Education and Learning Services

An outcome says what learners will be able to do at the end, and it is the starting point for everything else. If you cannot check an outcome, you cannot tell whether teaching worked. Good outcomes begin with an action verb.

• Begin each outcome with an action verb such as calculate, list, compare or build, because these describe visible behaviour.
• Write one outcome for each session so each session has a single clear aim.
• Say how you will check each outcome, for example a short task or a question with a standard to reach.
• Avoid vague words such as understand or know when you write the outcome, because you cannot see them.
• A common mistake is to write what you will teach instead of what the learner will do.

Activity. Write four outcomes, one for each session of your programme, and next to each write the exact task that will check it.

Standard to meet. Start each outcome with an action verb, pair each with a checkable task, and ask a peer to confirm they can tell when it has been met.

Learners arrive with different knowledge, languages and needs. A short pre-check shows where to start and what to skip. Without it, you may bore some learners and lose others.

• Give a short pre-check of about five questions on the topic before teaching begins.
• Mark the pre-check and record each learner score and the questions most often missed.
• Note the language, reading level and any support needs that learners share with you.
• Adjust your plan by spending more time on the weakest areas and less on what most already know.
• A common mistake is to use the pre-check score to label a learner instead of to plan the teaching.

Activity. Run a pre-check with your learners, record each result in a table and write a short paragraph on how it changes your session plans.

Standard to meet. Show results for every learner in your table, identify the most-missed question and list at least two changes to your plans.

A session plan lays out what happens, when and why. Short, active sessions work better than long talks. A timed plan keeps you honest about what fits.

• Use four parts in each session: a hook to get attention, a short teach, practice and a check.
• Keep talking to about 10 minutes at a time and use the rest for learners to practise.
• Give a time to each part and make sure the times add up to the length of the session.
• List the materials and prepare them in advance so no time is lost.
• A common mistake is to plan too much content, which leaves no time for practice or a check.

Activity. Write four session plans, each with a time for every part, the materials and the check task that matches the outcome.

Standard to meet. Add up every plan to its stated length, give at least half the time to practice and match each check task to its outcome.

Teaching clearly takes plain words, checking and patience. You speak simply, ask questions and wait for answers. Practising with a peer helps you improve before you teach the group.

• Use short, plain sentences and explain any new word the first time you use it.
• Check understanding by asking learners to explain the idea back in their own words.
• Wait at least three seconds after asking a question before you speak, so learners have time to think.
• Praise effort and give one specific tip for improvement to each learner.
• A common mistake is to ask do you understand and accept silence as yes.

Activity. Teach one full session to a peer or the group while a mentor observes, and complete a short self-review of what went well and what to change.

Standard to meet. Ask the observer to confirm you used plain words, checked understanding at least twice and gave learners time to answer.

An assessment shows whether the outcome was met. A fair assessment has a clear task, a condition and a standard. A rubric makes the marking fair and the feedback useful.

• State the task, the conditions such as time and tools, and the standard such as 70% correct.
• Write a rubric with clear descriptions for each mark band so two markers would give the same result.
• Make the assessment match the outcome, so if the outcome says calculate, the task asks for a calculation.
• Give written feedback within 48 hours so learners can use it.
• A common mistake is to assess something you did not teach.

Activity. Build an assessment with a task, a rubric, a marking sheet and a feedback template, then have a peer mark one sample answer to test it.

Standard to meet. Mark the same sample as your peer so that you give marks within 2 marks of each other, and cover every mark band in the rubric.

Now you teach all four sessions and keep notes. You adjust as you go, based on what you see. Learner voice helps you improve each session.

• Take attendance at every session and write short notes on what worked and what did not straight after teaching.
• Adjust the next session when you see that learners struggled, for example by adding an example or more practice time.
• Ask learners for one thing that helped and one thing to change at the end of each session.
• Keep learner data private and store names and marks safely, following the consent you were given.
• A common mistake is to keep to the plan when the group is clearly lost.

Activity. Teach all four sessions and submit the attendance table, your session notes and learner comments, with at least one documented adjustment.

Standard to meet. Record attendance for every session, link at least one adjustment to a specific observation and store learner data securely.

Learning gain compares the results before and after teaching. It shows whether the programme made a difference. You also look at who did not gain, because they show what to fix.

• Use the same or a very similar test before and after, so the comparison is fair.
• Calculate the average score before and the average score after for the group.
• Calculate gain as the after average minus the before average, and also look at each learner gain.
• Look closely at learners with little or no gain and look for reasons such as absence or unclear teaching.
• A common mistake is to report only the average, which hides learners who did not improve.

Activity. Calculate the before and after averages, the gain for the group and for each learner, and write a short report with one chart.

Standard to meet. Calculate correctly, show each learner in a table, and name at least one possible reason for any learner with a gain below 10 points.

Improving means using your evidence to make the next version better. You pick a few changes, test them and share what you learned. Learners and peers can help.

• Study your gain table and your feedback to find the biggest weakness.
• Choose up to three changes, such as a practice quiz, an extra example or a different order of topics.
• For each change say what result you expect and how you will measure it.
• Share your sample session plan and results with peers so they can learn from your work.
• A common mistake is to change everything at once, because then you cannot tell what helped.

Activity. Present a plan for version two with three changes, expected results, measures and dates.

Standard to meet. Link each change to evidence from your results and give it a measure and a date.