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Curriculum advice for remote and flexible learning

Implementing the Victorian Curriculum F–10

The following information outlines curriculum area advice to schools to support remote learning and continuity for students in F–10 Science. This advice should be read in conjunction with broader advice provided to schools regarding the Victorian Curriculum F–10 on the VCAA and Victorian Curriculum F–10 websites.

Delivering F–10 Science remotely and flexibly

Keep in mind

  • Schools can review and adapt their teaching and learning program for Science to enable the curriculum to be delivered at home via remote learning.
  • Teachers are best placed to make teaching and learning adjustments, and assessment adjustments, that are appropriate to their own circumstances. Teachers need to take into account their access to remote learning tools (such as online learning platforms) and the strengths and limitations of their student cohort.
  • A weekly program of teaching and learning, based on the original teaching and learning program, can be developed for students to complete at home. This program should include learning activities that enable students to demonstrate aspects of the relevant achievement standards in Science.
  • Schools may provide templates to scaffold students' practical activities and investigations at home, focusing on questioning, predicting, observing, recording and reporting.
  • Schools must ensure that selected home-based science activities are safe. Students and parents or guardians must be advised of appropriate precautions and safety measures that may be involved in undertaking the activities, including safe handling and disposal of materials.

Ideas and connections

  • Schools may consider if there is an alternative scientific methodology and/or method that may be used to deliver curriculum content, in place of what was originally planned; for example, simulations, modelling or constructions may be used to replace laboratory experiments.
  • Group work may be restructured, with students working at home to individually generate data to share with other group members through various modes.
  • Where the generation of primary data is not possible, schools may consider different methods of accessing and using secondary data, for example, accessing and using de-identified student data from previous years, virtual online labs, case studies, media articles, online databases, and online library, museum or scientific organisation resources.
  • Teachers may conduct and videorecord experiments that students would have completed at school and upload these onto learning management systems for access by students. These may be supported by worksheets. Students could watch the video and record their own observations and data, and then work in groups to discuss and evaluate the data.
  • Teachers may consider how activities that are already happening at home can be turned into opportunities for science inquiry, for example, soaking dishes with and without detergent.
  • Schools may consider the critical aspects of practical work and which investigations can reasonably be undertaken by students at home. For example, using existing data and making simple measurements and observations may be more sustainable than creating entire practical activities for a home environment or expecting that the usual practical activities conducted at school translate directly to home use.
  • In situations where student access to materials at home is limited, teachers may select one home-based practical activity that can link concepts and skills across and within different strands and/or sub-strands.
  • Teachers may provide templates to scaffold students' practical activities and investigations at home, focusing on questioning, predicting, observing, recording and reporting.
  • Depending on the resources available at home, students may draw, graph, photograph, label, create an electronic artefact, generate and respond to blogs, construct models and/or write a response to communicate their findings.
  • Designing experiments is an important skill that can be practised by students at home, with analysis, evaluation and feedback being provided online by peers and teachers.

Useful resources

In addition to VCAA resources, teachers may consider resources from other sources:

Teachers are reminded that when using resources from external organisations they should ensure resources are aligned to the Victorian Curriculum F–10 Science achievement standards and content descriptions.

Assessment and achievement standards

  • Assessment should not be onerous for teachers or students. Valid assessment does not need to be lengthy; short tasks that focus on specific content and/or a particular skill can be used formatively and/or summatively.
  • Schools should assess student learning, including evidence from practical activities and scientific investigations, against the relevant aspects of the achievement standards in the Victorian Curriculum F–10.
  • Teachers can select and use a variety of assessment types to provide timely feedback to students and to monitor learning progress. Schools can review the range of assessment tasks to achieve a balance between short inquiry-based activities that focus student attention on particular skills and understanding and more open-ended, rich assessment tasks that can be completed over a longer period of time at home.
  • On the resumption of face-to-face learning, schools may need to undertake further assessment to determine students' actual progression of learning, considering the original teaching and learning program and making the necessary adjustments to this program as required.

For more information

Maria James, Science Curriculum Manager (Chemical / Earth and Space / Physical Sciences)

Phone (03) 9032 1722 or email the Science Curriculum Manager

 

Erin Wilson, STEM Curriculum Manager (Biological Sciences / STEM)

Phone (03) 9032 1723 or email the STEM Curriculum Manager

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