Just a quick strategy you might wish to try that incorporates a number of pedagogical practices as well as ticking the independent learning box.
Simply…Past, Present and Future Learning. So, each independent learning task/HW focuses upon something completed in the past, something currently working on in the present and something that will come up in the future. This structured approach not only fosters a deeper understanding of the material but also encourages students to draw connections between their previous knowledge and current studies, reinforcing their learning. I know this is pretty obvious and you are more than likely already doing this, but have you made a conscious effort to emphasize this with your students? By clearly articulating the purpose behind each task, you can enhance their engagement and motivation, allowing them to see the bigger picture of their educational journey. Quite often we make these decisions as teachers and expect our students to just recognize (or trust) the reasoning behind it; however, I am a big believer in spelling things out. In this way, students understand the conscious decisions that impact their learning and realize that education is a continuous progression rather than a series of isolated tasks. Hence, while the name is new, the practice is not; it’s a timeless strategy that can be adapted and refined to meet the evolving needs of our students.
Past Learning:
What I mean by ‘past learning’ is not based on the usual Constructivist Learning Theory (new knowledge is built on the foundation of prior knowledge) or Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) supported by Schemas (too much new information can overload a student so new information is understood by relating it to existing schemas). Instead, I’m focusing on the current ‘buzz word’…well I’m not sure how ‘current’ it is any more as the research has been around for 10-15 years, of retrieval practice. This powerful learning strategy involves actively recalling information from memory, rather than simply re-reading or reviewing the information passively. For years students have re-written their notes into beautiful revision posters (I think I even did a blog on this years ago) or highlight the key features in their notes but unfortunately this is passive and rarely helps the information embedded itself into memory. Instead, the focus should be on retrieval strategies such as quizzing, blank sheet summaries or exam practice.
Why does retrieval practice work? It works based on a three-tier learning skills set, firstly active recall where students pull information out of their memory (and thus identifying gaps if this is not possible), which involves effort strengthening the memory and finally feedback identifying correct answers or errors. All of this reinforces learning. This cycle is then repeated for optimum results.
One example would be selecting a previously learnt topic that students must go over for HW, then simply doing a consolidation lesson and key knowledge test to check learning. Now I’ve been doing this for years but just never focused on calling it Past, Present, Future Learning (and we all like to add a name to the teaching strategy).
Present Learning:
Present work is often the independent study/HW we set the most…finish off these notes, read that section, research this part. So, the ‘present’ part is no different from your usual assessment plan.
Future Learning:
The ‘future’ learning is not as common in the pedagogical fields and most often centers around flipped learning. Flipped learning is similar but whilst flipped learning focuses on students often teaching themselves the information which is then expanded/ assessed in lessons, with this strategy students familiarize themselves with future learning, encouraging them to grapple with challenges now, so that they benefit more deeply from future instruction (also known as Preparation for Future Learning – PFL). This way the students build readiness and resilience, that even if they don’t understand the concept now (Productive Failure – Manu Kapur 2008), the strategy essentially primes the brain for better learning when structured teaching follows. If this interest you, check out the research performed by Schwartz & Bransford (1998) who found that students who engaged in problem-solving before instruction were better able to transfer knowledge in future tasks.
Some of my recommendations for future learning include:
- Complete activities in the HW book for the next topic (First Year Homework Pack or Second Year Homework Pack)
- Consult the exam board’s past papers and examiner’s reports (summaries of these can be found on the blog under the heading ‘Exam Preparation (RS)’)
- Shameless plug – watch my videos on YouTube and make notes (tip: you can integrate questions into YouTube videos to make them more engaging)
- Watching a documentary, reading an extract, making notes on the next chapter in a text book, do a summary poster from research etc.
I am obsessed with highlighters! I never use to be, I could teach a whole lesson without the words ‘grab a highlighter’ but now this is not the case. Why? Because they are the best thing to help students focus on the task at hand. Now as many of you know I am a huge Inner Drive and Bradley Busch fan and find their research into metacognition extremely interesting 
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