“Every lesson has a learning intention, what we’re trying to learn and how we’re going to achieve it ... Then you might have specific mini learning intentions for specific kids. Yours is punctuation, yours is capital letters after full stops. That’s where you get to the nitty-gritty ... at the end, we see if we have achieved our learning intention? No? How can we change it? What can we do the next day?” – Teacher Fairfield Heights Public School (What works best in practice CESE:2020)
- Learning intentions clarify the purpose of the learning and form the basis for assessment. The ‘Strong, Start, Great, Teachers’ resource can be used to lead teachers through the lesson design process
- Formative assessment is centred around the use of learning intentions. This example of formative assessment being used in the classroom could be viewed during professional learning with teachers or to refine individual practice (sourced from the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership)
- NESA outlines how sharing learning intentions can be a powerful way for teachers to improve student learning. Learning and assessment intentions provide a focus for, and clarity of, the knowledge, understanding and skills students are expected to develop as a result of teaching and learning
- For many students from refugee and EAL/D backgrounds, understanding lesson learning intentions presented in written form can be challenging. Providing information, including learning intentions, in a variety of modes including written, spoken, visual and L1 forms can support students to understand the purpose for learning. The Henry Parkes Equity Resource Centre has a range of bilingual resources, including bilingual dictionaries and picture dictionaries, which can support student understanding.
- Students with disability and additional learning needs may require specific, personalised learning intentions. These intentions can be broken down into smaller, more manageable components for the student. Students would also benefit from using a range of communication modes to support students understanding of the lesson intentions, such as using visuals, audio or video. The Jill Sherlock Memorial Learning Assistance Library provides an extensive range of educational and curriculum resources to meet the learning and support needs of students with a disability, from preschool to Year 12.