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Curious Minds

Presents
What’s all the fuss about......?
A series of Twilight training and Development Opportunities for
Creative Practitioners, Creative Agents and School Co-ordinators 2010-2011

The Learner Voice and Co-construction of Learning

Richard Demby
3 Nov 2010
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Aims

• To explore the concept of learner voice and its practical implementation in schools
• To consider opportunities for using creative ways to get learner feedback in schools
• To understand how using a CP/CM project can reinforce whole school practice in co-
construction of learning and student voice
• To be able to decide what to do with the voices once you’ve got them
• To learn how creative evidencing of learner voice activities can demonstrate impact
and contribute to whole school development
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The Learner Voice

Learners have a say in their education - and there is an authentic willingness to listen to
them. Learners are provided with a range of activities which help them to represent their
views1 and get support they need.

It is more than simply listening to learners; it means engaging learners as concerned

partners, coherent contributors, and equal agents of change 2

Learner voice involves providing learners with opportunities to exercise the same levels of
social responsibility and personal freedom that they have in many other aspects of their
lives.3
1
Learner Voice - A Handbook from Futurelab (2006)
http://www.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/handbooks/learner_voice.pdf
2
Ibid (2006)
3
Ibid (2006)
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Co-Construction of Learning

Allowing students to have a sense of authentic ownership and control over

• what is learned
• how it is learned
• when it is learned and
• how it is assessed

“Learners actively construct knowledge by confronting and solving

problems. Each learner brings his or her own expertise and shares it with
others at the same time as developing new expertise, and so the process
of construction is an interactive one” 4 (my italics)

4
McNaughton (1995), Describing co-construction theory
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because
young
people
have the
right to
have a
say in
because
their
they are because
education
interested they are
in how they often
learn right!

because because because

consultati that’s being
on leads how they creative
to higher become requires
achievem more young
ent confident people to
participat
because it
e
because enables
it them to
encourag become
es greater reflective
creativity learners

because
[insert your
own reason]
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The Learner Voice (LV) - Why Bother (1)?

• it makes students feel more respected

• it is empowering and improves learners’ ability to make decisions and choices
• learners become more inclined to reflect and discuss their learning
• reflective learners evaluate their own strengths and limitations, setting
themselves realistic goals with criteria for success
• students have a greater sense of ownership over their learning
• it increases motivation
• it improves self-esteem
• it can lead to greater levels of achievement
• it models democratic principles

...Young people respond well to the challenge of responsibility... I strongly

support the principle of ensuring that our children and young people participate
more effectively in democratic process…
Charles Clarke MP, former Secretary of State for Education (2003) DfES
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LV - Why bother (2) - The Whole School Context

•Personal Learning and Thinking Skills
Creating a whole-school wide culture of including:
inclusion and participation Independent
Enquirers
•Every Child Matters -
Team workers
Stay Safe
Effective
Keep Healthy participants
Achieve and Enjoy Self-managers
Participate Reflective learners
Achieve Economic well-being Creative thinkers

•Community Cohesion - [Schools which] build strong and

positive relationships between people of different
backgrounds in school and within neighbourhoods and
provide similar life opportunities for those from different
backgrounds
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The Learner Voice & the Co-construction of Learning

How?

• class/year group/school councils

• focus groups
• individual, paired or group discussions
• special events and conferences
• surveys and questionnaires
• suggestion boxes
• diaries
• video/film
• drama and performance
• music and song
• dance
• art
• animation
• photography
• websites (online surveys, chat rooms and message boards)
• e-mail
• text-messaging.
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How can creative practitioners “tap” into these agendas?

The creative arts can explore any issue whatsoever! So,
some of what is focused on can/will be (and arguably
should be) concerned with
• what’s learned
• how it’s learned
• when it’s learned and
• how it’s assessed
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Music
Dance Drawing on your own area of
creative expertise, identify 3
Drama activities you have used with
Art learners which can/do elicit
the learner voice and/or which
Poetry enable the learner to play a
Animation significant role in the co-
construction of their learning
Film/Video
Photography
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Acti v it y How? Wh e re? Wh e n ?

Freeze-frame on feelings of a Group discussions in Early stages of bullying

bullying victim preparation of frozen picture session and repeated towards
end

Short film making Role playing bully and victim School corridor

Writing a rap Small group of “writers” After whole group discussions

collaborate on theme/focus; some elect to
write; others may elect to
draw/animate/role play etc.
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What to do with all the voices we’re hearing?

Listen
Record
Share
Discuss
Negotiate
Compromise
Facilitate decision-making
Act
Feedback
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The thing I’m most likely

to use today is …

The most significant

thing I’ve learnt today is…

The thing I’ve most

enjoyed today is…
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“Learner autonomy represents the move from a pedagogic

model of learning (teacher-focused) toward a more
andragogic model (learner-focused).” Conner
Conner, ML (2004). Andragogy and Pedagogy

“A learner who has both the skills and confidence to express

their thinking, and becomes a critical partner in their learning,
will learn more effectively. And that’s what we’re all about!”

Demby, R (2010). Here!