Virtual Reality Learning
Virtual Reality Learning: A Technological Innovation for Education When it comes to classroom study, learning processes are constantly evolving and new developments in technology means that many education practices can be eased through these new innovations. One particular technology which has been changing the face of education and improving learning methods lately is Virtual Reality technology. Having progressed significantly since it first came into existence in 2015, Virtual Reality technology within the classroom is helping to enhance interactive learning, encourage more visualisation, as well as promoting self-learning methods and group interaction. Amongst other technological innovations, VR in education has proved to be one of the most effective learning tools within the classroom. With the development of Virtual Reality, then came along Augmented Reality which created a whole range of new opportunities within the classroom and exciting learning possibilities for both students and teachers. AR in education helps to bridge the real and digital world – it helps to encourage the students to actually become part of the information, as well as letting them literally see what they’re learning right in front of them. There’s VR learning and AR learning, and then there’s the VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) which essentially combines both Virtual Reality technology and Augmented Reality technology. This programme and type of learning specifically focuses on cognitive development for students. This includes – language development, numerical understanding, comprehensive improvement, strengthening concept development and engagement within the classroom. If you’ve not heard of the Virtual Learning Environment, or Virtual Reality technology for that matter, then you’re probably wondering what it involves and how it compares to the traditional classroom. The traditional classroom focuses on textbook reading and instructional method of study which results in less comprehension and less engagement within the classroom. The virtual classroom is much more engaging and helps to keep students more interested with simulated people, objects and environments which appear very life-like. With VR headsets and a 360 degree view, the students get to experience the events as they are happening. Modern education really hones in on the element of interactive learning and device-based learning. The Virtual Learning Environment really helps with this, as well as promoting more visualisation and engagement within the classroom. To help you visualise the benefits of VR and Realtime Virtuality, the guys over at Essay Writing Service UK have designed an animated infographic below. The gifographic pinpoints the benefits of the Virtual Classroom, the main differences between the traditional classroom and the virtual classroom, as well as lots of information around the Virtual Learning Environment – a programme which many schools are now thinking of implementing within their curriculum or have already started to implement it. Are you a student? Are you a teacher? We’d love to get your thoughts on technology in education and whether you think that Virtual Reality technology is a great learning tool…
New report warns of damaging accountability system for schools
A former Number 10 adviser and education chief at the RSA has warned that English schools are being damaged by common practices that are of little value to students. The Ideal School Exhibition is an essay penned by Julian Astle, which reveals that schools are dicing with students’ futures by scrambling to achieve the best league table results. This essay is a result of Astle’s search for inspiring “mission-led” schools that are bucking a growing trend of schools hollowing out their teaching in a bid to meet the constantly shifting demands of the government’s accountability system. These issues include: Narrowing the curriculum – particularly as pupils approach primary school SATs and GCSEs, when schools increasingly focus their time, energy and resources only on those subjects that will affect their league table position. ‘Teaching-to-the-test’ – the practice whereby schools drill pupils in the tactics and techniques of exam taking, and focus their instruction on the specific demands of the test and the mark scheme. This not only turns young people off learning but which generates superficial, temporary and illusory educational gains. Gaming – particularly the practices of manipulating the admissions and exclusions system to attract high-performing students and remove low-performing pupils. Also of entering large numbers of pupils for easy-to-obtain qualifications of little interest or value to the learner. Julian said: “Having worked at the centre of government, I know that the architects of England’s school accountability system are motivated by the best of intentions: to expose serious under-performance and raise standards. “But as the grip of that system has tightened over the last 25 years, and the catalogue of unintended consequences and perverse incentives has grown ever longer, it is hard to not to conclude that the costs now outweigh the benefits. We have reached that critical point where positive change becomes possible – where the risks of inaction are higher than the risks of reform. “The RSA calls on everyone who recognises the importance of assessment and accountability, but who shares our concerns that the system as currently designed is damaging children’s education, to join the debate about how to reform that system for the better.” To tackle these problems, Astle recommends: Training teachers in the use and misuse of assessment to develop a deeper understanding within the profession of how teaching-to-the-test impedes, rather than supports, learning. Making explicit Ofsted’s emerging role as: the guardian of a broad and balanced curriculum; a counterbalance to the pressures of the DfE’s numbers-based accountability system; and the body mandated and expected to referee the ‘game’, looking not only at what schools achieve, but how they achieve it. Withdrawing the ‘right’ for