A while ago I developed a tool for auditing the new Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS), with visual indicators. Somewhat to my surprise it was adopted quite widely when I put it on the web. So I was asked to write a few paragraphs about why I wrote it, how it is being used; with a view to the education department linking to from their curriculum planning guidelines. So here (in flat newsletter voice) is the article (and some views from users as well)
One way to come to terms with the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) is to audit existing curriculum against the new standards; to get a feel for what is already covered, where it is covered, and to what extent.. The interwoven nature of the VELS strands means that this is more complex than a standard subject audit. While some domains can be mapped against traditional disciplines (science, english etc), in many cases it is not obvious how to deal with the distributed nature of the other strands (such as thinking, or personal learning).
A range of auditing and planning tools were being suggested last year and we collected and tried quite a few of these templates. While many were good, they often seemed too detailed for a full school audit. So we began to see a need for a new audit tool that:
- allowed a quick overall audit, with visual indicators.
- had gradations so teachers could indicate intermediate states between “we don’t cover this” and “we cover this”
- had the standards and learning focus embedded in the tool, to avoid having to refer to multiple VELS booklets, or needing to access the VELS site.
This lead to an audit tool, that allowed the use of a visual representation (blank, dot, half box, full box) against every dimension. Teachers could choose to audit whatever chunk of curriculum or coursework that seemed most appropriate; subject, unit, or year level, and they could audit many subjects or year levels on the one sheet.
This allowed a quick scan of which subjects/units were covering which standards and dimensions, and which ones were not being addressed.
I had just finished this when it became apparent that the standards were subject to change – the “year of validation” meant that the content and sequence was not entirely fixed in placed. Obviously this would mean that the audit tool would go out of date if it contained old versions of the standards. So the tool was extended to be able to download the standards and learning focus from the VELS site, to cope with this and any future changes. (Once the data has been downloaded the spreadsheet can be used offline.)
The tool allows you to change the level of the audit from one subject to the next (and displays the appropriate text for each one) so schools can decide to work with one master file, or with several copies for different sub schools etc. In our local secondary school individual KLAs are tending to audit their courses with it. I know some smaller primaries that have audited their whole curriculum in one file, and larger ones are using several copies for different age ranges. Other schools are auditing camps programs etc as well.
After developing it I thought I may as well share the tool, and put it on this website for download, and shared it with a couple of curriculum networks, including the intel Teach to the Future mailing list. It soon became apparent that it spread further and more quickly than I would have anticipated. One surprising thing was being asked to demonstrate it to groups of teachers I didn’t know, and finding people in the group who had already been using it, based on recommendations via those networks. The current version of the audit tool and instructions is located at http://www.thinkingcurriculum.com/vtindex.asp. It was developed by programming additions to Microsoft Excel.-- end flat newsletter voice -- -- start reflective geek voice ---
I like the idea that pages of left brain detail actually end up with a simpler, more intuitive audit tool, a right brain visual pattern.
(lastly, heres what a few people fed back through the Teach to the Future mailing list :
"I would like to express my sincere thanks for developing and sharing the original Visual VELS audit tool and this new add-on. I think it has been one the most powerful aids in helping schools tackle the audit (and even planning) process. I have shared it far and wide - always to great acclaim"
"I too have distributed this tool and delighted many curriculum and KLA leaders. Thank you so much." "I have also shared your tool around with lots ... - for the sake of us all keep up the good work! Heaps of thanks!"
Might be ego in sharing this - certainly not financial gain(!) - but it might also help re-assure people that a non official, free download from the web is a valid VELS tool, and also explain where a few days of I&E time went - and where the influence of that time and effort can spread.
Don’t appear to have latest version
Have access to Quick Audit
Please help
Con Crowley
Ph 0429358946
Comment by Con Crowley — October 25, 2007 @ 1:27 am