by Powerpoint with the presenter talking for most of the three days. There was a timed test at the end of day three in order for employees to tick the compliance requirements for their line managers.

What is wrong with this picture? To be honest, it is such a typical model that you would be excused for believing that this is just what learning looks like. It is so common it is normal.

But actually it is awful. In this model there is no evidence of any considerations for neurodiverse learners, no cognitive load theory, no active/experiential learning, no constructivist or constructionist pedagogy… there are so many lenses missing. And while it might get a compliance tick on the day, it definitely does not get an engagement, inclusion or retention tick.

“When we practice something, we are involved in the deliberate repetition of a process with the intention of reaching a specific goal. The words deliberate and intention are key here because they define the difference between actively practicing something and passively learning it.””

— Thomas Sterner - The Practcing Mind

Now imagine what a great learning experience might feel like.

A different experience of training would be one that feels immersive, engaging and memorable. You would have time to engage with content, think about thing deeply in your own time, talk to the facilitator, practice applying the information, see your own growth and leave feeling energised. Magic happens when we take the cult (do what I say and just sit there and listen to me) and turn it into an active learning culture. Employees leave feeling energised and equipped with the knowledge they can immediately apply - and learners look forward to the next time that they get to explore learning as an enjoyable and productive experience.

The case study - after my magic
The company provided a one day face to face workshop - and the presenter was flown in and out in the same day (big savings!). Attendees were given a flipped learning experience online ahead of time that was an online game to introduce key concepts. The workshop was redesigned as a series of ‘mini missions’ where attendees could work together to figure out how to apply information to real scenarios. The presenter turned into a facilitator and had time to work closely alongside small groups to answer questions and clarify understanding as well as get to know individual learning needs and gaps. The powerpoint was replaced with a link library for participants to co-construct a FAQ page for future reference and attendees also had a shared whiteboard to record key ideas and reflections about their learning. The timed test was replaced with a ‘mission tick list’ where evidence was found within the missions that were completed on the day. A follow up post-session reflection form was shared online so that participants could reflect on and share their learning as well as provide evidence of engagement for double ticking compliance requirements.

From cult to culture

Sage on the stage industrial models of learning do not inspire participants to think about or apply key knowledge. We shouldn’t have to sit through boring days of training thinking about laundry or lunch.

That dream scenario is definitely within reach.

I never realised how full my back pocket is until I start tinkering with ‘all the things’ that I know work in learning experience design. Here’s a checklist I put together recently as a self-checking tool to apply to my learning design work:

CHECKLIST FOR GREAT LEARNING

• Clear learning outcomes linked to company profile for attendees

• Checked alignment with curriculum levels/differentiated options

• Alignment and linking to Sustainable Development Goals

• Agency: Opportunities for choice and voice throughout

• Make the pie: Opportunities to ‘discover the recipe’ rather than be ‘fed the pie’.

• Incorporation of hands-on, inquiry-based learning experiences

• Opportunities for collaboration, paired and individual learning experiences

• Consideration for various learning styles and preferences.

• Clear Literacy layers - reading comprehension, vocabulary and critical thinking

• Clear opportunities for recording learning

• Follow up mission aligned to learning outcomes

• Digital and analogue learning opportunities

• Scaffolded activities and choices for differentiated learning

• Provision for alternative assessments or pathways for learners with varying abilities.

• Universal Design for Learning (UDL): Incorporation of multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression.

• Use of flexible instructional materials and methods to accommodate diverse learners

• Formative assessment opportunities for learning conversations

• Opportunities for reflection and goal setting

• Consideration and support for trainer /facilitator capabilities

If learners regurgitate the answers you tell them - it is a cult with no ownership of the knowledge and no evidence of critical thinking or retention. But if you give them opportunities to engage with and experience the learning - it is a culture.

So why work with me? I’m an education geek with 20 plus years of ‘make the pie’ pedagogy and on the ground teaching and learning experience in my back pocket. I believe that learning should be fun no matter what. I’m on a mission to change what learning feels like. Get in touch, if you’d like to harness some of my (non-culty) magic.

