in the classroom
DI ’ s effectiveness has been linked to the cognitive load theory ( CLT ) developed by educational psychologist John Sweller in the 1980s . It emphasises reducing the cognitive load upon learners ’ limited working memories , and identifying processes that enable transfer of knowledge from short-term to long-term memory to create retrievable blocks of knowledge ( known as schemas ).
CLT posits that introducing short , scaffolded , simple-to-complex instructional chunks and worked examples facilitates transfer of new skills and concepts to long-term memory . It is best implemented by guided instruction practices rather than discoverybased , problem-based , inquiry-based pedagogies .
Follow the instructions
One Australian school ’ s transformation using explicit direct instruction .
By Terry Harding and Tim Shields
The downward trend in Australian school student scores in tests such as NAPLAN , PISA and TIMSS has understandably caused concern among Australian educators , policymakers and the media .
The push to remedy this trend is driving interest in pedagogies differing from the currently favoured , inquiry-based , childcentred educational practices . Numerous educational leaders and experts have proposed returning to guided instructional practices , otherwise known as explicit teaching .
At Australian Christian College , Singleton , a six-year trial of explicit direct instruction ( EDI ) created a remarkable turnaround in NAPLAN results , enrolments and teacher engagement . Before exploring these aspects in more detail , it ’ s important to establish some background about EDI .
EXPLICIT DIRECT INSTRUCTION – A BRIEF HISTORY Explicit Direct Instruction evolved from Direct Instruction ( DI ), an approach developed in the mid-1960s by Siegfried Engelmann and colleagues at the University of Illinois at Champagne- Urbana . Initially shown to deliver far superior results across student total reading , total math , spelling and language when compared to nine other educational models , there is now a comprehensive , decades-long corpus of evidence confirming DI ’ s effectiveness . For example , Hattie ’ s 2009 synthesis of 800 metaanalyses found DI to be one of the most effective teaching strategies .
WHY DI WORKS – COGNITIVE LOAD THEORY Direct Instruction is predicated on behaviourist assumptions that all children can learn if they are taught well and the learning outcomes result directly from well-developed programs , competently implemented through the pedagogical process . It is characterised by systematic , explicitly scripted lesson plans and curriculum materials designed to quickly lead students to mastery using sequentially delivered , small goal- and task-based learning components .
The lowercase use of “ di ” has evolved to denote approaches requiring teachers to develop lesson and resource material , whilst applying effective DI pedagogical practices .
EDI METHODS Explicit direct instruction is teacher-led and utilises strategies including :
• Starting lessons with a clear statement describing the learning objective .
• Teaching students the concepts and / or steps or processes used to execute the skills in that objective .
• Working problems with students at the same time while ensuring they execute each step correctly .
• Having students prove they have learned the concepts and skills before they are given independent practice . Strategies used to achieve these components include frequently checking for understanding to verify students are learning , teaching by telling ( using think-alouds to reveal the strategic thinking required to solve problems ), and demonstrating using physical objects to clarify content and support kinaesthetic learning .
EDI IN PRACTICE – ACC SINGLETON ’ S TRANSFORMATION Singleton Christian College , in operation for over 30 years , became part of the Australian Christian College network in 2012 . Before this , it had consistently registered literacy and numeracy levels significantly lower than national norms . The school was therefore approached by the Association of Independent Schools ( AIS ) NSW to participate in the Literacy and Numeracy Action Plan 2012 – 2016 – an initiative designed to assist schools struggling with poor literacy and numeracy .
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