John Hattie Learning Intentions and Success Criteria

Summary

The speaker emphasizes the importance of clearly defining success criteria in education to foster effective learning. They advocate for showing students what success looks like before starting a task, as this can improve engagement and efficiency. The transcript critiques common practices that focus on performance metrics rather than mastery and stresses the need for teachers to have a deep understanding of each student's starting point to set appropriate success criteria. The speaker also discusses the role of visible learning and the impact of clear expectations on student motivation and lifelong learning.

Takeaways

• 📝 Success criteria should be based on what students are supposed to learn, not just what they are supposed to do.
• 👀 It's important to show students what an 'A' or 'B' looks like before they start, to give them a clear goal to aim for.
• 🕒 Teachers often struggle with defining success criteria, as they associate it with the end of a series of lessons rather than ongoing learning.
• 🏫 Schools need to adjust their time frames to value efficiency and encourage learning that can happen earlier than the end of a series of lessons.
• 📉 Many students give up or only do the minimum required until the end of the lesson, which is not conducive to lifelong learning.
• 🤔 Students need to understand what success looks like early on, which requires teachers to be clear about expectations from the start.
• 🏀 Using a sports analogy, if students don't know the rules or how to score, they are unlikely to engage in the learning process effectively.
• 🔍 Teachers should have a deep understanding of where each student is at the beginning of the learning process to set appropriate success criteria.
• 📈 Mastery learning is more effective when teachers show students what it looks like, rather than just telling them the criteria for success.
• 👶 Understanding what students already know is crucial at the start of lessons to avoid unnecessary repetition and focus on gaps in knowledge.
• 🎯 The ultimate goal is to create an environment where students know what success looks like, are self-motivated, and are engaged in their learning journey.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the speaker's discussion on learning intentions and success criteria?

The speaker emphasizes the importance of defining success criteria in terms of what students are supposed to learn, rather than what they are supposed to do, and the need to show students what success looks like before they start a task.

Why does the speaker believe it's a mistake to have learning intentions only about the task at hand?

The speaker argues that learning intentions should be about the learning outcome, not just the task, as focusing only on the task can make the learning process uninteresting and less about the actual learning.

What analogy does the speaker use to illustrate the importance of knowing the rules and objectives before starting an activity?

The speaker uses the analogy of teaching Australian Rules Football without explaining the rules or how to score, which would likely lead to confusion and quick abandonment of the game by the participants.

What does the speaker suggest as the best way to show students what success criteria are?

The speaker suggests showing students examples of what an A or B grade looks like before they start, so they have a clear understanding of the end product they are working towards.

Why does the speaker argue that showing students what success looks like is crucial for efficient learning?

The speaker believes that knowing what success looks like helps students to focus on the learning outcomes and to understand what is important, which can lead to more efficient learning and less time wasted on irrelevant material.

What is the speaker's view on the timing of when to introduce success criteria to students?

The speaker advocates for introducing success criteria upfront, at the beginning of the learning process, so that students know what they are working towards from the start.

What does the speaker mean by 'visible learning school'?

A 'visible learning school' is one where students know what success looks like before they start, which is a key aspect of making learning more transparent and student-centered.

What is the speaker's concern about the common practice of waiting until the end of a series of lessons to reveal what success looks like?

The speaker is concerned that this approach does not value efficiency and can lead to students giving up or only doing the minimum required until the end, which is not conducive to lifelong learning.

Why does the speaker mention the importance of understanding what students already know at the beginning of a lesson?

The speaker points out that understanding what students already know is crucial for setting appropriate success criteria and ensuring that the learning is building on existing knowledge, rather than repeating what the students have already mastered.

What does the speaker suggest as a strategy for teachers to assess whether students truly understand the material?

The speaker suggests that teachers should be more creative in their teaching strategies, using different ways to assess understanding, rather than relying solely on traditional tests.

What is the speaker's ultimate goal in advocating for clear success criteria and visible learning?

The speaker's ultimate goal is to make schools more inviting places for students, to keep them engaged in learning for as long as possible, and to support their lifelong learning and self-motivation.