schools to act as their own admissions authority, and engaging with the RSA’s proposed Commission on School Admissions to ensure that the ‘low road to school improvement’ (manipulating the admissions system rather than improving teaching) is permanently closed. Abolishing the Ofsted ‘outstanding’ category and handing the definition of excellence back to the profession. Ofsted should play a role more akin to the ‘Food Standards Agency’ than ‘restaurant critic’, focusing solely on identifying serious underperformance. As the government and the inspectorate step back, so teachers, coming together through bodies like researchED and the Chartered College of Teaching, should step up, ensuring that research, collaboration and evidence-led practice drive-up standards. Creating a contestable ‘middle-tier’ to ensure that every school – particularly struggling or isolated schools without a high-performing local authority or Multi-Academy Trust behind them – is provided with timely and effective external challenge and support, with middle-tier bodies that cannot demonstrate an ability to maintain or raise standards replaced by ones that can. The publication of The Ideal School Exhibition kick-starts the RSA’s work to unlock the potential of an overworked teaching profession, and to get our schools focused on the pivotal relationship at the heart of teaching: between the teacher, the pupil and the text – the real substance of education. The essay will be launched today [16 November] in central London, with speakers including: David Laws, former schools minister, now executive chairman, Education Policy Institute; Daisy Christodoulou, director of education, No More Marking; Peter Hyman, co-founder and executive headteacher, School 21; Julian Astle, director of creative learning and development, RSA. David Laws, former schools minister and now executive chairman, Education Policy Institute, said: “Anyone who cares about the quality of the education England’s school children are receiving would do well to consider the warnings contained in this thoughtful essay. Ensuring the accountability system creates the right incentives, and drives the right behaviours, is a key priority.” Daisy Christodoulou, education director of No More Marking, added: “Exams are only an indirect measure of academic achievement, which means it is possible for them to be gamed and manipulated in such a way that they lose their original meaning. This report makes some vitally important points about why this is so damaging, and why the pursuit of exam results and accountability metrics therefore has to be informed by an understanding of the curriculum, and of what it means to master a subject.” Read more from QA Education:
The Importance of Hands on Learning in Schools
Alex Dalton, Managing Director of woodworking machinery specialists Daltons Wadkin, takes a look at the importance of hands on learning, and why subjects such as Design and Technology are important. I think the best example to outline why hands on learning is hugely important is when trying to teach someone to ride a bicycle. You can try and teach them in a classroom, but to actually learn, they should go out and actually ride it. There is the argument that learning from books or academics is the best way to learn, however you can’t ride a bike from reading a book, no matter the number of books you read about cycling, you are still likely to fall off the first time you try! So it is clear that certain situations that hands on learning is vital. It is often hard to properly understand something you have never experienced. This is why hands-on learning is so important in education – there are now more vocational courses that provide more work based experiences than ever before. Hands-on learning allows students to directly take on board and understand what is happening, or how to do something. This is a particularly successful way to teach kinestheticlearners, who learn best by example. However, classes such as art, music, woodworking and mechanics are few and far between these days, which is a shame. This types of classes provide important avenues for both education and career success, not to mention they motivate kids who love hands-on activities to remain interested in coming to school and learning. They also teach practical problem solving, and introduce students to highly skilled trades. Subjects such as Design and Technology (D&T) incorporate many aspects of hands on learning, and give children the opportunity to develop skills, knowledge and understanding of designing and making functional products. D&T is often a misunderstood and misrepresented subject. For many people, including employers and parents, it is still perceived as the subject they probably studied when they were at school, i.e. woodwork or metalwork. But it is vital that pupils develop an understanding of aesthetics and its role in the design of everyday items and architecture, as well as developing communication skills through designing and group work. In reality, it helps to put the T and E into STEM, and does so within school curriculum time, not as part of extra-curricular, enhancement and enrichment activities. We feel it is vital to nurture creativity and innovation through design, and by exploring the world in which we all live and work. The design process is central to project work and as a method of problem solving. It is the act of generating, developing and communicating ideas for products, services, systems andenvironments. Hugely important in responding to user needs and wants and/or market opportunities. Both digital and traditional design tools may be used. Addressing needs though this problem-solving, creativity bounded by constraints and combined with hands-on practical manufacture are the fundamental skills of an industrial economy. Lastly, there is a huge shortage in this country of people to fill jobs in the highly skilled trades. There are many high paying jobs for auto mechanics, certified welders for the oil industry, electricians, and so on. These are jobs that are intellectually challenging, and offergreat job security. Long live Design and Technology!
