Basis of the report

Does the use of The Le@rning Federation online curriculum content enhance motivation, engagement and learning? • Some key findings of the pilot field review conducted by Professor PeterFreebody • University of Queensland • April 2005

This report is the first of a series focussed on teacher and student use of The Le@rning Federation online curriculum content and it’s impact on learning.

Basis of the report • A field review of the impact of early use of The Le@rning Federation learning objects comprising: • a review of research • student and teacher surveys • case studies • In the curriculum areas: • Science • Mathematics / Numeracy • Literacy for students at risk Years 5-9 • Studies of Australia • LOTE

The Le@rning Federation Content • Interactive learning activities known as learning objects • These include: • text • graphics • audio • animation • Digital resources to be used in learning activities

Learning objects: • can be used in multiple settings and for multiple purposes • can be used in classrooms as components of units or work accompanied by digital and non-digital materials • are accessible from digital repositories

The teachers’ surveys • administered online through the use of SurveyMonkey software • 500 teachers completed the survey • focused on teachers’ overall judgements about the motivational and instructional efficacy of the online curriculum content, and whether or not The Le@rning Federation online curriculum content improved students’: • motivation • persistence • depth of learning • higher-order concepts • collaboration with peers • independence in learning

The students’ surveys • also administered online through the use of SurveyMonkey software • 1681 students completed the survey • focused on students’ views of whether or not The Le@rning Federation online curriculum content was: • interesting and fun • easy to work with • helpful in thinking about new ideas • best when student worked with a partner • such that the student needed a lot of help from his or her teacher

The findings • were highly consistent across a range of school locations and contexts • indicated that the use of The Le@rning Federation online curriculum content: • is generally supported by teachers, students and parent home-tutors • more specifically motivates students to attend to and engage with tasks • enhances students’ learning and interest

Response rates to general questions of support for The Le@rning Federation online curriculum by teachers

Students’ response • Do you think using this learning object is a good idea? • Yes: 88% • No: 12%

Parent home-tutor response • “We’re just so grateful for what this has done for our kids.” • Parent home-tutor B, Cairns SDE case study

The use of The Le@rning Federation online curriculum content motivates students to attend to and engage in tasks

Students’ rating of the learning objects

Teachers and parent home-tutors comments • “The best thing about the learning objects is that kids get so engaged when they use them.” Teacher, Tongala PS case study • “They don’t think it’s school work, but they’re still learning at the same time. At night, or the next day, he’ll start talking about something that he’s learnt. I’m sure the recall is far better. When he is reading normally he could be up in space. He’s just not taking it in. But now he goes ‘Mum!’ and reels off fact after fact.” Parent home-tutor A, Cairns SDE case study

Teachers and parent home-tutors comments (continued) • “I like the fact that a lot of them are self-correcting. The kids can work independently and aren’t calling out to you for help all the time. They call out, but it’s to show you what they’ve done, and that’s a very different thing.” • Parent home-tutor B, Cairns SDE case study • “People want to take control of their own learning, and this sort of learning can provide that control to a very high degree. This is obvious with the kids. They love it. They’re in charge.” Teacher, Magill PS case study

The Le@rning Federation online curriculum content enhances students’ learning • “It was during the use of this learning object that one female student provided the clearest evidence to date of direct learning as a result of her experience of using the object. She began by asking what percentages were and clearly didn’t know. About ten minutes later she was not only showing that she could use this notion to work on the object but actually said, ‘Percentages are parts of a hundred. So if it’s 50 parts it’s half of the whole lot.’ ” • Boggabilla CS case study field notes • “Using the objects is just another teaching tool. Some of them like Where does speeding get you? have very valuable functions. It’s about scalar and vector qualities and as a rule they’re very difficult concepts to get across. But in this case they can actually see the car travelling, see the impact of the speeding. It makes it so much easier to teach.” Teacher, Melrose HS case study

The Le@rning Federation online curriculum content enhances students’ learning • “They help you teach things that are hard to teach in other ways. The abacus and the number line in Wishball for example are very effective scaffolds to support the development of strategies to generate understanding of place value.” Teacher, Tongala PS case study • “They give all the facts, and they’re very easy to follow. You can do the science experiments without all the set-up which we can’t often really achieve, and you feel like you’re working at a much higher level.” Parent home-tutor B, Cairns SDE case study • “Learning objects can only make life better for the kids we teach. The only real problem we’ve got is that there are not enough. We can’t wait for our next instalment.” Teacher A, Cairns SDE case study

Conclusion • “It is clear that The Le@rning Federation’s initial products and implementations have been consistently successful, at least as assessed by clients’ responses. Networking of interested and committed educators has productively begun around the online curriculum content; and an orientation to systematic empirical evaluation has been established. The Le@rning Federation and its collaborators in educational jurisdictions are in a prominent position to contribute significantly to the urgent research and development program called for by these new learning times.” (Freebody, 2005: p 27)

Basis of the report