Off Road But On Track

Howard Sharron explores this motor sports route to acquiring high level problem-solving skills.

Back at base, the motorsport teams were a little disheartened. The constructors in the gruelling 4×4 Jaguar Rover Challenge trials had failed to secure a place in the world finals, even though at regional level they had won Best Innovative Car Design and Best Engineered Car. To come away empty handed after that was tough!

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      string(243) "Rather than just address STEM teaching as discrete subjects, primary and secondary schools would do well embed it within an engineering curriculum focused on the problem-solving orientations of engineers, suggests Bill Lucas."
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      string(357) "... solving  habits of mind typically found in top engineers was more important to prioritise than the set of subjects typically associated with engineering, such as maths, physics and design and technology. One of the most effective ways of developing young engineers in schools is a playful experimentation with the use ..."
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      string(5734) "Earlier this year, with my colleagues at the universities of Winchester and Manchester, I published the results of a two-year research project, which we believe has profound implications for the curriculum at all levels within the education system. Although it addressed a particular problem, our inability to create, as a nation, enough high-powered engineers, the report  Learning to be an Engineer: implications for the education system,  found that  a new reframing of the curriculum in terms of set of problem-solving  habits of mind typically found in top engineers was more important to prioritise than the set of subjects typically associated with engineering, such as maths, physics and design and technology. One of the most effective ways of developing young engineers in schools is a playful experimentation with the use of authentic design processes, a kind of problem-based learning. For the teachers involved, it became obvious that, not only could they deepen their pupils’ knowledge, they could also teach in a way that was engaging, creative and likely to develop young engineers.  Rethinking pedagogyCentre for Real-World Learning’s Model of Engineering Habits of MindThe teachers taking part in our research realised that teaching engineering, like developing creativity, depends at least as much on experimentation and imagination as it does on subject knowledge. They drew on three ‘signature pedagogies’2 – the engineering design process, playful experimentation and authentic engagement with engineers. The signature pedagogies – teaching and learning methods – were selected as those most likely to help pupils think like engineers.Gomer Junior School in Hampshire, for example, introduced engineering sessions in every year group each Thursday  morning from 09.00-12.00. The sessions integrated maths, literacy, science and IT with the aim of motivating learners and fostering understanding of real-world applications of STEM subjects by experiencing hands-on activities, such as The Space Race project featuring Tim Peake’s Principia Mission3,  and involved programming Crumble-controlled moon buggies.  Underpinning their teaching and learning was a version of the engineering design process, the STEM Wheel. STEM WheelBy contrast, Medway University Technical College (UTC) in Kent focused on raising awareness among staff and students about the six engineering habits of mind, their usefulness and ways of integrating them into the curriculum. Whole-school assemblies were organised around each habit of mind and icons for use on posters and rewards postcards were created. The systems thinking one is shown  below.The popular ‘Be Like Bill’ social media meme (above) was also adapted to explain the meaning of each engineering habit of mind, in this case problem-finding.Medway UTC’s strategies to cultivate awareness of EHoM had an important impact on those teachers in subjects such as art and English, who felt much more included in the overall engineering mission of the school.Some possible problems with problem-based learningThe teachers were, in essence, using a set of approaches associated with the approach known as problem-based learning (PBL). PBL is a hands-on method of teaching which focuses on messy, real-world problems and encourages students to explore these in depth and over time. Interestingly, PBL produces negative reactions from some researchers and, in the second part of this article, I explore some of these and offer some counter arguments.1. Constructivist teaching which allows pupils to explore problems in less structured ways is not as effective as direct instruction.An example of such a critique is a paper by Paul Kirschner, John Sweller and Richard Clark. The first part of the title of the article suggests their line of argument – Why minimal guidance during instruction does not work: An analysis of the failure of constructivist, discovery, problem-based, experiential, and inquiry-based teaching4 Kirschner and his colleagues draw on thinking about working memory and about the acquisition of expertise. They are right to remind us that novices and intermediate learners often need specific instruction to master core concepts and key skills, but they fail to ask a more fundamental question  about the learning outcomes which are desired by teachers. Obviously, young engineers, for example, need to have some mathematical and scientific knowledge, but they also need to be able to apply this in the real world. PBL was invented by those training doctors who had become concerned that trainees had good knowledge, but little ability to put this into practice with patients. There is now a journal devoted to understanding PBL with rigour and subtlety5 and, from meta-analytical research, it is possible to understand its application a much more nuanced way. PBL does not have to be a binary alternative to direct instruction, nor was it in our engineering research. Rather, it can be combined with moments of didactic input as required. By the same token, the idea of ‘minimal instruction’ forces some unhelpful binary thinking about the nature of learning when, in reality, structures such as the engineering design process, when well used, bring structure to pupils’ enquiries.2. 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Leadership

