Applied Learning in the VCE VM and VPC -
Place based Projects, Pedagogy and Practise
Online webinar series!
Facilitated by Natalie Purves - Moderated by Helene Rooks
Tuesday May 13 - 15.00 - 16.30
Session 1 – Community, Context and Cohort
Tuesday May 27 - 15.00 - 16.30
Session 2 – Learning theories and teaching and learning strategies
Tuesday June 10 - 15.00 - 16.30
Session 3 – Integration of the studies and assessments
Join us for an online professional learning and development PD in applied learning in the VCE VM and VPC. This 3 session online format will explore how you and your students can develop projects that are aligned to your community, context and cohort, to teaching and learning strategies that are supported by learning theories that underpin applied learning, and how to integrate across the studies with multiple assessment approaches. Examples will be provided of VCE VM and VPC community projects as you start to develop your own project. This online professional learning is developed to provide you with the tools to successfully implement applied learning in your classroom. Examples, resources and time will be given to collaborate with other teachers, so you will come away with new ideas and enthusiasm that can be used to engage your students, school and community.
Note: To make the most of this professional learning, pre and post ‘homework’ will be given, this homework is designed to help guide you in developing an applied learning project using the information from the sessions.
Session 1 – Community, Context and Cohort
In this session the focus will be on understanding your school’s community, context and your VCE VM and/or VPC cohort. We will identify and discuss how yours and your students’ passions, interests and skills can be used to engage students in community projects. Further, the socio-cultural characteristics, community, parents/carers, industries and trades in your community, likely employment, historical background of school. We will draw on your experiences of developing community projects, what worked and didn’t work, as a way of collaborating and problem-solving for future projects. An example of a community project will be provided, that is developed to meet the needs of a school’s community, context and specific cohort, and linked back to the curriculum. This can then be used to develop your own community project, which we will return to in the following sessions.
Session 2 – Learning theories and teaching and learning strategies
In this session a broad overview of the learning theories that underpin applied learning will be discussed, including constructivism, experiential learning, adult learning theory and communities of practice. Following on from this, we will unpack the strategies that come from these learning theories and that can be used in your teaching practice, including group work, reflective journaling, work integrated learning and community partnerships. Using the example and your own community project developed in Session 1, we will explore how these learning theories and strategies can be incorporated into the projects through teaching and learning activities.
Session 3 – Integration of the studies and assessments
In this session we will explore how the VCE VM and/or VPC studies can be integrated into a project. Examples will be provided of projects that have incorporated all or some of the studies. You will be provided with an opportunity to collaborate and develop ideas for integration across the studies. Assessment approaches in applied learning will be explored and linked back to the outcomes in the study designs. Further examples of assessment will be provided to show how key knowledge, and key skills can be meet across the study designs. Including how a piece of assessment can be used to meet multiple outcomes. Referring back to the example and your own developing projects from Sessions 1 and 2, assessments will be developed into an integrated project.
