On 2-4 April St Bede's will be sending 6 staff members to the Science of Learning Summit in Hobart. The Science of Learning National Summit is a multi-day professional learning event where educators from across the nation will come together to learn about the science of learning, high impact teaching practice and knowledge rich curriculum. Through this summit, our teachers will gain further insight into this evidence-based teaching and learning approach and how it can be leveraged to improve their teaching, and the learning outcomes of students. This compliments the professional learning that is taking place in our school throughout 2023.

As you are aware, St Bede's has been on a journey over the past 2 years implementing the Catalyst Program. Catalyst is an evidence-based professional learning program based on the Science of Learning and Science of Reading Principles, in collaboration with leading experts such as Dr Lorraine Hammond, Jenny Donovan, Natalie Wexler, Michael Roberts and Toni Hatten-Roberts, amongst others. Catalyst provides teachers with a suite of curated resources to support development, growth and excellence in teaching and learning.

What is the Science of Learning?

Grounded in the neuroscience of cognitive architecture, the Science of Learning teaches educators that all humans learn in the same basic ways. The recruitment of the senses, imagination, use of reason, and the regular repetition and reinforcement provided by direct instruction, are proven ways of reducing cognitive load. 

The Science of Learning heralds the return of the knowledge-rich curriculum and teacher-led direct instruction to their rightful places in both educational policies and pedagogy.

What is High Impact Teaching Practice (HITP)?

High Impact Teaching Practice comprises of five areas of practice underpinned by international and national research including Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction and the Four Strands of High Impact Principles.

These five areas are:

1. High expectations and explicit teaching
2. Structuring lessons
3. Formative assessment and feedback
4. Daily review
5. Student engagement

HITP equips teachers with the foundational theory and practical demonstration to implement evidence-based pedagogy in their classrooms and is highly effective at improving student learning and outcomes when implemented with fidelity.

What is a Knowledge Rich Curriculum?

A knowledge rich curriculum consists of having a low-variance approach to instruction, crafting a knowledge-rich unit and building a coherent curriculum map. Having a knowledge rich curriculum will not only improve student learning outcomes but also builds a strong instructional culture and provides students with a consistent experience between classes.