Engineering a new curriculum

26 Sep 2017

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      string(5739) "thinking. Still, despite all the advice and programmes available, teachers are still trying to understand what mastery means. This has been complicated by the term being used across the curriculum which has led to a range of conceptualisations and the whole notion of mastery has now, for some, been debased. The challenges are significant and ASCL have identified a number of barriers that currently prevent schools from adopting mastery learning models:The conflation of different ideas, expressed under the same umbrella term of ‘mastery,’ has made it difficult for people to understand what exactly ‘mastery learning’ really is.There is currently a dearth of training available to teachers and school leaders and, where it is available, the provider is unlikely to distinguish what they mean by mastery in contrast to the alternatives.The curriculum re-design required to move from a spiral model to a mastery model is significant.The change in curriculum can mean re-inventing resources which can cause a substantial amount of work for teachers.At least at secondary level, pre-existing textbooks that follow a mastery model are difficult to find.The change in the philosophy underpinning a curriculum’s design is likely also to require a different approach to assessment.For further information then please see: www.ascl.org.uk/help-and-advice/guidance-papers/ascl-guidance-mathematics-teaching-for-mastery.htmlJust good teachingMastery has a certain aura to it along Kung-Fu lines and can come across as being quite mysterious and exotic but in essence, mastery is high quality maths teaching supporting all pupils to achieve age-related expectations. Problem-solving is integral to mastery, it aims for fluency with understanding and supports the development of mathematical reasoning. This is maths taught in a powerful and potent way.It is characterised by the following: class working together on the same topicchallenge provided by going deeper not acceleratingteaching is focused, rigorous and thoroughspeedy teacher intervention to prevent gapsmore time on teaching topics – depth and practicecarefully crafted lesson design – scaffoldingengaging pupils in reasoning When whittled down to the essentials we can see that mastery isn’t ‘new’ or even revolutionary as teachers with 10,000 hours under their belts will tell you – it’s a way of teaching maths that has come back into fashion and many teachers will instantly recognise as their own brand of natural teaching. Arguably, the mastery way isn’t something that has come full circle but something that teachers are doing all the time anyway. The National Association of Mathematics Advisors (2015) note,..”mastery in mathematics involves a commitment that all children can and will achieve; teaching less but in more depth and effective questioning to root out misconceptions and rapidly address these. We would argue that these practices are evidence of good teaching and are not solely attached to one approach.”    Depth, not acceleration and good use of models and images is key but the bottom line is great teaching and deep subject knowledge where teachers follow a lesson structure of exploration, clarification, practice, extension and review.And finally….The DfE have trained 280 mastery specialists and by 2020 they want to have another 700 specialists to train other teachers. More mastery teachers in the system can only be a good thing but this doesn’t make them master teachers. It is excellent teaching that produces successful maths learning and this is a complex cocktail of knowledge and understanding of many approaches not just the mastery way. Have we been hoodwinked into trying something that doesn’t fit? Is East Asian mastery a transferrable method?  We need to proceed with caution and whether mastery ‘works’ is hard to pin down because we need more evidence of its long-term impact over several years after teachers have had more experience of the approach. Mastery as a concept has now gained wide currency but there are competing interpretations and there isn’t a common understanding of an overall approach and so the existence of a single definition is a myth. 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For information on the King Solomon/Ark approach see www.mathematicsmastery.orgWhether the mastery approach is for your school or not is a big decision that needs to be informed from many sources. What we really need is a national study to investigate the effects of maths"
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Leadership

Maths Mastery – Is It Just Another Fad?