Being a Primary Deputy Head, This Much I Know…
Laura Knight When I was 11 years old I knew that I wanted to be a primary school teacher. It wasn’t just the influence of having parents as teachers (they didn’t put me off!) I just knew that I liked doing pretty much everything. I loved learning and I loved the day-to-day variety of being busy doing different things at school. It’s this sense of being into ‘everything’ that has seen me progress from class teaching into my current role as a Deputy Headteacher. Being a Deputy Head is an ‘everything’ job. Teaching commitments aside, not that this is in any way a small part, the sheer range of tasks that a Deputy may be required to perform means that the role is a very unique one indeed. Spinning Plates The job title signposts that on some occasions, when the Headteacher is out, you have to do all of the things they do. And then some. I have worked with a number of Heads who say that the Deputy Head role is harder than their own. Whether this is accurate or not, it is certainly true that as a Deputy you have your fingers in a great many pies. First and foremost most Deputies teach! Teaching children and the reward you gain from watching them learn is central to why we do what we do. It’s what stands teaching apart from so many other run of the mill jobs. I no longer have a whole class teaching commitment. Instead I continue to interact with the children through cover, intervention groups and mentoring. Now the highlight of my day can follow a tentative knock on my office door, when a small person brings me their best work to celebrate. I know that when you are a Deputy, balancing fuller teaching responsibilities alongside your leadership role can be a demanding and challenging task. Maintaining high quality planning, preparation and marking whilst ensuring you fulfil other strategic and supporting roles as well as the day to day business of helping to lead the school can require skill, organisation and a persistent drive. In many schools it can be the Deputy Head who is on the ground, involved in developing effective practice, focussed on improving teaching and learning. As such, much of a Deputy’s time can be taken up with coaching, support and discussion. Working with staff can be as rewarding – and frustrating! – as working with the children. After the children the school’s greatest resource is the teaching staff and the relationship you develop with them is fundamental to the success and happiness of the school. I know that a crucial part of a Deputy, or any Senior Leader’s role, is nurturing the staff, training them and facilitating development opportunities and trusting people to do a great job. Taking the time to reflect upon and appreciate the positive impact you make as a Deputy is important whether that be with the progress children or other teachers make. “Have you got a minute?” ….And the answer, although sometimes I dearly wish to say ‘no, sorry’, is always ‘yes, of course.’ As a Deputy you find yourself in the middle of everything, the go-between, bridging the ‘gap’ between the teaching staff and the Head. This can be quite an interesting place to be to say the least. At times, in any school, hard questions have to be asked and you can find yourself having challenging conversations. Finding the best way to deliver a difficult message takes diplomacy and sensitivity, the more constructive you can be the better. Remembering to temper tough issues by reinforcing the positive and using praise can make the difference when trying to support others. Sometimes this can make you popular and sometimes, well, not so! You have to resolve yourself to the idea that you cannot always get everything right for all people but I know that you always need to have an open door, a box of tissues and a listening ear. I once worked with a Head who explained to me the 80:20 rule. In schools this translates to the way in which you spend 80% of your time focussed on 20% of children, staff or parents. For example I spend 80% of my time supporting 20% of our teachers, specifically the NQTs. Sometimes it means that I don’t always get to see all staff regularly and out of the classroom this can be quite isolating. Popping into classes, getting into the staffroom and being a presence around school or the playground can be important to ensure that you are accessible and approachable for all. The one person you can probably spend more time working with and have a far greater understanding of than anyone else in the building is the Headteacher. Now I have worked with many, many Heads in my career and they have all had their special foibles, talents and quirks. The reciprocal relationship between Head and Deputy is a distinctive partnership in any school. With a great Head you can learn what can make a really great school and be cultivated into a great senior leader yourself. The place of a Deputy Head to support and challenge the Head can also be an exceptional position to be in. And whilst you can be the buffer for the staff to share their worries with, it’s important that you and the Head are there to back each other up too. Relieving tension by having the occasional moan can be supportive, as can be finding things to laugh about. As a Deputy I know that from listening to woes, to answering questions, to sharing jokes and relaying tricky messages being a good communicator really helps. To do or not to do? Like many teachers I love a good to-do list – I have long handwritten ones, colour coded ones with deadlines on my iPad, collections of scribbled Post-it notes and even a bedside notebook or two. In truth, at my school, my Girl Scout preparedness and slightly OCD organisation is a cause for