Outlines

00:00

📘 Importance of Learning Intentions and Success Criteria

The speaker emphasizes the importance of setting clear learning intentions and success criteria for students. They discuss the difference between focusing on what students are supposed to learn versus what they are supposed to do. The speaker critiques the common practice of defining success criteria based on task completion rather than learning outcomes. They advocate for showing students what an 'A' or 'B' grade looks like before they start, to give them a clear target for their learning. The speaker also touches on the challenges teachers face in defining success criteria and the need to adjust teaching strategies to ensure students understand the learning objectives before they begin a task.

05:00

📚 Mastery Learning and the Role of Success Criteria

This paragraph delves into the concept of mastery learning and the role of success criteria in achieving it. The speaker recounts an unsuccessful attempt to implement mastery learning through success criteria, which only worked when teachers were taught to show students what mastery looked like. The speaker argues against the idea of keeping students in the dark about the end goal of their learning, stating that it's crucial to make schools inviting places for students to stay and engage in learning. They stress the importance of understanding each student's starting point and setting individual success criteria for them, to ensure that every student is making progress relative to their own abilities and the standards set for them.

Keywords

💡Learning Intentions

Learning intentions refer to the specific goals or objectives that students are expected to achieve during a lesson or a learning activity. In the video's context, they are crucial for guiding students' focus and efforts towards meaningful learning outcomes. The speaker emphasizes the importance of establishing clear learning intentions at the start of any educational activity to ensure that students understand what they are supposed to learn, not just what they are supposed to do.

💡Success Criteria

Success criteria are the benchmarks or standards that define what constitutes successful learning or completion of a task. They are essential for students to understand what excellence looks like in their work. The speaker discusses the common mistake of defining success criteria in terms of task completion rather than learning outcomes, and advocates for showing students examples of successful work to clarify these criteria.

💡Visible Learning

Visible learning is a concept that emphasizes making the learning process and its outcomes transparent to students. The speaker mentions 'visible learning schools' where students know what success looks like before they start, which is a key aspect of fostering a culture of learning and self-assessment. It is about making the learning intentions and success criteria clear and accessible to students.

💡Efficiency

In the context of the video, efficiency refers to the effectiveness and speed with which learning occurs. The speaker challenges the traditional notion of valuing efficiency only at the end of a series of lessons, suggesting that if students learn the material earlier, it could be beneficial. Efficiency is tied to the idea of optimizing the learning process so that students achieve success criteria in a timely manner.

💡Mastery Learning

Mastery learning is an educational strategy where students must achieve a level of mastery in a topic before moving on to the next. The speaker discusses the need to adjust traditional teaching methods to focus on mastery, showing students what mastery looks like in terms of success criteria, and ensuring that students understand and can achieve this level of proficiency.

💡Self-Regulation

Self-regulation in learning refers to students' ability to manage and direct their own learning processes. The speaker mentions the importance of students having a clear understanding of success criteria for self-regulation to be effective. It involves students setting goals, monitoring their progress, and adjusting their learning strategies based on the success criteria.

💡Curriculum

The curriculum encompasses the complete body of knowledge and skills that students are expected to learn. The speaker criticizes the 'one-size-fits-all' approach of grouping students by year levels and using a standardized curriculum, arguing for a more personalized approach that takes into account the individual starting points and growth trajectories of each student.

💡Growth Mindset

A growth mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work. The speaker implies that by showing students what success looks like and setting clear expectations, educators can foster a growth mindset, encouraging students to persevere and develop their skills over time.

💡Strategies

In the video, strategies refer to the various teaching methods and approaches used by educators to facilitate learning. The speaker suggests that teachers need to be creative and employ a range of strategies to ensure students understand and can meet the success criteria. This includes adjusting the way students are assessed to truly reflect their learning.

💡Assessment

Assessment in education is the process of evaluating student performance to determine how well they have learned the material. The speaker argues against relying solely on tests and instead advocates for a variety of assessment methods that provide evidence of student growth and mastery relative to the learning intentions and success criteria.

💡Professional Development

Professional development refers to the ongoing training and education of teachers to improve their skills and effectiveness in the classroom. The speaker mentions the importance of professional development that prepares teachers to be open to feedback and to contest the adequacy of their teaching strategies and student progress.

Highlights

Importance of defining success criteria in terms of learning outcomes rather than activities.

Mistake of setting learning intentions based solely on the task of the day.

The value of showing students what an A or B looks like before they start to set expectations.