AI and Policy: A FLOW Guide

If you want to keep up with AI, you can’t. At least that’s what it feels like. That is the truth I’ve been struggling to come to grips with as I navigate the ethics of AI use in classrooms and workplaces and observe the exponential growth of AI tools for teachers and workers. There are new developments every second. And then there are considerations so far beyond the basics of intellectual property and data sharing… so let’s get stuck in. Read on to learn about some key considerations for policy writing as well as A FLOW model for testing and reflecting once it is written.

I recently presented a workshop on AI tools in the classroom grounded with a whakatauki as well as a metaphor. I used the ocean as a metaphor because, even if we feel well-informed at the moment, it is more than likely that we’re just paddling in the breakers because the flow on effects of our use of AI is vast and deep - like an ocean. It is a wicked problem.

My choice of whakatauki is also fitting - Kia mate ururoa, kei mate wheke - to fight like a shark rather than give in like an octopus. My challenge to all users of AI is to consider the why before diving right on in. Resist the status quo and resist doing something just because it is easier. Consider the repercussions and thrash about before you make a decision. Thrash to push for better learning experiences. Thrash for better pedagogy and androgogy. Thrash to strive for a better learning experience for all learners - and don’t accept the models that are just because they are. Just because it might be fast, doesn’t mean it is good.

So many AI tools packaged for educational purposes sadly perpetuate 20th Century knowledge models and do not ‘push the envelope’. My hope is that, with more knowledge of how AI models are programmed and more knowledge of biases and preferences as well as the ‘why of AI’, that those who work in education and training will work harder to make AI do something more responsible. ethical and transformative. Potentially writing useful policy is the first step in designing clear guidelines.

What should you include in an AI policy?

AI is evolving so rapidly that it is important for schools and workplaces to ride the wave. We need to be informed about which AI tools are fit for purpose and need to be able to approve specific tools, outcomes and systems. For this, we need to have clear objectives about when the use of AI is appropriate and be able to give recommendations for how and why information can be appropriately shared.

At this stage, it is useful to consider some user stories of when and how AI might be used and also to explore scenarios with a ‘black hat’ in order to consider the long term implications.

Set boundaries and design systems:

What boundaries need to be put in place about data sharing? (No names, no confidential information, no data shared without permission)

What are the expectations of the institution or organisation? (AI can be used for ideation assistance or proof-reading but not for any published content)

Who are the people who might oversee governance of AI? (And how might it be monitored?)

Consider the legal implications:

What disclosure regulations need to be in place for data sharing?

How can you safeguard against discrimination and bias?

What are the internal processes for data breaches?

Who is liable for data breaches or authenticity queries?

What industry-specific regulations can you draw on?

What are the terms of the AI tool/s that is/are being used?

How is intellectual property safe-guarded?

What are your internal systems for governance and monitoring?

What happens if there is a breach?

Managing Risk:

What permissions and guidelines need to be established to indicate which tools are approved and how they are used?

What risk assessments need to be undertaken against specific scenarios?

What are the regulations against outputs? Must they be reviewed by humans before publication?

How will issues or incidents be documented and reviewed?

Ethics:

AI does not come without an environmental footprint - how might you mitigate your use of AI against your Sustainable Development Goals?

How can you monitor your increased environmental impact?

How might you offset your carbon footprint?

How might you make users more aware of both technical and environmental considerations?

How might you ensure the privacy of information shared?

Training:

A lot of organisations are presenting AI tools as if they are a quick win without unpacking legal, ethical and environmental considerations. How might you ensure that staff are informed and able to make informed decisions about whether their use of AI is appropriate, necessary or effective?

A FLOW model:

The following acronym could be useful for beginning your deep dive into AI.

A - Anticipate - explore some user stories or scenarios to predict different uses of AI without guidance. Use these scenarios to design policy and training to meet the needs of your participants.

F - Facilitate - facilitate a training session on the responsible and ethical uses of AI and design a workplace scenario for a test/launch activity.

L - Launch - provide a tool and some prompts and a desired output that relates to your context for employees to explore.

O - Observe - look for anomalies in the uses of AI and adapt policy accordingly. Allow questioning and exploration alongside staff as they navigate ‘the deep’.

W - Weigh - consider how effective parameters and policy are and consider the success of input vs output in terms of how the tools were used and what the outcomes were.

Repeat with a new cycle to iteratively design a flexing policy that is capable of riding the AI wave.