7 Nov 2017

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      string(341) "... 2 approach asillustrated. (Fig 9)Western Australia (WA)Over the past decade this State has invested heavily innew schools at a very premium standard of design andconstruction.  Taking a lead perhaps from the UK it hasjust developed an architectural design panel of pre-selected superior school designers to plan its ..."
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      string(5667) "other subjects.Fig 5: Excerpt from the LSF Planning and Design Guidelines53www.century21schools.com   International View Summer 2006  Century 21 SchoolsThe Australian Capital TerritoryProbably one of the most interesting developmentsis Lake Tuggeranong College (www.ltc.act.edu.au).(Fig7) This is one of only a few fully integrated collegeswith the community, boasting a range of facilitiesincluding (in addition to the usual school facilities):n a theatre in the round seating 270 peoplen state of the art sound and lighting facilitiesn drama, dance, ceramics, and photography studiosn an 80 seat lecture theatren industry quality media and multimedia facilitiesn a large well equipped gymnasium, sportingfacilitiesn a joint use Libraryn the solar vehicle workshopn a student loungen a canteen, table tennis facilities, play station andvideo game machinesFig 6: Mentone Girls’ Grammer School – Middle SchoolFig 7: Lake Tuggeranoug College54 Century 21 Schools  Summer 2006International View  www.century21schools.comSouth Australia (SA)Very little has moved in SA in the past decade, followinga significant push in the 1990’s into growth areas inthe north and south of the city with a number of newcollocated initiatives.  However, two innovative schoolshave been developed recently – the Mawson LakesPrimary School (Fig 8) and The Australian Science andMathematics School (ASMS, 2006).This ASMS, completed in 2003, was conceived as ascience and mathematics school focus for the senior(10-12) years within the campus of Flinders Universityin Adelaide, South Australia.  The school fostersprofessional relationships with the Schools of Educationand Science and also Engineering at Flinders University,the Professional Teachers Associations and theCurriculum Policy Directorate with the SA governmentDepartment of Education and Children’s Services.  Itsmain aim is to provide leadership in re-generating theteaching of maths and science and makes extensive useof ‘best available resources’, particularly ICT.It does so through teachers visiting the complex toexperience new approaches to pedagogy as well asthrough the out reach and on-line programs developedby the school.  The curriculum was developed within aseries of “BIG IDEAS” rather than traditional subjects,based on learning in the workplace, community andthe university.  It challenges preconceptions of scienceand mathematics teaching through a number ofprinciples.The ASMS encourages learning and problemsolving within individual and group contexts, throughcollaborative working relationships and flexible teachingand learning groups.  It develops individual learning plans,containing multiple entry points and pathways, fosteredby teacher and student interests, producing a wider anddeeper understanding.  It ‘repackages knowledge tocreate new understandings to meet the complexitiesof the modern world’.  It also promotes interdisciplinarylife and learning, through collaboration in theoretical,conceptual and practical knowledge from various fieldsof study.  It also takes an interdisciplinary approach tocurriculum design, teaching and learning, supportingan ‘inquiry’ approach and ‘constructivist’ learning.  Tosupport this pedagogical strategy, the floorplan has noclassrooms and is based around a Mode 2 approach asillustrated. (Fig 9)Western Australia (WA)Over the past decade this State has invested heavily innew schools at a very premium standard of design andconstruction.  Taking a lead perhaps from the UK it hasjust developed an architectural design panel of pre-selected superior school designers to plan its next roundof schools.  It, too, has explored flexible and collaborativelearning and is doing away with the traditional mode 1classroom in its high schools and senior colleges.Canning Vale (Fig10) Mindarie and Kinross Collegeare visited by teachers, facility managers and architectsfrom across Australia (as is the ASMS). They havecome at a premium cost which the WA Government isprepared to underwrite to provide premium facilitiesin its public school system to effectively compete withthe comparatively well-funded private school sector asnoted earlier.Fig 8: Mawson Lakes Primary School55www.century21schools.com   International View Summer 2006  Century 21 SchoolsFig 9: ASMS Mode, 2 approachFig 10: Canning Vale High School56 Century 21 Schools  Summer 2006International View  www.century21schools.comn The Australian Science and Mathematics School(ASMS) 2006http://www.asms.sa.edu.au/modules/news/n Australian Government’s Department ofEducation, Science and Training 2006,http://www.dest.gov.aun Fisher, K. ‘Designs for Learning in theKnowledge Age’, Lead Article in SA ArchitectureMagazine, Educational Architecture FeatureJournal, March 2003n Gibbons. M., Limoges. C., Nowotny. H.,Schwartzman. S., Scott. P. & Trow. M., 1994, Thenew production of knowledge – the dynamicsof science & research in contemporary societies.SAGE Publications Ltd, London UK.n Gardner, 1999.  Intelligence Reframed. Multipleintelligences for the 21st century, New York: BasicBooksn NAEYC, National Association for the Educationof Young Children, 1996n NSW Teachers Union, 2006http://www.nswtf.org.au/edu_online/70/tworound.htmln Queensland Department of Education andTraining (Qsld DET) 2005,http://education.qld.gov.au/smartclassrooms/index.htmln Southbank 2005,http://www.southbank.tafe.net/site/epicentre/n Victoria Department of Education and Training(Vic DET) 2006, http://www.det.vic.gov.au/det/resources/blueprint.htm   Selected ReferencesThe FutureNo-one can really say"
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Learning Spaces

