1. Independent learners: Appropriate Task Development and Classroom Management 1
Independent learners: Appropriate Task Development
and Classroom Management
Nancy Valley (16009196)
Understanding Learning: EDU4UL
June 7, 2010

2. Independent learners: Appropriate Task Development and Classroom Management 2
The critical moment that will be discussed in this piece occurred whilst observing a Year 7 Social
World class. A great deal of the learning and pedagogical theory as seen in Understanding
Learning course was clearly integrated into the lesson and employed in this classroom. The
learning outcomes were multifaceted and at the same time clear. Learning was integrated both in
lower and higher order thinking. This learning was also scaffolded and integrative of desired real
world skills. However, one of the most important pedagogical models that was exemplified was
proper classroom management, which contributes to a positive learning atmosphere and real
world.
The learning outcomes of this course are to contribute to the social development of children,
through socialization into Australian culture, whilst encouraging the abandonment of adolescent
egocentrism, in favor of empathy for and understanding of others. This class was studying religion
with the intended goal of learning about its relation to culture, while fostering cultural understanding
and sensitivity. All of this was clearly laid out in a schedule of tasks for each class that was handed
out to the students.
Before this class, students had several lessons on basic concepts regarding religion, and were
commencing a major project; where they would learn about the major religions of the world by
studying specific aspects towards understanding the religion as a whole. Thus, new information
would be added to student’s understanding of the world and would be used to change current
misconceptions, in accordance with cognitive development theory (Krause et al, 2000, p. 71). This
is good example of Vygotsky’s scaffolded learning, where prior knowledge was built upon and
more independence was given, as students got more comfortable with the subject (Krause et al,
2000, p. 88). Group work would be used to accomplish this.
From a student perspective, the efficacy of group work has always been quite questionable. Do
students really learn that much? Using the jigsaw model and having each student focus on one
aspect to develop a larger picture and teach others with the guidance of a teacher to construct
meaning seems like it will be an effective mode of cooperative learning (Krause et al, 2000, p.
244-246). It also seems to involve multiple orders of thought seen in Bloom’s taxonomy. The
student’s were also given a sheet to write down facts, which they would then have to explain to

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others in a presentation, involving at the very least remembering, understanding and creating
capacities (Krause et al, 2000, p. 194-197). Beyond being a good task to stimulate curriculum-
focused learning, this task also emphasized the development of independent learning and social
skills.
Although the aims of this task seem to be simply to move away from egocentrism, this type of
assessment is useful because it develops learning and interpersonal skills, which allow students to
do this in their own little micro-world, being the classroom, which can be translated into the real
world. Firstly, the students were engaging in inquiry based learning, meaning they were posed with
the problem, such as a lack of knowledge about Christian matrimonial practices, that needed a
solution, which they needed to do some research to come up with (Krause et al, 2000, p. 190). In
other words, they would, thus, be faced with a hole in their mental schema. To fix this, the students
would do research, while another person would research another area and they would share their
information to develop a presentation on Christianity, while others did the same. In the end, all of
the students, with the aid of the teacher, would do this for most of the world’s major religions and
the class would share the information so that everyone would know about various aspects of
human faith. To do this in the first place students would need to develop the interpersonal skills to
communicate and share information and understanding of differing perspectives (Krause et al,
2000, p. 248). Thus, the students are given models of problem solving and social skills, which can
be transferred into the real world, and are part of VELS across-curricular initiatives to aid in proper
social development.
From an assessment perspective, this type of assignment is good because it is useful as both a
summative and formative assessment. The assignment forces students to look for answers and
learn things. The completion of a fact sheet forces the students to research, the presentation to
others forces students to understand, interpret and organize the information so that it makes
sense, where the student will learn through the process of completing these tasks (Krause et al,
2000, p. 461). The final product will be useful in teaching others about the topic and can be used
by the teacher to assess what the student has learned upon completing the project, or as
summative assessment rather than formative.

