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Saint Ignatius College Geelong
Saint Ignatius College Geelong
Saint Ignatius College Geelong
Article by Ms Bernadette Donnelly
Year 12 students require an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) for entry into many undergraduate-entry university programs in Australia. This year we have implemented a Year 12 Learning Conversation program. This program provides an opportunity for students to share learning conversations with a senior member of staff about their academic goals, strategies that may assist in their learning and finally develop a 2021 Action Plan with a focus on improvement.
Year 12 students will also estimate an ATAR based on their Year 11 Semester Two Overall results. The Year 12 students have received the relevant documents and an ATAR calculator program so that they can spend some time reflecting on their Year 11 achievements and prepare for their learning conversation. The focus is not so much on the estimated ATAR that they calculate but the way in which they can maximise their learning opportunities in 2021.
An important learning behaviour of maximising academic success is how well students use their time at home to complete work, prepare for assessment tasks and revise the week’s work. Year 12 teachers set homework that covers all three areas. The expectation is that all Year 12 VCE students should be setting aside at least three hours per night and time on the weekend to spend on their learning. Therefore, it is recommended that a Year 12 VCE student would prioritise about 20 hours per week to consolidate their learning at home. There is a direct correlation between student improvement and time spent on learning at home.
It is also important that students create a learning environment that allows them to concentrate on the tasks at hand and free of other distractions such as mobile phones or other social media platforms. For example, there is a lot of research that shows the negative effects on test scores for those who frequently text or those who multitask flicking between accessing their device and other means of learning opportunities.
The clear messages provided in a range of research is that technology is a great support for learning but should only be used when required for the task. Please see the link for an article from Harvard University discussing the effects of technology on students.
https://bokcenter.harvard.edu/technology-and-student-distraction
Bernadette Donnelly Deputy Principal [Teaching and Learning]
Feature
Events
Our News // 04 March 2021
Article by Ms Bernadette Donnelly
Year 12 students require an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) for entry into many undergraduate-entry university programs in Australia. This year we have implemented a Year 12 Learning Conversation program. This program provides an opportunity for students to share learning conversations with a senior member of staff about their academic goals, strategies that may assist in their learning and finally develop a 2021 Action Plan with a focus on improvement.
Year 12 students will also estimate an ATAR based on their Year 11 Semester Two Overall results. The Year 12 students have received the relevant documents and an ATAR calculator program so that they can spend some time reflecting on their Year 11 achievements and prepare for their learning conversation. The focus is not so much on the estimated ATAR that they calculate but the way in which they can maximise their learning opportunities in 2021.
An important learning behaviour of maximising academic success is how well students use their time at home to complete work, prepare for assessment tasks and revise the week’s work. Year 12 teachers set homework that covers all three areas. The expectation is that all Year 12 VCE students should be setting aside at least three hours per night and time on the weekend to spend on their learning. Therefore, it is recommended that a Year 12 VCE student would prioritise about 20 hours per week to consolidate their learning at home. There is a direct correlation between student improvement and time spent on learning at home.
It is also important that students create a learning environment that allows them to concentrate on the tasks at hand and free of other distractions such as mobile phones or other social media platforms. For example, there is a lot of research that shows the negative effects on test scores for those who frequently text or those who multitask flicking between accessing their device and other means of learning opportunities.
The clear messages provided in a range of research is that technology is a great support for learning but should only be used when required for the task. Please see the link for an article from Harvard University discussing the effects of technology on students.
https://bokcenter.harvard.edu/technology-and-student-distraction
Bernadette Donnelly Deputy Principal [Teaching and Learning]
