Learning from Legacy, and Leading Legacy – managing and shaping the future curriculumDon PasseySenior Research Fellow Department of Educational ResearchDirectorCentre for Technology Enhanced LearningLancaster University

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Looking at legacy

What are the key issues highlighted by the examples of legacy and evidence-based outcomes in yesterday’s showcase? How will schools, now and in the future, balance the formal, informal and non-formal curriculum? And supplementary to this question: What is the current shape of our curriculum? In what ways have improvements already been made and outcomes evidenced, in our own and other institutions? What are the key points to consider? How can a future curriculum be conceived? How can it be shaped and managed?

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Vocational and lifelong learning

Our management of education has been driven by concerns for supporting individuals in terms of a ‘local vocation‘Two recent major factors have highlighted the need to reconsider approaches based on this premiseIndividuals are much more likely to be involved in a series of 'vocations' in their lives, involving the need for lifelong learning approachesICT and digital technologies now enable education to happen beyond the walls of institutions

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Questions - 1How many of your students do you think will go into a vocation for life?How many of your students do you think will go into a ‘local vocation’?How far do you feel you are meeting the needs of the balance of – vocation for life, multiple vocations, local vocations, distant vocations?To what extent are you currently using ICT and digital technologies to enable education beyond the walls of classrooms?Do you think there are benefits to using ICT and digital technologies to enable education beyond the walls of classrooms?

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Formal, informal and non-formal environments

Managing education now requires a need to consider three key elementsThe formal (classroom) environments

Subject and topic focus

The non-formal (after-school and society) clubs and activities

Group and team-work focus

The informal (out-of-school, home and other location) endeavours

Individual, interest and independent focus

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Questions - 2On this model of the curriculum, how would you plot your current practices?Where would you like to take future practices?

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Blended models of education and learning

Balancing the three elements in different ways means that different models of education and learning can be conceived and consideredDifferent blended possibilities already exist - consider 'afternoon school' in Germany, traditionally the responsibility of parents, but teachers are now using digital technologies to support learning at home during this time; ‘School of the Air’ has been established for a long time in Australia where geography prevents regular classroom attendance; schools in Turkey are open across the day, and students attend either morning or afternoon school; schools in Egypt run in similar ways, but morning and afternoon schools are run by different sets of teachers and school managers

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Questions - 3

Is the same model appropriate for all your students?Are there some students where a different model might work better?

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Longer term skills and competencies

Curricula in schools focus on knowledge acquisition across a range of subject or topic areasLonger-term skills and competencies can be developed from these areas of knowledge, but not easily without additional frameworks of supportThere is now an arguably greater need for individuals to develop and use a wide range of technical and social skills for their future career needs

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Questions - 4

How far do you feel your curriculum supports the development of ‘soft’ skills?In what ways would the model of the curriculum best be developed to do this?

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Access from different providers

Some individuals already attend more than one ‘educational institution’ or ‘provider’As a standard provision in some locations, some learners attend a secondary school for certain lessons, a further education college for specialist courses, and have one-to-one support from a tutor or counsellorIf learners attend different institutions, (or even if they do not), access through digital technologies to resources that offer expert support is likely to offer important opportunities not only to learners now but also to learners in the future

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Questions - 5

Do you provide alternative curricula for some of your students?Do you know of practices in at least five other institutions where they provide alternative curricula?

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Vision and leadership

Vision and leadership is importantIn those emerging blended models of education that we see already, vision and leadership accounts for the past, accommodates the present, and considers important needs in the futureHow future educational management needs will be provided, and how these will include adequate training and consideration of vision and leadership, is a clear need

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Questions – 6 – rating your abilities to

Recognise and acknowledge the importance of the non-formal and informal curriculumConsider how effective evidence-based projects and home-link activities can be built into the non-formal and informal curriculumEndorse outcome-evidence-based activitiesAdopt transformational projects with a real-world community development focusSupport the creation of practice (placing and managing projects)Consider how project-based activities can integrate open and social technologies to improve educational provision

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Encourage intergenerational learning, through student-led and teacher-facilitated activities (allowing extensions of students’ technical and associated skills)Consider how technical and professional support can be offeredConsider how high quality learning materials are provided by professionals and ICT-based materialsIdentify how a management focus can critically enhance the formal curriculum through longer-term needs of pupils and communities

How would you rate your abilities to vision this form of future?What leadership capabilities would you want, or do you feel you need, to extend or develop these forms of practice?

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