So what do you think? Writing AI policy and using AI is about so much more than time saving. We need to consider legal implication of data sharing and collection, governance and guidelines about purpose vs product, environmental implications, intellectual property considerations, disclosure regulations, risk assessments, best practice evolutions and more.

Some additional thinking prompts:

How can we recognise and address bias in LLM training?

How can we push for more inclusive data sets for training?

What are our processes for consent?

What might our incident protocols be if the use of AI leads to negative outcomes?

Who should be involved in feedback loops about the use of AI?

How can AI be used to ensure equitable outcomes?

I recently read that creating an AI generated image uses the same amount of energy as charging a cell phone. This made me second-guess my use of AI as the carbon footprint aspect had not been front and centre for me - and knowing this has changed my usage as I want to be a more conscious consumer and my values align strongly with sustainability and the SDGs.

The key takeaway is that we need to be critical and aware of our use of AI so that we can actively contribute to a culture of proactive accountability and sustainability.

What do you think? Did I leave anything out?

References: Create your AI Policy, Clayden Law, e-book, 2024.

Notes on Engineering Flow

I’m exploring what flow looks like and how it can be engineered as a therapeutic tool and ‘bucket filler’ for wellbeing as well as a mode for enhancing engagement. Here are some notes on how the state of flow can be engineered for optimal learning experiences.

These days life is so busy. We are constantly tuned in, listening, viewing, filtering and processing information at a tremendous rate. As a consequence stillness and the ability to tune in to oneself in is being lost in the mess of life. Screens, billboards, traffic, office noise, classroom noise, schedules, lists, expectations (especially at this time of year just before Christmas) make it even more important to make space for a more mindful approach to learning and working.

Flow is a state coined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. He describes "flow" as a state of optimal experience where individuals are fully immersed in an activity, feeling a sense of energised focus, enjoyment, and fulfillment. In order to engineer a state of flow in a learning arena, we have to anticipate things that might break the flow and we need to design an activity that is neither too difficult nor too easy. (This tunes into Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development too). On the surface, designing this kind of learning experience seems easy enough - but there are layers to it that need to carefully considered in order to engineer an optimum experience.

We need to differentiate. What might be hard for one might be too easy for another so in the anticipation phase of learning design we therefore need to predict how to extend more advanced participants and enable those who might be struggling.

We need to anticipate breaks to the flow. What might go wrong? How might learning be interrupted? How can we minimise disruption and ensure that learning stays in a state of flow?

The benefits of flow in learning design are immense. Here are a few positive outcomes of engineering flow from a triangulated filter - from a learning design perspective, from an art therapy perspective and from a mindfulness/improving wellbeing perspective.

Benefits of engineering learning design to optimise flow are:

1. Increased engagement

2. Optimised productivity

3. Improved sense of wellbeing

4. Sense of timelessness (it’s always so rewarding when people want to keep going when time is up)

5. Sense of connection (if designing a collaborative flow experience)

6. Focus and awareness of the importance of process over product (agile methodology in action)

7. Increased awareness of learning as an experience/journey and not an end point

8. Increased mastery of skills

So how did all this come into play in my Flow State workshop? I used an ‘predict/anticipate, launch, explore, discuss’ model for experiential learning and here are some notes:

1. Prediction/Anticipation

   What might the learners need to succeed?

   I knew that the students would find it hard to focus for a long period of time so I set a timer and displayed it visually. I also prepared the resources ahead of time so that learning could be entered easily in the ‘launch’ phase. In this instance, I pre-drew the circles for the [personal mandala] activity because I knew that using compasses and identifying the centre of a circle might cause confusion and put the activity into the ‘too hard basket’ before we began. I also pre-marked the centres of the circles with a cross to indicate quarters and I checked that the students understood the concept of symmetry. Jargon check, learning outcomes check, barriers check, UDL check.

   What might strugglers need to be scaffolded?

   In my resource kete I also had images of variations of the finished product so that participants could see what kinds of patterns might be used. I actually held these back today as the students didn’t need it. (Also, I’ve found that often when you offer an exemplar students will emulate the exemplar rather than designing and exploring their own process).

   What materials might they require to support them?

