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The nature of the new specifications, the way they are assessed, the teaching time allocated to subjects and the number and ability range of students in a class all have a major impact on how subjects are taught.

Some teachers say that there is now less opportunity within their subject for independent learning, particularly at AS, and are looking at ways to ensure that students still develop skills in this area. Ofsted calculates that, on average, less than 10 per cent of students' time is not teacher-directed. Inspectors also point out that students are often positive about how much more they learn when they are required to be at 'supervised workstations'.

In several surveys, students have said that what they need most help with is time management - they find it difficult to make the move from recording what needs to be done, to scheduling their work in accordance with priorities. Students' workloads are heaviest when they have two or more teachers for a subject, when coursework deadlines coincide and when they take subjects with similar demands (particularly essay writing). Studies indicate a significant difference in the number of hours that students spend on homework.

Approaching AS teaching

Teaching the VCE

Using ICT to build learning skills

Using Progress File to build learning skills

Supporting students

Approaching AS teaching

Schools and colleges are responding to the teaching and learning challenges of the new qualifications by:

• ensuring resources are available to support independent study, including space, textbooks, periodicals, background reading, access to computers
• making facilities and resources available for longer by opening them earlier, closing later and providing weekend access
• devising ways of supporting students in managing their workload and the competing demands of work in different subjects or for different teachers
• conducting a coursework audit to help staff and students plan ahead and avoid blockages
• allowing students to become familiar with the style and level of demand of AS assessment. One school sets an assignment for each subject, assessed against AS criteria, during a specified period in the first term. This has proved popular with students as an early indicator of progress.

In refining their practice after experience of the advanced level qualifications, teachers are:

• analysing the difference between the levels of skill and understanding needed for AS and A2, so that they can target their teaching appropriately
• helping students to understand subject specifications and demands
• focusing on skills, including subject-specific skills, early in the course
• starting coursework earlier
• exploiting links between units and between AS and A2 to avoid repetition and overteaching
• creating more opportunity for formative assessment
• using more team-teaching and sharing of practice.

In response to large AS classes with a wide ability range and students who are less motivated towards their 'fourth subject', some teachers are developing the differentiation techniques used with younger students. This can help to foster an individual approach and more independent learning.

Teachers have said that they will further encourage independent learning by:

• using the flexibility and choice available within coursework to enable students to develop an individual approach
• introducing more assignment-based and research work
• structuring some work as case-study or problem-solving group work
• setting more project work, using it for assessment as well as learning
• setting work that demands more independent learning
• setting tasks that demand that students read around a subject.

Teaching the VCE

Teaching approaches should reflect the vocational nature of the course, including:

• visits to industry and businesses
• visits from employers
• the use of realistic and up-to-date case study material
• independent exploration of the work-related context, using a range of resources such as the internet, trade journals and national newspapers.

Experiencing a range of teaching and learning styles motivates students and vocational programmes have been successful in developing independent learning skills such as research and time management.

Using ICT to build learning skills

Independent learning has acquired a new importance in Curriculum 2000:

• with teaching time reduced to accommodate more subjects in the curriculum, students have to learn more of a subject on their own
• with students studying more subjects, they have less time for independent study and need to use their time more efficiently.

Some schools and colleges are looking to help students make the most of independent learning by exploiting the potential of their computer networks. The terms 'virtual learning environment', 'managed learning environment' or 'e-learning' are often used to describe these developments. Essentially, they are based on the principle that useful information and learning materials can be placed on the computer network, which students can then access from computers in the school or college or from a home computer.

The type of material that schools and colleges are placing on a computer network, usually in the form of web pages, includes:

• administrative information, for example homework details (useful for students who have missed a lesson or lost classroom notes), examination dates, coursework deadlines, awarding body specifications
• assignments, worksheets, tasks, exercises, demonstrations
• learning materials needed to carry out assignments - not only text documents, pictures, diagrams and charts, which have traditionally been given to students in printed form, but also database and spreadsheet data, 3-D images, video clips and website links
• help on researching topics, for example advice on general approaches to research and guidance on useful websites.

Giving students this sort of material creates a virtual learning environment (VLE). A managed learning environment (MLE) exists where computer facilities are also used to manage what students do with the material. This might include scheduling tasks, having students submit work by email and returning marked work by email.

VLEs and MLEs make independent learning more effective because:

• it is administratively efficient for students to get information from the computer network about what they need to do, by when and with what materials
• many computerised learning materials are more vivid and immediate than traditional printed materials, for example video clips showing muscle movement for PE physiology or acceleration for physics
• learning materials are more accessible and all students can access them at the same time. In some schools and colleges, departments keen to exploit VLEs have placed all the materials needed for a course on the computer network, completely replacing textbooks and handouts
• students can be helped to make the best use of independent study time by using computers to specify activities and deadlines
• independent learning can be 'multi-tasking' learning - a student working on a computer could do various tasks almost simultaneously, reading text documents, discussing ideas with a friend via email or in a chatroom debate, downloading data from websites, and listening to audio material on the CD drive. Making full use of computer facilities, as young people are keen to do, can make independent learning more enjoyable and more efficient.

Using Progress File to build learning skills

With the national availability of Progress File to support students' learning and progression, the National Record of Achievement is being phased out over 2002-4. Progress File, and the key skill of improving their own learning and performance, can be used to provide constructive feedback and to support individuals in becoming more active, independent learners. Underpinning each is the 'review, plan, do, reflect and apply' cycle.

The improving own learning and performance key skill units (levels 1-4) offer a developmental framework for learning independently and for measuring individuals' progress (ie their ability to take increasing responsibility for deciding how to apply their skills in target-setting, planning and reviewing to make the most of different learning activities). Progress File materials support this process by providing information and tasks to help individuals develop the necessary know-how and to practise the application of these skills.

Supporting students

Teachers stress that provision of information is crucial to building students' confidence and their ability to manage their own learning.

Materials provided to students include:

• copies of subject specifications
• assessment objectives and assessment criteria
• work schemes
• workbooks, learning guides or handbooks for each subject or unit
• exemplar material and past papers (with questions selected for level)
• model answers and mark schemes
• revision notes.

Some institutions also organise revision classes prior to examinations (outside the usual timetable in the case of resits). Other aspects of student support are the provision of distance-learning or open-learning materials and use of the improving own learning and performance key skill, all of which aim to develop independent learning skills.

Other web links

> DfES: Progress File

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Page updated: 12 June 2008
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