Australian Trends in School Planning & Design

22 Sep 2009

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      string(5649) "When embarking on a new stage of schooling, each student brings with them a different experience of what learning looks like and feels like, often reinforced by their experiences – sometimes positive and contributing towards the development of a confident and competent learner, but other times negative, which can leave learners feeling overwhelmed, anxious or despondent. Hyerle and Alper state that, ‘Thinking Maps serve as a device for mediating thinking, listening, speaking, reading, writing, problem solving, and acquiring new knowledge’ and for our Trust schools, these visual representations provide a ‘portal’ into the thinking that is taking place in the heads of our students and a language to communicate it.1 The infusion of Hyerle’s Thinking Maps across the whole curriculum has provided our students with a method to sort and present information, providing a rich vocabulary to express and discuss their ideas in relation to the content they are studying and their underlying thinking.The Thinking Maps as designed by Dr David Hyerle  Thinking Map  Thinking Process Circle MapDefining in contextTree MapClassifyingBubble MapDescribingDouble Bubble MapComparing and contrastingFlow MapSequencingMulti-Flow MapCauses and effectsBrace MapIdentifying whole/part releastionshipsBridge MapSeeing analogiesVisual structures are nothing new – long have Venn diagrams, spider diagrams and other graphic organisers been in use in education, but within our Trust this has been developed into a shared common language across all subjects and key stages that is improving our students’ confidence and competence in their learning. The Trust is composed of fourteen schools, ranging from single-sex grammars and mixed high schools to infant schools, all across a quickly expanding geographical area. Our secondary schools have seen real improvements in attainment since joining the Trust: on average the Progress 8 score for 2017 was 0.68, and throughout this time we have been keen to attempt to assess the potential impact of the Thinking Maps as a possible contributor to these improvements in learning outcomes.Despite the differing contextual demands, for both staff and students, the Maps have provided a strategy for handling the curriculum content in a way that enables students to form meaningful links to previous learning and structure their work in a digestible format. The simple and easy-to-recall visual representations are used often to support the activation of prior knowledge before learning a new concept, during learning episodes and also keenly as after lessons to review, assess or summarise understanding. In our secondary schools we have found, especially for younger secondary students, the levels of confidence relating to learning new content has increased, as has the quality of students’ metacognition when talking about their learning. By the end of Year 7, students are already more articulate when discussing their thinking – not just in terms of content that they do and don’t understand, but also in how they came to reach their answers, plan their approaches to solving problems and modify their strategies depending on how successful they are. In order to reap these benefits, all students and staff have been explicitly taught the ‘conventions’ of each Map with some theoretical underpinning, provided with examples of application and then guided to design their own examples to specific content, through a formal induction programme. Cross-Trust training for staff enables a richer professional dialogue, enabling staff to discuss applications into their own varying contexts. The shared language also allows more opportunities for cross-curricular sharing, breaking down barriers between subjects and increasing awareness of the similar types of thinking needed in each subject, e.g. a Flow Map might be used in Maths to solve an equation, while this ‘thinking process’ is also useful in PE to illustrate the stages of throwing a javelin.The application of a Map to a task is not arbitrary – each Map links to a specific thinking process which is informed by the nature of a specific task, for example in English, being able to compare and contrast two characters using specific terminology could be supported by the use of a double bubble map. All learners within the class might use a ‘double bubble’ to share their ideas, but the task might be differentiated through the application of a relevant ‘Frame of Reference’. These frames add a level of teacher and student flexibility to the highly structured Maps, which otherwise might be interpreted as being too limited. Our students have described through self-report questionnaires and informal focus group interviews that the use of a Map is more useful than other methods, such as bullet point note taking – they feel encouraged to provide more relevant points because of the nature of the Map. In the case of a Double Bubble, it is not as restrictive as a Venn diagram so they often want to try to look for additional information to add to their Map. Older students have also commented that the Maps encourage them to think deeply about the points they make through the reflective or higher order questioning within the frame. Students now think more critically about the information they present, with some developing deeper understanding and investing more time in their interrogations, which can often lead to better recall of the information at a later date. Our most recent secondary school data from the Trust, produced"
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Leadership

Mapping Thinking Across a Trust

13 Nov 2018