   The anticipation phase is also important - what actions do we expect participants to be able to perform? What do they need in terms of environment and materials? Another aspect of the anticipation phase for the flow experience activity was providing a range of media. I provided different types of coloured pencils, pencils, felt tips and ink pens for exploration. Pencil sharpeners and ways to sharpen without leaving the table were also provided (getting up to sharpen a pencil can be a really dumb way to break flow needlessly).

   How might learners be extended?

   I had planned to add a sensory and psychology of colour/colour theory reflection exercise. This could be adopted as a take home worksheet or I might yet adapt it to flow state workshop 2.

2. Launch

   In the launch phase I gave a brief overview of the history of mandalas, what they are for, the magic macro/micro aspects of them with examples from the real world and how they can be used to tune in to the process of drawing. Once all of the students knew what to do I could let them go for it. The launch phase needs to be ‘what are we going to do, how are we going to do it and how will we know when we are done’ (in a nutshell).

3. Explore

   In the explore phase it’s important not to interrupt them. There needs to be no rules and full freedom to explore. Just drawing (or making or designing or brainstorming whatever the workshop needs). Just exploring. For this phase, I also provided a soundtrack of rainforest meditation low-key soundscape so that there were no rhythmic or lyrical distractions and all of the materials were shareable and within reach. Get. Stuck. In. Gloriously.

4. Summarise/Discuss

   At the end (indicated by a visual timer), we returned to conversation about how the activity went. What did we discover? What did we learn? How easy/hard was it to focus? What decisions did you make? How are those interesting or different to what you might have expected? (Etc.)

   The work of the facilitator is to explore questions to follow up with in the explore phase too… the product or the outcome is not the focus - the reflection on the process is.

The results of true flow in action are always different. Do the students have an increased sense of wellbeing? Yes. Have they explored discovery learning as a process? Yes. Have they had an opportunity to learn on their own in a parallel play environment? Yes. Is it energising? Yes. Is it fun? Yes.

In the artistry of learning design, engineering experiences to maximise flow states can be transformative for participants and the benefits of recognising the flow state and knowing how to get there again can be exponentially advantageous.

Ready to boost wellbeing and make learning more impactful by maximising flow in your organisation? Let's make it happen! Book me for a fun and impactful workshop.

• Flow-State Playground Workshop (for businesses)

  Transform your leadership style through a playful and interactive experience in a Flow-State Playground Workshop. Leaders from all backgrounds will explore the principles of flow through expertly engineered activities designed to enhance decision-making, foster innovation, and strengthen team dynamics. Participants will leave equipped to inspire and guide their teams to peak performance, all while having fun exploring a variety of playful activities. Contact me for session timing and pricing. studio@katrinawardcreative.com

• Flowcraft Playdate - (for teachers and parents)

  Explore the pedagogy of engineering flow state learning experiences to optimise engagement, improve communication and target wellbeing. Two hour workshop or Full day workshop. Contact me for pricing. studio@katrinawardcreative.com
  

Quest setting to drive engagement

Setting a quest is like planning for a good road trip. You need a crew, you need someone with a map and you need to know where the pit stops are going to be along the way. You need a destination , you need a compass and you need ‘a mission’ so that you can co-design how to get there.

I’ve been experimenting with quests in my learning design in 2023. I’ve helped to design vast landscapes with rabbitholes for online learning modules and created icon summaries of journeys to give learners clear ‘where are we going’ and ‘when are we stopping’ briefs. As a way to design a week’s worth of self-directed learning, I’ve also played with road maps and quests so that learners can track their path and mark off their pit stops in a ‘pick a path’ version of pull learning using Google Classroom as the supporting LMS.

Setting quests can revolutionise a learning experience. Under the guise of a story, learners can ‘choose their own adventure’ and consequently have more buy in - which leads to more engagement. Pairing a learning quest with clear learning outcomes and checklists (or progress bars), also means that learners can track their own progress as well as easily share it with you. As a result, you can identify learners who might be stuck, off track or on a different personal mission entirely.

