Independent Learning Tutorials (ILT) are one of the newest and most formative changes of our pedagogical model, that looks to build independence and student choice. The ILTs are part of the Year 10 and 11 curriculum with each student choosing one fortnightly lesson in which they conduct online independent learning.

In this new way of teaching and learning, teachers have had to re-think their current practice in both creating content and performing teaching strategies. Students are required to reassess their study habits and management of time. Student self-efficacy is also tested and developed. This is a new learning landscape for both student and teacher and we are constantly seeking feedback from students to understand their learning experiences during this dynamic trail.

Below is an interview with Year 10 student Tahlia Guzzardi. Her understanding of the rationale and challenges of the ILTs are written with depth and show an acute awareness of how different subjects  require varying types of learning to suit the online space.

Do you understand the educational reason for the ILTs and why they were placed within the Year 10 timetable?

“The ILT program is designed with the intention of giving students more flexibility and independence with their learning. They were placed within the Year 10 timetable in order to further prepare Year 10 students for the more independent style of education that we will receive in VCE and tertiary study.”

What areas of learning (subjects) use the ILT time in an interesting or creative manner?

“For me, personally, I have found that my Year 10 Media classes used the ILT time effectively because the students, when learning about both theory and practical skills for photography and filmmaking, were able to watch videos recorded by Ms West and pause the videos to follow along in our own projects (for the practical tasks) or to take notes (for the theory tasks). Particularly in regards to practical tasks, this ability to pause a video gives us time to experiment within whatever program we are using, before moving on to the next instruction, which I have found to be extremely beneficial in regards to stimulating my creativity and acting upon my inspiration at the time. Another subject that I particularly enjoy during the ILTs is Units 1 and 2 Psychology, because we are often able to use our ILT time to learn new study skills or assessment techniques, or independently take notes on a new topic from our textbook which we discuss with our teacher, Mrs Brady, in the next lesson.”

What do you as a learner benefit from with ITLs ? Are they helpful to you personally?

“For me personally, the ILTs are beneficial, depending on how they are structured and delivered.”

In what way or to what extent have you had to change your study habits or work timetable to manage the work provided within the ILT? Have they created more work or allowed you more freedom to choose ‘when’ you work?

“I personally have not changed my study timetable to manage the work provided for the ILTs, because I am the type of person who will usually do my English work during my English ILT and my Maths work during my Maths ILT, etc. The work set during ILTs is often expected to be completed within one or two days of it being set, depending on when the next class of that subject is in order to ensure that content is taught and learned linearly. Some subjects, such as Maths, vary in how much work is set during the ILTs in comparison to the face-to-face lessons, depending on the content being taught and the individual student’s understanding of it. Other subjects, such as English, provide slightly less work during the ILTs as they are more targeted at revising or reflecting upon key themes and ideas that are presented in the studied texts. Science and language subjects usually create the same amount of work between the ILTs and face-to-face lessons, which I find is beneficial to have more stability and a more predictable and manageable workload.”

What have you personally, enjoyed about the ILTs?

“For all my subjects, the ILTs have been beneficial before assessments because I have been able to use this time to complete practice tests and practice exams as set by my teachers, so that when I am in class, I can make the most out of that time to clarify any questions I may have instead of just quietly doing practice assessments and not utilising the teachers’ expert knowledge when they are there. It has also been beneficial to be able to move onto other work if I finish the ILT work early or to spend more time on a particular concept before moving on if I need more clarification or revision.”

The ILTs are a new concept for St Catherine’s School and as teachers, we are constantly learning from our work. What are some key pieces of feedback you could give to teachers regarding the content and structure of the ILTs?

“I would advise teachers to seek individual feedback from each of their classes to see what mode of ILT activities and delivery is preferred by each class. Another idea could be to add more variety to the types of tasks set during ILT time, such as alternating between a Masterclass lecture, an independent off-screen task and other subject-specific formats of ILT tasks.”