Banish homework horrors: how to make homework meaningful and deepen learning
Plenty has been written about the horrors of homework. A negative impact on leisure time is high on the list of concerns, as is an uneven playing field, where some students benefit from more parental help or access to learning resources than others. Many students also find the marking process problematic as they are often left with little or no feedback on their work, or get a mark they don’t fully understand. But homework can no longer be seen a much maligned ‘add on’ to the school day. More complex curricula combined with new pedagogy like the flipped classroom, where rote material can be ingested at home, means that the work students do away from the classroom is crucial to their success. Homework also provides opportunities for reinforcement of work learned during school time and for children to develop their research skills. Students need to seek information for themselves and so are helped along the path to becoming independent learners, and the responsibility of meeting deadlines instills the discipline needed not just in the classroom, but all the way through life. Sam Blyth is director of schools at Canvas New technologies like Virtual Learning Environments have enabled a smooth transition between in-school and out-of-school work, and made homework more interactive, collaborative and fun. But technology alone won’t mitigate the stress and pressure that homework can bring. Online tools and access to technology must be coupled with a commitment from teachers to make homework as interesting and engaging as the work students complete in the classroom. By prioritising homework, students will feel more motivated working from home without a teacher’s supervision, and teachers will benefit from more engaged students who drive their own learning journey. As a result of countless conversations with teachers and parents, I’ve found that there are some basic things for schools to do to make homework more appealing and meaningful. These are: 1. Put kids in control of their learning Empowering students to learn independently, in a way that suits them, is motivational and inspiring. It’s crucial to give children the autonomy to influence their own path to knowledge, creating as much flexibility as possible within the constraints of curricula. Giving control to students isn’t the same as abdicating control of the classroom – but offering choices can motivate students to succeed. Give them a page of maths problems, but let them choose any ten to complete. If they usually do written book reports, allow students to write a traditional report, film a book review, or create a comic-book-style summary of the major events or themes. It can’t be done for every assignment, but why not try it occasionally? 2. Promote the use of digital tools and resources Banish the ‘dog ate my homework’ excuse forever by moving assignment delivery online. For students, Virtual Learning Environments facilitate access to engaging and compelling content. Using cloud-based solutions also means that students can access work from multiple devices, such as phones, tablets and laptops. For teachers the ability to track progress, or measure peer performance, in a centralised manner, allows them to spot trends or issues quickly and adapt teaching to fit students’ needs. Tracking progress is just as important for students as it is for teachers, seeing how they’re building knowledge shows children that the work they’re doing is paying off. Similarly, knowing what’s coming up builds interest and anticipation. Using self marking quizzes is another simple way to bring a fun ‘gamification’ element to the tuition. Going beyond the traditional curricula, and giving students the possibility to engage with each other in ways that are not associated with homework, often has a positive impact on students’ learning motivation. 3. Enable fast feedback and encourage sharing and teamwork By acknowledging and feeding back as quickly as possible, you’re telling the students you’ve seen their effort, which means their stress wasn’t all for nothing. Online forums enable two-way conversations with students and are a great way to give concrete feedback in an easy and accessible way. With Canvas, you can also give feedback via audio or video, which is a great way to personalise communication with students. Peer feedback is equally important. Teachers must enable a collaborative approach to learning by encouraging the sharing of work, feedback and ideas. When children feel that that what they are learning and producing will be shared and likely appreciated by others, they work hard to impress. Lastly, and too often ignored, is the process of self-evaluation. Encouraging children to ask ‘what did I learn here?’ and ‘how has this improved my knowledge?’ is key to ensuring they feel that the activities they have undertaken are worthwhile and part of a wider learning process. So three simple steps, but important ones. Following these methods will help to tackle the negative view of studying at home – promoting homework as both instructional and engaging; a crucial part of a student’s learning, leading to better outcomes for students and schools. https://www.canvasvle.co.uk/ Written by Sam Blyth the director of schools at Canvas.