The benefits of setting quests are:

• increased motivation and participation

• a sense of collaborative and shared purpose

• a way to self-direct and monitor achievement

• a fun way to pitch a learning mission

• a way to use metaphor as a gamification strategy

• an easy way to differentiate and jigsaw activities

• visible learning pathways

In a school classroom context you can set a learning quest by figuring out what the learning outcomes are for the week and then aligning the outcomes to a landscape or iconographic journey metaphor. You can then hyperlink activities (like a choices board) or give clear titles that correlate to another supporting resource or LMS. Within the map design, you can signal ‘treachery’ and ‘skill level’ so that learners can choose to enter into a ‘hard learning zone’ as they progress throughout the week. As a part of the design, you can also offer rest stops (brain breaks), teacher check-ins, whole class or individual work sprints and even ‘rabbit hole’ deliberate detours. From a student perspective, they receive a mission and a timeframe and they then can explore the map and embark on their own learning journey to achieve at their own pace - even potentially reordering activities to suit themselves.

In a workshop (as well as in a classroom) context, learning quests can be a fun way to differentiate by skill level. If you are tired or your brain is at capacity, we recommend you rest here at this resting spot - but if you are an expert adventurer ready for something more challenging, then let’s keep going to explore this peak and see what’s on the other side…

From a facilitation standpoint, the quest makes differentiation and agentic (choice, pace and voice in learning) learning easier to implement. Tied to journeying metaphors, setting quests can give you a framework to leave people at different spots along the way - and it can provide a way to consciously go back to pick them all up later. Even when traveling on different paths, learners can all still arrive at the final destination to debrief.

In a recent workshop, I provided a metaphorical road with pictures as a map or quest for the day. Each icon on the side of the road was a reminder for me to ‘cover’ a key element - and like a tour guide pointing at things as we pass them by, it served extremely well as a visual checklist. Participants liked how they could ‘see’ where their learning was going, as well as where breaks etc were going to be. (Every person ever wants to know when morning tea and lunch times will be…).

Another case study from 2023 was experimenting with a Social Studies class (year 10) and gently scaffolding them into doing week-long quests. In the beginning a single lesson quest felt new and was a different style of learning than what they were used to (they were used to more teacher-directed and synchronous learning). It was so rewarding when I eventually could provide the class with a mission on a Monday and then see them working on different tasks throughout the week to complete the quest. The ‘whole class quiz’ was clearly marked on the map so that they knew we would join together for one session - but the rest of the time they worked independently while I tracked their progress in real time (hanging out and working with them around the room) as well utilising on an online tracking system where the students coloured in a cell of a spreadsheet when each task was completed. Students knew what they had to do for the week and just arrived and continued where they had left off.

New technologies are only going to make it easier to create meaningful learning quests. Some tools that I’ve had a lot of fun playing with this year are: Padlet (I love the gifs personally and the ‘shelf’ layout with clear headings makes it easy for learners to navigate), Canva (for map design and journey metaphor making), Miro (or any other expansive whiteboard tool), and Jamboard (for scratch off interactivity and asynchronous brainstorming). But the process of delivering a learning quest doesn’t have to be digital - I’ve just enjoyed playing with how different tools can be used together to enhance engagement and self-directed learning.

Quest setting isn’t new - here is a useful article with some other tool recommendations as well as a reiteration of the usefulness of the ‘side quest’ for fast finishers or more able learners. Quests can also be leveled up by adding an edularp element and here are some more ideas.

This is an example of one of the first quests I set. This image was supported with hyperlinked resources that ended in a game design formative assessment. Note the ‘time out to read the news’ pit stop - feeding into awareness of current affairs for the weekly quiz.

Quests don’t need to be fancy infographics. Successful workshop quests can easily be run with a handy whiteboard marker and a drawing of a learning pit or road map on the board. Add some symbols for key learning and places to ‘check off’ before coming out the other side and ‘hey presto!’ you have a simple learning quest to play with.

Quest setting is an invitation to reimagine education as an adventure. Workshops and learning experiences can be so much more than passive sessions and when teacher-centric facilitation is omitted, learners end up with more one-on-one support. A quest-setting approach gives participants an opportunity to become active protagonists in their own learning odyssey. Why not let learners choose their own adventure?

P.S. If you're looking for support to design a quest, someone to deliver an immersive story-based learning experience, or to help you to reimagine your existing content as a captivating quest, I’m just an email away.

The Kaizen Classroom - Teach, Tweak, Repeat.

One small tweak here, one small tweak there - imagine the difference that you might make over the course of a day, a week, a term… a year?

