Benefits and outcomes from Supported Experiments projects in England Joanne Miles (J Miles Consulting)

Personally, I think Supported Experiments is the best, most productive and inspirational approach to CPD. Definitely involves thinking outside the box and referring to the bigger picture (teacher, EHWLC) A breath of fresh air, being able to share best practice and ideas with peers who work with your students, understand them, and have empathy (teacher, New College Durham) Team members are learning from each other, trying things out which are working for others… many are using technology in ways they may not have done so (division manager, EHWLC)

What are the stages in Supported Experiments? Training on evidence based teaching methods Discussions about where to target experiments Selection of a method/approach to try out Planning the experiment Monitoring progress and impact Reflecting with peers throughout the process Sharing good practice and embedding it

How are experiments structured in colleges? Whole organisation approach OR Pilot groups of volunteers Individuals choose their experiment Coaches facilitate reflective dialogue Project management creates momentum Reflections and resources are captured Dissemination through events

What are teachers experimenting with? Peer and self assessment methods Group work activities that increase engagement Starters and plenary slots that consolidate learning Graphic organisers Giving feedback to students in different ways Getting feedback from students, e.g. one minute paper

Benefits of Supported Experiments Put the focus back on teaching and learning Encourage teacher ownership of development Foster the learner voice Encourage team cohesion and boost morale Help you identify methods that produce improved outcomes and share them Move to a culture of innovation and sharing Appeal to professional values

Outcomes Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College, % improvement in grade 1 and 2 observations Number of grade 4 observations halved 29% reported improvements in test/exam results 10% increase in staff satisfaction with development John Ruskin College, Croydon, 2011 Grade 1&2 observations improved – 64% before and 80% afterwards Before Supported Experiments: The overall quality of lessons has improved, although a significant minority of lessons do not meet the needs of all students. (Ofsted 2011) After Supported Experiments: Teaching and learning are good and inspectors observed examples of outstanding practice. (Ofsted 2011)

What happened in experiments at EHWLC? I used the ping-pong feedback approach for writing. All my Entry 2 students passed their Cambridge ESOL E2 Writing Exam and I could say that at least 75% were Entry 3 ready All the students entered for Key Skills numeracy level one passed the test at the first attempt. I used recap tests in each lesson and it worked There was a 15% improvement in grades at Merit and Distinction from two similar cohorts over two years. I used self and peer assessment

What did the process give us? I learned to broaden my teaching style and not be afraid to try things out that I wouldn’t normally do (teacher) People were keen to try out new things. I could see how people were willing to embrace the new research findings and try them out. It was an opportunity to work as a team on something that was not dictated by Exam Board deadlines or fear of Inspection (coach)

The impact on teams across England The team seem to have suddenly become engaged in supported experiments and there is lots of sharing of ideas and discussion going on in the staff room (coach, Wakefield College) It gets you as a team focusing on one thing, discussing something new and looking back at the impact….it brings new ideas, to do something in different ways (coach, Bolton College) The team has one aim together in the experiment and it gets passed on to students. No matter which teachers the students have, they get consistency, so they get more relevant information to pass the course (teacher, Bolton College)

The impact on individuals in colleges What a time saver! Instead of throwing everything I have at a problem, I can focus, select an appropriate strategy, get support and decide if it works….how wonderful to finally focus on teaching and learning! (teacher, Barnet and Southgate College) It’s about getting outside of the box…. Outside of the norm, taking a chance…. A bit of liberation for us in doing something completely different (coach, Bolton College) I've really enjoyed being a coach and helping staff overcome barriers in their projects to help get the best experience for the students at this college (coaches, Portsmouth College)

The impact on the students Learner feedback on jigsaw task: I enjoyed the task, was learning at the same time as having fun (Wakefield College) Learner feedback on plotting own achievement and marking work: Though I hate tests I think it's really improved my confidence and my graph shows I've been getting better grades this half term! (Portsmouth College)

The impact on the college culture My view is that it's a really powerful project that has had a positive impact on the culture at the college. Staff often chat with me informally about how their project is going and are clearly really proud of their innovative idea to ensure the students have an excellent experience at college (project leader, Portsmouth College)

The impact on the college culture Whole organisational buy in…….. Underpinning collaborative coaching practices in the organisation….. Real steps towards developing a sense of ourselves as a learning organisation… Knowledge transfer at work….Moving away from deficit models/blame culture to involve everyone in improving practice for the benefits of students (project leader, Barnet and Southgate College)

Back to our values Relighting the fire of enjoying teaching, of why we got into teaching in the first place (teacher, Barnet and Southgate College) Reminds you of why you do the job! (teacher, Barnet and Southgate College) Allows teachers to re-focus on what it is they do best….. teach! (teacher, New College Durham)

Some tips for making experiments work Create a robust project plan Each teacher defines their own experiment OR co-tutors /course teams do the same experiment The experiments last at least one academic year Coaches are used to support the reflective process Centralised online system for recording reflections and outcomes Plan at the outset how to share good practice and capture resources

The benefits for Wales How could experiments benefit you, your students and your college? How could good practice get shared across Wales? 17

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