tpVocab

The app splits questions first into

• topic themes: algebra, FDPR, geometryMeasure, integer, probabilityStatistics, wordProblems

then splits these into

• topics e.g. sequenceT2T, decimalFraction, area, factor, discreteGraph and secretADDsign

then splits these into

• layers e.g. sequenceT2T(4), decimalFraction(2), area(6), factor(1), discreteGraph(3) and secretADDsign(11)

and finally each layer is made up of a number of

• questions, which are similar to each other but slightly different.

key layers and scaffold layers

Key layers are made up of typical questions found in text books, exams and tests.

Scaffold layers are of 2 broad types

• internal: we split a traditional bite of learning into smaller bites, so e.g. 2 timely practice layers will teach the learner to be able to answer the kinds of question which may be found in a set of exercises within a text book,

• traditional scaffolding e.g. including a representative or gaps within partially complete workings,

Whenever possible we prefer to learners to build chunks in long-term memory which provide the learner with “internal scaffolding” to learn harder layers.

Sometimes we use traditional scaffolding: often a representative, sometimes a partially complete question. Once the learner has mastered the layer with the scaffold, then the learner needs to be taught to answer questions without the scaffold. Sometimes this process happens naturally without feedback, sometimes the best feedback is “what diagram can you draw to help you answer this question?”

For each layer there are sets of questions

• available from Learning Resources in the customer knowledge base: sets of teach-learn question and a practise-learn worksheets,

• available via the app: the app uses these questions in the retrieval practice and pre-assess sections of assignments.

Level for Learner

there are only 2 choices

• nurture: the learner is not expected to take GCSE or is expected to get below a grade 3

• avoid GCSE retake: learner is already doing GCSE retake or is expected to potentially have to do GCSE retake.

The app will use the Level for Learner to begin the pre assess process in a manner which isn’t too demotivating but which will relatively quickly find the learners current learning strengths.

Pace for Practice

can be adjusted so that all learners take about the same time to complete their timely practice assignments within the lesson. Most learners will complete their assignments within a minute or two of each other, their pace can be left at the default 100%, adjust the pace for learners who finish their assignments significantly quicker or significantly slower than their peers. The Pace from Practice can be adjusted as frequently as desired.

The app needs to avoid pre-assessing (finding out what the learners have Already Learned and Remembered) when the teacher is teaching these topics. To do this, the teacher will tell the app, what topics, the class has recently been taught, what they are learning now (the app will avoid pre-assessing these), what they will teach next and later (the app will prioritise pre-assessing these topics).

The app will attempt to colour code when the class is ready to learn more on a topic - however this won’t be accurate, because it is very rare for our cohort to have all learners in class for the majority of lessons. Hence, whilst most of the class may be have completed pre-assess on a topic or be ready to return to learn more on a topic, some learners won’t be ready. See - planTeaching(3) - for more information on this.

The staircase symbol of the P&P tab represents each learner making a little progress every lesson.

The 3 parts moving forwards symbol of each P&P session, represents how the teacher is assisted to raise attainment with these 3 activities

Open

• assess prior learning

• plan and resource teaching

• schedule retrieval practice

• target teaching. When teaching new skills - a specific layer from a topic - the teacher can use the assessment for learning data: which learners have which pre requisite skills and which learners need to learn each of the layers the teacher will teach during the lesson. This knowledge encourages teachers to explain how to add the new learning on to the existing learning. Rather than use a “random - no hands up questioning” the teacher can target specific learners with “no hands up questioning” and carefully observe these specific learners' mini-whiteboard answers. As the teacher moves on to teach another specific layer the focus of the teachers questioning will change. The teacher can still keep all learners “on their toes” and ask questions to encourage generalisation in learners who have already mastered the skill and make use of test potentiated learning in learners who have not yet mastered the skill.

• a “think aloud” asks the teacher to share “why they do what they do” and “how they were primed to do this” along with teaching what to do. Our experience is that teaching a number of smaller discrete skills - a number of layers - to groups within the class rather than a larger lump of skills to the whole class, means the teacher feels less time pressure. The teacher needn’t worry if the higher attaining learners “already get it” (the teacher knows they will get their turn at learning the layer they need to in a few minutes time) nor that the low attaining learners “don’t get” a layer that they are not scheduled to learn this lesson (the teacher knows they will be much more likely to be able to embed the layer in a term or two because of the work they will do in the current lesson and in subsequent lessons through retrieval practice).

• metacognitive strategies (learners thinking about their thinking). Having to identify which skills to apply to each retrieval practice question develops learners triggers to their chunks/schema in their long term memory. When the learner can’t answer a retrieval practice question independently and accurately, the teacher will engage in personalised feedback-dialogue (and has time to do so). These feedback-dialogue conversations are often unexpectedly sophisticated - especially given the level of attainment of the learner - and usually lead to embedded learning.