While designing some ‘stacking starter’ activities this year, I have been thinking about how the first five minutes of a class are the ‘golden moment’ to set the tone of the class, invite them into the learning and engage with the content. If you think about our students as users and apply some UX (user experience design), we need to be mindful that they have been tuned in to different teachers and different environments in a fairly relentless cycle before they get to us. So what can we do to make it welcoming, engaging, and exciting? I have been thinking about this a lot - and beyond the first five minutes and the great power of an effective starter - the answer can be found in Kaizen.

Kaizen is the Japanese art of continuous improvement. James Clear talks about a version of it through a different lens when he writes about habit stacking (stacking a new habit onto another once the previous one is ingrained) in Atomic Habits and I think that habit stacking AND constant tweaking to seek continuous improvement has enormous potential in the classroom.

This term my focus has been on the ‘first five’ of classroom culture. Embracing the ‘DO NOW’, I have been playing with this space as a place to explore literacy (word games), ignite problem-solving and critical thinking (puzzles or problems to figure out as they come in), retention strategies (list five key words from last lesson), Agency (choose from the choice board) and journaling opportunities. I have used it as a space for agency with ‘This or That’ frames and as a place to specifically target 21st Century Skills and learning dispositions that sit ‘beside’ current learning objectives. So what does Kaizen have to do with it?

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, finding effective ways to enhance teaching methods and empower students is a perpetual goal. And as a perpetual goal, we need to be agile and constantly shifting in order to meet it effectively. Kaizen - the Japanese term that translates to "continuous improvement," is a way to think about what we are doing as a process and not a product. It is a useful way to think about how we can constantly tweak the dynamics of our learning environments. Teach. Tweak. Repeat. It even has a fun ring to it.

At the heart, Kaizen is the belief that small, incremental changes can lead to significant improvements over time. Similar to habit stacking (This is adding a new habit to an existing habit - like listening to a podcast while driving to work since driving to work is an existing habit and listening to a podcast is the new desired habit we ‘stack’ onto it), tiny wins can result in large victories over time. In the context of education, this means continually seeking ways to refine the way we deliver, present, and reflect on the ‘glorious messiness’ of teaching and learning.

The Kaizen Classroom - Key Steps:

1. Embrace a Growth Mindset:

   • If you try something once and fail that does not mean that it will never work. A growth mindset helps us to think about what the students were carrying with them into the lesson, what we (we are not devoid of our own baggage) were carrying into the lesson, and realising that a single attempt is not a finite attempt nor is it the end product. As teachers, we need to have a growth mindset and model as well as encourage the belief that intelligence and abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work and, in this case, reflective iteration.

2. Continuous Self-Reflection:

   • I have a ‘plus-minus interesting’ reflection log that I have been keeping in my planning book. I jokingly refer to it as ‘Tragedy/Comedy’ sometimes (Have you seen that Will Ferrel film Stranger than Fiction? It is one of my favourite films). I regularly reflect on what worked and didn’t work and look for ways to shift and change my delivery. Was it too hard? Was it too easy? Were the instructions unclear? Was my technology choice fit for purpose? I am never afraid to ask the students what they need more of or less of and to really tune in to what they tell me. Regular reflection on teaching methods and outcomes allows us to figure out small things we might change when we try again. (Notice - we - not me). We can identify areas to refine and improve, and be open to growing - even if it still doesn’t work in round two.

3. Small, Gradual Changes:

   • It takes a long time to turn a large ship. If we think about how students have experienced school, how they have experienced the world and what their expectations are for what learning should ‘look like’ - we would be unwise to give them too much to chew on for fear they might choke. Having said that, they can eat larger and larger pieces gradually. In a year 10 class (over a term) we have gone from the students ‘doing nothing’ when coming in to jumping straight in, knowing what they are learning and where they are up to, following a weekly quest (a map I make for them each week) and working collaboratively to find out about questions as they come up. This is a big win - but it wouldn’t be there without nine weeks of incremental baby steps. Over these nine weeks I have gradually released their expectation of me as ‘sage on stage’ and taught them the skills they need to navigate ‘trickier’ and ‘unchartered’ learning experiences. If we avoid drastic overhauls and instead focus on small, manageable adjustments, we can make meaningful change happen. Incremental changes applied carefully can lead to lasting improvements.

