learning@home WIL Initiative Evaluation

The learning@home Work Integrated Learning (WiL) Initiative (hereafter WiL Initiative) was introduced as an alternative to graduate stage Professional Experience (PEx) placements for final year Initial Teacher Education (ITE) students during April 2020. The WiL Initiative was introduced due to the COVID-19 restrictions which interrupted PEx placements in schools. Five Queensland Universities and a total of 211 ITE students engaged in the WiL Initiative comprising: Griffith University (105 students), Australian Catholic University (54), University of the Sunshine Coast (23), James Cook University (20), and Central Queensland University (9). The WiL Initiative was led by a partnership between the Queensland Council of Deans of Education (QCDE), a network of ten Queensland based universities, and the Queensland Department of Education (DoE), in collaboration with key stakeholders. The WiL Initiative was prompted by the opportunity to make a positive contribution to an initiative already underway. The WiL Initiative consisted of graduate stage activities and assessments delivered in an online teaching environment that complemented the Queensland Department of Education (DoE) learning@home platform. The notion of providing sequences of supplementary materials to enhance learning at home was a key foundation for the collaboration. ITE students worked closely with - and were supported by - university academic teams and DoE mentors. This evaluation is based on surveys that were administered to the population of ITE students, mentors and academic staff participants in order to understand the impact and success of the WiL Initiative and to inform future models. Fifty-three students, representing a 28% response rate; seven mentors, representing a 100% response rate; and 14 academic staff, representing a 79% response rate participated in the survey. The findings reveal the initiative was well-received by each of the three groups. ITE student survey results reveal that aspects of the initiative such as collaborating with fellow students, department mentors and university staff were a highlight. In addition, the opportunity to develop and use skills in technology for online classroom delivery was identified as a positive outcome. The academic staff survey results also reveal that opportunities for collaboration were positive experiences, as were the foci of the initiative on professional learning and the assessment of authentic deliverables (i.e. video and audio tasks to support the learning@home platform). Similarly, mentors identified the positives as working closely with Initial Teacher Education students, the opportunity for professional learning, and the provision of feedback to ITE students’ scripts and audios. Both ITE student and academic staff. School of Education and Professional Studies, Griffith University, 2020 5 respondents rated the collaboration with parent groups and sector representatives less highly, and this area of collaboration was not applicable to Department of Education mentors. This is an area that could be further developed in future related initiatives and it is noteworthy that for the purposes of this evaluation, no data were collected to establish feedback from other stakeholders, including parent groups and the Queensland College of Teachers. The surveys included a future vision component, specifically seeking feedback from ITE students, the academic staff and mentors with the view to continually improving the initiative. Academic staff provided feedback on some of these challenges, including understanding requirements (4 mentions) and timeframes (7 mentions). Some mentors reported that the student-to-mentor ratio was challenging (3 mentions), and clearer guidance on lesson sequencing (3 mentions) was required. More than half of the ITE students surveyed indicated they felt the ‘in-person’ PEx opportunities usually undertaken in schools remain the most effective learning environment for initial teacher education. In summary, this evaluation reveals that the approach facilitated the development of additional skills for all participants involved, and achieved the aim of providing a structured, graduate stage PEx learning initiative for ITE students in their final semester of study, in readiness to join the teaching profession when they otherwise might not have had the opportunity to do so. The themes identified in the six key learnings acknowledge the strengths of the initiative and the points of process that warrant attention in any future offering and are related to: • Use of technology • Working collaboratively • Demonstrating the achievement of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers • The nature of professional experience • Process and product • Feedback and reflection