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Explicit teaching

Connecting learning

Teachers support students to make connections within and across learning to develop increasingly complex schemas.

What is connecting learning?

Teachers actively support students to make connections within and across knowledge, skills and understanding as well as to prior learning experiences. Learning is a change to long term memory. Long term memory is a network of overlapping information with many connections (AERO 2024a), which are called schemas (CESE 2017). Making connections within and across learning helps students to develop increasingly complex mental models or schemas (AERO 2024c). There is no limit to how complex a schema may become (CESE 2017).

Schemas help manage cognitive load because they only occupy one 'space' in working memory, even though they may be infinitely complex.

An image with four buckets representing available spots in working memory. In the first bucket is a group of connected circles representing ideas that have been stored in long term memory. Above this reads A schema occupies only one space, even though it may be very complex. In the second bucket is a single red circle representing one idea. Above this circle reads New information. The third bucket contains one grey circle representing another idea. Above this reads new information. The final bucket is empty and above this bucket is the text free space. An image with four buckets representing available spots in working memory. In the first bucket is a group of connected circles representing ideas that have been stored in long term memory. Above this reads A schema occupies only one space, even though it may be very complex. In the second bucket is a single red circle representing one idea. Above this circle reads New information. The third bucket contains one grey circle representing another idea. Above this reads new information. The final bucket is empty and above this bucket is the text free space.
Image: Figure 6 Schemas occupy only one ‘space’ in working memory.

Connecting learning is aligned with the ‘Significance’ Dimension of the Quality Teaching Model. The elements of ‘Background knowledge’, ‘Cultural knowledge’ and ‘Knowledge integration’ support students make connections in their learning to develop complex mental models or schema.

What could it look like in the classroom?

  • Connecting students’ background knowledge to a new concept – Digital Learning Selector: Activating Prior Knowledge
  • Using mind maps for describing what is known
  • Contextualising the value and significance of the learning with students.

What it isn’t

  • Asking students to find or discover connections without teacher guidance
  • Creating/sharing every possible connection across all KLAs
  • Making references to previous activities students have completed without making clear how the learning from that activity is connected to new learning
  • Assuming students have retained prior knowledge.

Further reading

AERO (Australian Education Research Organisation) (2024b) Managing cognitive load optimises learning, AERO, accessed 16 April 2024.

AERO (Australian Education Research Organisation) (2024c) Teach explicitly, AERO, accessed 16 April 2024.

AERO (Australian Education Research Organisation) (2024a) Why explicit instruction works, AERO, accessed 16 April 2024.

CESE (Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation) (2017) Cognitive load theory: Research that teachers really need to understand, NSW Department of Education, accessed 16 April 2024.

Category:

  • Teaching and learning

Topics:

  • Explicit teaching

Business Unit:

  • Curriculum and Reform
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