4. Student-Centric Approach:

   • An exit ticket that requires a bit of bravery to administer is, ‘What do you want less of?’ Asking students how learning has been/is going for them is vital for successful iteration. Is this map working for you? Do you think these instructions could be clearer? Would you prefer to be quizzed at the beginning or end of the week? Students are the end users of our learning design and we can tailor our teaching strategies to meet the diverse needs and learning styles of all students - even if it is just one baby step at a time. Kaizen helps us to deliver tiny improvements for every student.

5. Data-Driven Decision-Making:

   • Iterations can also target success criteria. Recently, a student told me that he couldn’t prepare for the Current Affairs Quiz each week because he didn’t have time to read the news. A tiny tweak to my planning now includes ‘news time’ to read the headlines as a starter activity (that golden first five). To top it off, this tiny tweak has prompted me to think about how I can offer a ‘media smorgasbord’ to gently push students to consider different sources of news. I am looking forward to sharing Future Crunch with them (an optimist’s news feed) and slipping in some lateral research skills. My next ‘This or That’ for them may now be ‘read the headlines’ but with the choices of two different global news websites or obviously biased sources. We can utilise data (like a student underperforming in a current affairs quiz) to inform the next incremental tweak to our teaching practice. Tiny weeny eeny meeny adjustments every day can lead to improved outcomes over time. Just because we plan something one way doesn’t mean it can’t be tweaked in the process of delivery in order to be more responsive.

6. Culture of Collaboration:

   • For Kaizen to have the most Bang for Buck, we should all be talking about what we are trying, what we are tweaking and what we are failing at. I love sharing ideas in the classroom and love the stories of things that haven’t worked as much just as much as I love hearing about techniques that have worked. Teach, tweak, repeat - imagine if we all shared our wins and losses with each other and how much faster our strength as a collective might grow. Effective communication and a culture of collaboration amongst staff can amplify the impact of Kaizen in the classroom to become a genuine culture of learning and innovation beyond single cell iterations.

Most measuring sticks are divided by little steps. We can learn from them too. Inch by inch…

Here are some ways that Kaizen can be used in teaching:

1. Lesson Planning: We can add tiny updates to incorporate new ideas, technologies, and teaching methods. What if we tried ‘one new thing’ each week?

2. Feedback Loops: How are we getting student voice regularly? We might tweak how we get feedback so that we can be more responsive to students’ experiences.

3. Professional Development: Kaizen also applies to professional development. Though perhaps not daily, - monthly, termly or annual reviews of practice can promote a culture of continuous improvement. Need someone? (Hello! Pick me!)

4. Classroom Environment: Make a tweak to the classroom environment or staff room each week. It could be a new quote for the wall, a new display or a new way of sharing learning outcomes. Small wins add up.

5. Target the first five: Like my examples above, maybe the first five minutes is a worthy space to focus your energy.

I have touched on the benefits of a Kaizen Classroom - and in a nutshell - the Kaizen Classroom is the belief that small wins can lead to big victories over time. Whether it is improved engagement, streamlined ‘openers’, less time wasted in transitions, more engagement and buy-in with assessments or better relationships - Kaizen is being responsive, adaptive and reflective in the pursuit of doing things better.

The journey of education is just as important as the destination. If it doesn’t work the first time, tweak it. Try again. Tweak it. Try again. Twerk it. Work it. Repeat. (Deliberate typo for fun). If we apply Kaizen principles to teaching, we are never settling for ‘this is how it is because it has always been like this’. No. We can do better. We can not only transform our classrooms one baby step at a time but we can also shape a brighter, bolder, braver future. What little thing might you do differently?

The Teaching Tree - Dive into the Archive

I have been happily blogging on my Wordpress ‘Teaching Tree’ Blog for years and, even though Squarespace says that I can import all of my content across to this website, I am yet to figure it out.

In the interim, this is a ‘satisficing’ measure - this blog can be window to all of the blogging and writing I have been doing over on my theteachingtree.blog

On my blog, you can find teaching tips and tricks, reflections on what works or why we need to try harder to make things work, general musings on pedagogy, poetry, an education manifesto and more.

This content is in the magic portal on its way over to this website but the time-space-time-life-reality continuum may cause some delays.