Challenges teachers face in defining success criteria due to time constraints.

Observation of students setting success criteria with teacher guidance.

The analogy of teaching sports without rules to illustrate the confusion in learning without clear criteria.

The need to show students what successful learning looks like upfront.

The role of success criteria in helping students to self-regulate and self-assess.

The impact of knowing success criteria on reducing irrelevant content in teaching.

The concept of a 'visible learning school' where students know what success looks like from the start.

The importance of understanding what students already know before setting success criteria.

The argument against waiting until the end of a lesson to reveal what success looks like.

The necessity for creativity in teaching strategies to assess if students truly understand the material.

The focus on mastery learning and how success criteria should reflect deep understanding.

The shift from performance-related success criteria to those based on learning mastery.

The goal of making schools inviting places to keep students engaged and in education longer.

The significance of the number of years in schooling as a predictor of adult life success.

The need for teachers to have a deep knowledge of each student's starting point.

The importance of setting individual success criteria for each student based on their unique starting points.

The expectation for teachers to demonstrate evidence of student growth throughout the year.

The use of growth measures as part of the assessment of student progress.

Encouraging teachers to be open to contesting and discussing the adequacy of their progress measures.

Transcripts

the operative word in that sentence you

asked me was

and learning intentions without success

criteria hopeless success criteria

without having learning intentions it's

not as bad not very

good one of the things that I I like shy

Clark from England's work in this area

particularly is how you can construct

those success criteria in terms of what

students are supposed to learn not what

they're supped to do and one of the

mistakes I see is so often you have a

learning attention about what we're

doing today it's just not interesting

it's not about the task like I go back

to the examples I was using before the

best way of showing students what

success criteria is to show them what an

a looks like before they start show them

what a b looks like show them what the

end of the product looks like now a lot

of teachers I work with struggle with

that because they think that what

success looks like is what you achieve

when you get to the end

and obviously in our time constrained

world the end means the end of a series

of lessons and we don't value efficiency

what would happen if the kids learned it

earlier well that's a bit of a problem

for us in many

ways we have to adjust that time frame I

went to a school this morning and I saw

the second part of what I wanted to say

on this is I saw the

students putting up success criteria

before they started they were doing

these science work and they were

starting with what would success look

like now they struggled to know what

that was they needed a lot of help

that's why the teacher there but

teaching the kids up front what it looks

like when they get there how do I know

when they get like I go back to my

sports analogy if I said to the if I

said to you I'm going to teach you what

Australian Rules Football looks like but

I'm not going to tell you what the rules

are and I'm not going to tell you how to

score but I want you to go out there and

play

it for many of many of you you'd give up

very quickly particularly in a game like

Australian Rules it just looks random

unfortunately for a lot of kids in that

school that's what learning looks like

so all I have to do is wait and I'll

either be guided or I'll be told

off what I want to do up front is show

them what that success looks like like I

go back to the example before I'm a kid

I'm struggling in maths please give me

the answer and then I'll worry about the

strategy show me what that success looks

like now I want both I want them to get

the right answer but sometimes I have to

show them successful learning in this

way and now I want you to concentrate

and use your efficiency in terms of the

strategies now the other the other part

of that is that if you teacher before

you start have a clear understanding of

what success looks like you're more

likely to get rid of the stuff that

doesn't matter you're more likely to

acknowledge and understand what it looks

like and you are and here's the critical

one you're more likely to tell the kids

up

front when I went back before and talked

about what a visible learning school

looks like it's when kids know what

success looks like before they starts

like a lot of kids will give up or

they'll do do what they have to do until

the Bell goes that is not what you call

lifelong learning that's not what we I

think our schools are about for some

students they will do what you ask them

to do regardless of whether it's the

beginning or the

end

great but what about those other

kids it's only if it's showing up near

the front now the front doesn't mean the

very first day sometimes on the first

day you want to understand what the kids

know and don't know before you decide

what success looks like like um gr

nuttle he spent years of his life

putting microphones on kids every

morning of the year every afternoon he

went home and listened to them one of

his findings 60% of what's taught in

every lesson the kids know already so

it's a very important phase at the

beginning to understand what kids don't

don't know but very soon after that I

just don't think there is any excuse for

not exposing to the students what

success looks like in this lesson you

