MEC Next Practice Design Team
The MEC participated in a Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) Next Practice Design Team Project focusing on innovation in education.
MEC Project Focus:
What pedagogical practices meet the needs of students in the 21st Century and how will these inform the design of future learning spaces
Context:
Through the Design Team project the MEC schools worked collaboratively to examine innovations in pedagogy, curriculum design and learning spaces with the aim of establishing future learning environments that encourage personalised learning, enquiry, creativity and interaction with the wider community.
“The learning from this project will have significant practical application to the ‘Maroondah Schools Regeneration Project”
(2008 Next Practice Design Team Assessor’s report)
Approach:
The MEC’s Design Team project involved:
Research into 21st century skills needs and different 21st century pedagogical practice such as: the use of ICT, project-based learning, personalised and self-directed learning
School based research into teacher ‘incentives for, and impediments to, innovation’
Implementation of curriculum trials at Design Team project schools
Visits to overseas, interstate and Victorian schools
Involvement of student leaders in school visits to gain feedback from a student perspective
Organisation of the 2008 MEC curriculum day on the theme ‘Learning in the 21st Century’
Regular meetings during the project to pool findings and resources, plan project events and facilitate communication on the project across the school communities
Major Outcomes:
A 21st century skills/pedagogy document drawing together the team’s research findings. This document can be used as: a teacher self assessment tool, an assessment tool of current curriculum programs and a curriculum planning checklist
A teacher survey related to ‘incentives for and impediments to innovation’
New curriculum development and teacher practice in relation to 21st century learning and teaching
Increased knowledge base related to pedagogy and space through research and local, interstate and international school visits
Information that can be shared with the wider educational community
Learning:
The teacher survey found the main incentives for innovation to be the prospect of improved student engagement and participation in the classroom, and having staff time for planning and preparation
The main impediments to innovation were competing work priorities, and little time for planning innovative curriculum and practice. These were common findings across the four schools
The findings from the research and curriculum trials have already had some impact within the schools, with schools embarking on, or improving, integrated curriculum programs
The team members sustained the project through regular meetings and maintenance of a single project focus, even where individual schools trialled the shared research findings within their own environments. This project highlighted some of the key elements for networks to effectively engage in innovations projects such as, a single focus and governance structures
Student feedback from the curriculum trials revealed that the top four things that they enjoyed the most were: being creative, using their laptops, not working from the text book and choosing how to present their work
Student viewpoints during school visits highlighted the need to gain regular feedback from students in relation to their learning environments
“Through the Design Team project we have been able to impact on the level of innovation and change within our individual schools, and to continue to strengthen and expand our networks.”
(2008 Next Practice Design Team Assessor’s report)