RANDSTAD STUDENT SUPPORT PUTS SHROPSHIRE STUDENTS IN POLE POSITION
Randstad Student Support, a leading provider of learning support staff, has taken a group of 15 budding Formula 1 racing engineers to the Williams Martini Racing F1 Factory for a day of innovation, excitement and engineering insight. The lucky group from North Shropshire College included 14 students who fought off tough competition to win the trip, managing to take home the trophy in a competition hosted by Randstad Student Support at the Association of Colleges conference held in November. Randstad Student Support worked with 65 further education colleges and 93 universities around the UK last year, providing vital support for 28,000 students, helping them to achieve their potential. All the students on the tour are currently studying either engineering or mechanics at the college and were given a glimpse into the inner working of the Williams garages. Also attending from Randstad was Victoria Short, Managing Director, Sadie Besley, Operations Director and Karen Guthrie, Further Education Development Manager. Students visited the advanced engineering section of the factory, learning how engineers at Williams use their high-tech, scientific knowledge to solve everyday problems. For example, students discovered that Williams’ pioneering work in cooling down race car engines had been transferred to reducing energy bills in the frozen aisles of supermarkets – creating vast energy savings. This revealed the wide range of professional options available to the students and the versatility of engineering as a career choice. With 431 engineering jobs currently available on Randstad’s website there’s high hopes the visit will have inspired a new generation of expertise.[1] Students also got the chance to prove their racing credentials and try to beat the best of F1 drivers on a BATAK reaction machine. Unfortunately the chequered flag was out of reach – with most posting scores half those of professional drivers. And the final pit stop was to the Williams museum, to check out the trophy collection and see F1 mementos up close. Sadie Besley, Operations Director, Randstad Student Support comments: “This competition was all about inspiring innovation in students – and giving them a glimpse into a potential career in engineering. F1 is the pinnacle of professional racing – and we want North Shropshire students to be at the top of their game. It was fantastic to see the students engage with the experience and fully embrace all the elements that create a successful F1 team. A practical and hands-on opportunity can give students the motivation to further their careers and something to aim for in the future. The skills picked up on the tour are highly applicable and will act as a real motivator for these budding engineers.” A real highlight of the trip was a chance to speak to Williams engineers and learn more about their career paths. Students had the opportunity to ask questions and find out more about future career prospects on offer at Williams. There are a wide variety of ways for students to improve their skills, with many apprenticeships on offer throughout the industry. Sadie Besley, Operations Director, Randstad Student Support concludes: “The best way to get ahead and give yourself the best career opportunities in the engineering sector is to get some hands-on experience. It doesn’t have to be paid work, any time that can be spent learning on the job, gaining practical skills and boosting your experience can give you a great advantage as a candidate. It’s hard to find the right person for the right job and experience and enthusiasm are key for outpacing other applicants. “For further education colleges looking to encourage students to pursue their interests in engineering and technology, the best way is to provide opportunities to see engineers in action. This doesn’t have to be a grand trip to a F1 Factory, it can simply be arranging for engineers to visit and speak to students. Practical advice is particularly important. And nothing is as inspiring as seeing a true professional in action.” https://www.randstad.co.uk/employers/areas-of-expertise/student-support/