3 Ways to Apply Visible Learning

What is Visible Learning?

Visible Learning is a teaching method that helps learners to make sense of their own learning and to see how they can improve it.

The Visible Learning approach encourages learners to take responsibility for their own learning, and to build on their strengths. It also aims to help teachers become more reflective practitioners, who support learners in this process.

Visible Learning is a teaching method that focuses on the following goals:

• Helping learners make sense of their own learning.
• Providing an opportunity for learners to see how they can improve their learning.
• Enabling teachers to reflect on the impact of their own teaching.

What are the Benefits of Visible Learning?

The benefits of visible learning are numerous. First, it is a great way to get students engaged in the lesson. Secondly, it is a great way to teach by modelling what you want the students to do. Thirdly, it is an excellent way to assess student progress and finally, it is a great tool for teachers who want to make sure they are on track with their curriculum.

3 Ways to Implement Visible Learning in Your Classroom

1. Use Success Criteria
2. Prioritise progress, not achievement.
3. Evaluate your own teaching. 

Success Criteria. Be transparent about what success looks like from the outset.

Here are some examples on how to use success criteria in your classroom:

• Display the learning intention and success criteria for each lesson or unit.
• Use unit overviews, to give students the expected level before they even begin learning the content.
• Write success criteria in language easy for students to understand, as 'I Can' Statements.
• List success criteria on a worksheet that students can paste into their workbooks, and tick off as they achieve.

Free templates for implementing Success Criteria in your classroom:

   

 

Find more free classroom displays here.

Prioritise progress, not achievement. Set goals, give feedback, monitor progress, celebrate success.

Here are some examples on how to set goals, give feedback, monitor progress and celebrate success in your classroom.

Set individual student goals and make them visibly accessible every day.

• Display goals on student desks, or on classroom walls.
• Keep track of goals achieved and progress towards their current goals with a goals booklet.
• Give specific feedback against goals.
• Track goals when they have been achieved.

 

Give specific feedback and relate it back to the lesson or unit success criteria. Feedback slips are a good reference and communication tool.

• Use feedback slips to give feedback against a success criteria.
• Give feedback daily by including it in your daily routine.
• Prioritise feedback over all else!

 

Monitor students in the class who are working below, at and above success criteria.

Greyscale Fun Education Student Progress Display by Brolga Education

 

In conclusion, there is a lot of research that suggests that people learn better when they are taught to be their own teachers (set goals, know the criteria for success, reflect & celebrate progress). Visuals help to make this process more memorable and easier to understand. It also helps teachers to prompt students and encourage them to work towards a goal and find solutions for challenges.

The process of visible learning can be applied across all subjects and adopted as a culture within the classroom.