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None of this has to do with the reason this observation was done, although it highlights the theories
presented in the course perfectly. This observation was done because Social World classes are
held in an open-concept gymnasium with partitions with two teachers team-teaching a double class
of Year 7 girls. From an ecological perspective, the expectation was that this would be a classroom
management nightmare because this is clearly not an ideal learning/teaching environment (Krause
et al, 2000, p. 512). This was encouraged by the fact that the teachers were older, soft-spoken staff
members who normally worked in the library.
At this point in my practicum, classroom management seemed to be a myth. A degree of control
could be had, but one was essentially at the mercy of the children before them. From this
observation, classroom management does exist, although the personal employment of this is still
lacking. Effective classroom management, which is the key to developing a productive learning
environment, seems to be linked to at least two aspects of the classroom. These are: the tasks that
are set and the expectations of the teacher and students.
Often when teaching French, and when observing my mentor, the students were very unruly. They
were frequently noisy, unmotivated and unhelpful. Some of the students said that they were
unmotivated and disliked French because it was ‘hard’ and they were ‘not achieving anything’. This
seemed to be fairly common perception amongst students, and translated into bad behaviour.
French teaching in Australia tends to emphasize reading and writing skills, however, most students
seem to judge their success based on the ability to communicate with others via listening and
speaking. What does this mean for the student’s sense of empowerment to be able to achieve
something? Without this as motivation or incentive, the students will not engage and invest in
learning (Krause et al, 2000, p. 262). In order to motivate, tasks need to be achievable, but at the
same time challenging. Children need to feel that they competent and have agency. They need to
feel like they have achieved success or had an impact, which cannot achieved when students give
up because they do not think they can complete a difficult task or that it is so easy that it is not
even worth the effort to engage (Krause et al, 2000, p. 104). Having an authority figure that is
inconsistent compounds not being motivated and engaged. If the teacher does not explicitly set out
rules with consequences that are enforced on a regular basis, how or why is the student going to
behave the way the teacher would like?

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Sally Sutherland, when questioned about why her students work independently and are so well
behaved, responded that that are trained to do so at the beginning of the year. This a very
behaviouralist approach to teaching, whereby the students are operantly conditioned to react a
certain way, where they have choice but know that certain consequences will follow (Krause et al,
2000, p. 159-162). After a while, the students do not need to be told to come in, take their seats
and reading independent for 15 minutes because they’ve internalized the desired behaviour
(Krause et al, 2000, p. 83). This seems to be something that a lot of the teachers observed during
rounds did not know or agree with.
To be an effective teacher, practices like those employed by Sally Sutherland, must be developed.
Generally, pedagogical practices should encourage students to be independent learner, who can
use and adapt the problem solving and social skills to solve various problems they are faced with.
This can be done by creating a productive learning environment, which is achieved though the
creation of appropriate tasks and setting out of a proper set of ground rules and corresponding
consequences to motivate and engage learners and dissuade behaviours, which are contradictory
to intended outcomes.
Ultimately, from this observation, it became apparent that the ability to complete tasks and
classroom management exist in a reciprocal relationship. When tasks are too easy or too hard
classroom management will become an issue. If classroom management is an issue, than the
ability to complete a task will be compromised. Based on the observation of the Year 7 Social
World class, several methods balancing the degree of difficulty and the amount of control held by
student or teacher were exemplified. With regard to assignments, tasks should be student centered
and target the learning abilities of the class in question, with elements that are modifiable. This
should be done to adjust the degree of difficulty, which will ensure that students maintain
motivation and stay engaged. Classroom management should be strived for with the setting out of
clear expectations and consequences, which are routinely enforced to get the desired behaviour.
Clearly, both the establishment of proper tasks, and rules and consequences that can be given to a
class, but cater to the individual is quite difficult. Hence, teachers could spend their entire career
attempted to accomplish this. However, one of the first steps towards finding the best solution is

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truly understanding the issues that exist and their relationship to each other.

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References
Krause, K-L Dawn., Bochner, S., Duchesne, S., & McMaugh, A. (2010). Educational
Psychology : for learning & teaching. South Melbourne, VIC: Cengage Learning.
Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) (05-05-2010). Reference List. Retrieved (05-06-2010)
from
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/08/