might want to then argue that it's

cheating that they get to know

is it really such a problem that they

learn what the end of the task looks

like up the front now what you're going

to have to do as a teacher is you're

going to have to be more creative about

thinking different ways for

understanding whether the kids truly

have got it or if they're parting and

that requires a different set of

teaching strategies but those are the

strategies I want you to have I just

don't think there's any argument about

why it should be a secret why should we

be the people in the room that will dob

you on the head and say now you've got

it if you're going to believe that kids

should be self motiv should it should be

into um self-regulation and should be in

all this lovely language we like to use

if you're going to self-monitor if

you're going to self assess if you're

going to selft talk if you're going to

worry about the the whole self-

evaluation you better have a Target to

do that to now one of the things we

discovered uh and we mainly worked in um

years seven eight in this area is that a

lot of kids they have goals they have

success criteria but the majority of

those success criteria is performance

related doing it on time doing it neatly

and making it

expand to the length supposed to be and

we stupidly in retrospect went into

those schools and said well how do we

get them to have more Mastery learning

and we did success criteria the it

didn't work the only it worked finally

when we taught the teachers how to show

kids what Mastery looked like in success

criteria and yes many kids parroted what

the teachers were saying but we don't

see that as a problem at all of course

we want more than that and so now I

don't think there's any excuse for doing

it at the end I don't think that we

should be saying to kids in every lesson

just trust me wait and I'll tell you and

you might get there or you might not um

like the thing that drives me most in in

my um work in schools is finding ways to

keep kids in schools as long as possible

like as a as a father of those four boys

Hank Len's work impressed me he he

showed that the best predictor in adult

life of health wealth and happiness was

not achievement at school it was the

number of years in schooling so I am

absolutely obsessed with ways in which

we can make schools inviting places for

kids to be and most kids make the

decision about to stay in school around

the ages of 111

12 and so how do we make learn you're

sure as hang don't make learning

inviting by saying wait wait I'll tell

you when you get there do more oh now

I'll give you a test now I'll see if

you've got there for some kids they love

it they'll go on to be our doctors and

our lawyers they love that kind of game

but for many kids who are going to be on

our entrepreneurs are going to be our

most successful in people in our

community they want to have more control

of their learning if I was working with

you in a school I'd want to hear up

front what in this particular year group

you look you're dealing with what

success look would I like to start with

so you've got this group of kids now

what I want to listen to is I want you

to have a deep knowledge of where every

student is at the beginning if you just

told me generally and said this is the

curriculum I'd be worried I'd want to

know we each kid start because one of

our Killers is that like we group kids

in our system and you do it here

interior by years now I know that what

year two means is that there is in year

two there were at least two years growth

Gap I know year five means there a five

years growth Gap and year five year 10

there a 10 years growth Gap that's what

it means to me so there's no such thing

as a year two or year five curriculum so

if you started there I would be worried

so I want to hear what success would

look like and I obviously want you to

worry about every kid where they start

what success would look like I want to

be up front and the tool we created New

Zealand allows teachers to be upfront

allows principls to be upfront to

understand what you think success for

every kid was looks like so I can come

into you after a month and say look

Paulie this is what the year three

teacher has said this is what the year

five teacher has said this is what you

the year six teacher do you realize your

expectations are lower than the year

three I want to get in front of that

because I know that what your

expectations are in terms of what you

think success is is the most amongst the

most powerful things so I'd start there

what a successful I want you to show me

the nature of the evidence

of the growth of the kids through the

year and again if you showed me a test

you'd have failed if you don't show me a

test you would have failed I want to see

it across a variety of ways of evidence

about the growth that they're making

relative to the standards you're aiming

for obviously I'd want to include in

that some kind of growth measures the

growth effect side stuff that we've been

using um that's part of the equation not

the only part but that's part of it I

think any time the answer is one in

education we've got the wrong answer

it's a variety of ways and I'd want you

to do that with your other

teachers I'd like you in the

professional development that we have is

I want you to be prepared to be

contested about whether good enough is

good enough by you saying this is

evidence of the kind of change that I've

achieved this is where the kids were

starting this is where they're ending

and I'd like you be open about that with

your other teachers to say is that good

enough so that you can start to say have

I got a common conception of progress am

I getting the kind of progress I need

that's certainly the kind of things I'd

be wanting to do in a school