Quality learning units online would reduce workload

By Philip Cooke

An online information directorate, or pedagogy clearinghouse, as outlined in the Vinson Inquiry, would reduce the excessive workload faced by teachers, says Cessnock Public School teacher Michael Kermode.

"There is little doubt that there are many good ideas in the NSW education community that are never made known beyond a relatively small group of people," Mr Kermode said.

"Likewise, there would be many high quality teaching/learning units which have been written by teachers, which remain with one teacher or, at best, a small group of teachers.

"These units of work would undoubtedly become more valuable if they could be shared with teachers across NSW," Mr Kermode added.

He said establishment of an online information directorate which provides teachers with teaching and learning units, fully written by the department, incorporating lessons and printable resources which could be readily presented by teachers to students, would be ideal.

"My proposed model for an 'on-line' information directorate includes a facility which would allow teachers to present units of work, which could then be scrutinised by a small panel of teachers for suitability and appropriateness. Once determined as being appropriate by the panel, the unit of work could then be posted on the 'on-line' directorate for possible use by other teachers around the state," Mr Kermode said.

Mr Kermode believes that such a model of curriculum implementation by teachers would not only improve and make student outcomes more consistent across the state, but would also greatly reduce the excessive workload currently imposed upon teachers.

"Excessive teacher workload, and associated costs, is clearly one of the great challenges currently facing our profession. I believe that the establishment of a departmental 'on-line' information directorate could be a part of the structural change in our work practices that is necessary to help teachers overcome the excessive workloads that we currently experience," he said.

I very much look forward to the time when such an on-line facility might become readily available to all teachers in NSW."

It should be pointed out that the idea of an 'on-line' information directorate, with units of work being presented on-line for use by teachers, is not a new one. Various examples of the idea exist around the world.

Mr Kermode said a program he already uses, called EduWeb could become an integral part of (or link from) an online information directorate.

The program was developed by Stu Hasic from the St George district.

"EduWeb is an intranet research facility that allows teachers to fully support students in directed research," Mr Kermode said.

"EduWeb is without doubt the very best educational tool that I have ever worked with. It has become the focus for almost all of my library research work with students at Cessnock Public School," Mr Kermode said.

"The students' level of achievement as a result of EduWeb has been fantastic. Not only has students' level of engagement increased, but the quality of their computer and research skills have also improved significantly."

Philip Cooke teaches at Cessnock PS.

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December 2004 contents