HITS

High Impact Teaching Strategies

EVIDENCE OF MY PRACTICE

W at did I do, where, with whom, why, results? Who saw me?

The HITS are 10 instructional practices that reliably increase studentlearning wherever they are applied. They emerge from the findings oftens of thousands of studies of what has worked in classrooms acrossAustralia and the world.

For beginning teachers, the HITS are a bank of reliable instructional practicesthey can use with confidence.

The HITS will have the strongest impact on student learning when used as part of anongoing improvement cycle embedded in professional learning communities.

Effective teams use the improvement cycle to:

• diagnose a classroom need• investigate a problem of practice• identify one or more of the HITS as a possible intervention• unpack, discuss and model the strategies• collectively review them as part of observation rounds.

SETTING GOALSOVERVIEW KEY ELEMENTS

EVIDENCE OF PRACTICEWhat did 1 do, where, with whom, why, results? Who

saw me?Lessons have clearlearning intentionswith goals that clarifywhat success looks like.Lesson goals alwaysexplain what studentsneed to understand,and what they must beable to do.This helps the teacherto plan learningactivities, and helpsstudents understandwhat is required.

• Based on assessedstudent needs

• Goals are presentedclearly so studentsknow what they areintended to learn

• Can focus on surfaceand/or deep learning

• Challenges studentsrelative to theircurrent mastery of thetopic

• Links to explicitassessment criteria

STRUCTURI G LESSONSA lesson structuremaps teaching andlearning that occurs inclass.

Sound lessonstructures reinforceroutines, scaffoldlearning via specificsteps/activities.They optimise time ontask and classroomclimate by usingsmooth transitions.Planned sequencing of

teaching and learningactivities stimulatesand maintainsengagement by linkinglesson and unitlearning.

• Clear expectations• Sequencing and

linking learning• Clear instructions• Clear transitions• Scaffolding• Questioning/feedback• Formative

assessment• Exit cards

EXPLICIT TEACHINGOVERVIEW KEY ELEMENTS

EVIDENCE OF PRACTICEWhat did 1 do, where, with whom, why, results? Who

saw me?When teachers adoptexplicit teachingpractices they clearlyshow students what todo and howto do it.

The teacher decides onlearning intentions andsuccess criteria, makesthem transparent tostudents, anddemonstrates them bymodelling.The teacher checks forunderstanding, and atthe end of each lessonrevisits what wascovered and ties it alltogether (Hattie,2009).

• Shared learningintentions

• Relevant contentand activities

• New content isexplicitly introducedand explored

• Teacher modelsapplication ofknowledge and skills

• Worked examplessupportindependentpractice

• Practice andfeedback loopsuncover andaddressmisunderstandings

WORKED EXAMPLESA worked exampledemonstrates thesteps required tocomplete a task orsolve a problem. Byscaffolding thelearning, workedexamples support skillacquisition and reducea learner's cognitiveload. The teacherpresents a workedexample and explainseach step. Later,students can useworked examplesduring independentpractice, and to reviewand embed newknowledge.

• Teacher clarifies thelearning objective,then demonstrateswhat students needto do to acquire newknowledge andmaster new skills

• Teacher presentssteps required toarrive at the solutionso students'cognitive load isreduced and theycan focus on theprocess

• Students practiceindependently usingthe worked exampleas a model

COLLABORATIVE LEARNINGOVERVIEW KEY ELEMENTS

EVIDENCE OF PRACTICEWhat did 1 do, where, with whom, why, results? Who

saw me?Collaborative learningoccurs when studentswork in small groups &everyone participatesin a learning task.There are manycollaborative learningapproaches. Each usesvarying forms oforganisation and tasks.Collaborative learningis supported bydesigning meaningfultasks. It involvesstudents activelyparticipating innegotiating roles,responsibilities andoutcomes.

• Students worktogether to applypreviously acquiredknowledge

• Studentscooperatively solveproblems usingpreviously acquiredknowledge and skills

• Students work ingroups that fosterpeer learning

• Groups of studentscompete against eachother

MULTIPLE EXPOSURESMultiple exposuresprovide students withmultiple opportunitiesto encounter, engagewith, & elaborate onnew knowledge &skills. Researchdemonstrates deeplearning develops overtime via multiple,spaced interactionswith new knowledge &concepts. This mayrequire spacingpractice over severaldays, and usingdifferent activities tovary the interactionslearners have with newknowledge.

• Students have time topractice what theyhave learnt

• Timely feedbackprovidesopportunities forimmediate correctionand improvement

QUESTIONINGOVERVIEW KEY ELEMENTS

EVIDENCE OF PRACTICEWhat did 1 do, where, with whom, why, results? Who

saw me?Questioning is a powerfultool and effective teachersregularly use it for a rangeof purposes. It engagesstudents, stimulatesinterest and curiosity in thelearning, and makes links tostudents' lives.

Questioning opens upopportunities for studentsto discuss, argue, andexpress opinions andalternative points of view.Effective questioning yieldsimmediate feedback onstudent understanding,supports informal andformative assessment, andcaptures feedback oneffectiveness of teachingstrategies.

• Plan questions inadvance forprobing,extending,revising andreflecting

• Teachers useopen questions

• Questions used asan immediatesource offeedback to trackprogress/understanding

• Cold call andstrategicsampling arecommonly usedquestioningstrategies

FEEDBACKFeedback informs astudent and/or teacherabout the student'sperformance relative tolearning goals. Feedbackredirects or refocusesteacher and student actionsso the student can aligneffort and activity with aclear outcome that leads toachieving a learning goal.Teachers and peers canprovide formal or informalfeedback. It can be oral,written, formative orsummative. Whatever itsform, it comprises specificadvice a student can use toimprove performance.

• Precise, timely,specific, accurateand actionable

• Questioning andassessment isfeedback onteaching practice

• Use studentvoice to enablestudent feedbackabout teaching

METACOGNITIVE STRATEGIESOVERVIEW KEY ELEMENTS

EVIDENCE OF PRACTICEWhat did 1 do, where, with whom, why, results? Who

saw me?

Metacognitive strategiesteach students to thinkabout their own thinking.When students becomeaware of the learningprocess, they gain controlover their learning.Metacognition extends toself-regulation, ormanaging one s ownmotivation towardlearning. Metacognitiveactivities can includeplanning how to approachlearning tasks, evaluatingprogress, and monitoringcomprehension.

• Teaching problemsolving

• Teaching studyskills

• Promotes self¬questioning

• Classroomdiscussion is anessential feature

® Uses conceptmapping

DIFFERENTIATED TEACHINGDifferentiated teachingare methods teachers useto extend the knowledgeand skills of every studentin every class, regardlessof their starting point.

The objective is to lift theperformance of allstudents, including thosewho are falling behindand those ahead of yearlevel expectations.

To ensure all studentsmaster objectives,effective teachers planlessons that incorporateadjustments for content,process, and product.

• High quality,evidence basedgroup instruction

® Regularsupplementalinstruction

• Individualisedinterventions