Decision-making simulation

Self Determination for Programme Leaders

2016 scenario guide to effective tertiary education in New Zealand: Planning resource for programme leaders

My decision-making context:

I am reviewing the scenario through the lens of of a school principal of a Catholic School in provincial New Zealand.  

Overview of the scenario:

This is a very student centred approach to learning.  There are significant support structures available for and provided to the learner from the community beyond the classroom walls.  Experts are utilized from the community to provide programmes that are specific to the needs of individual students; there is a strong partnership between school staff and outside providers.  Instructional material is diverse, with there being no set text or programme outline.  The classroom can be anywhere, certainly not limited to a traditional classroom that has the students doing all of their learning in the one traditional teaching space.

Brainstorm list of recommended decisions:

What checks will be put in place to ensure that learning providers have the skills necessary to meet the needs of students?

Is the learning too personalised in terms of possible future application in wider contexts for the students?

Are there resources available in the community to support learners, or will there be a need to look beyond the immediate community?

Will this type of learning attracted learners?

Conversely, will this type of learning environment repel potential students and their families?

What physical ICT resources will be needed to support the learners and learning environment?

Two most important strategic decisions:

What checks will be put in place to ensure that learning providers have the skills necessary to meet the learning needs of students?

When counting on individuals and organisations who have not had specific training in working with students there will need to be considerable guidance, at least initially, to ensure that they have the pedagogical knowledge to support specific content knowledge and skills to meet the diverse learning needs of students.

Is the learning too personalised in terms of possible future application in wider contexts for the students?

Students in a primary school need a broad range of skills to meet the increasing learning requirements that are placed on them by statutory demands, such as curriculum requirements and national standards.  A too narrow focus may lead to strong skills and ability on some areas, but could be detrimental when looking at the ‘bigger picture’ in terms of the long term knowledge and skills acquisition to be successful in the New Zealand school learning environment.

Transferability of recommended decisions for the scenarios alternatives:

What checks will be put in place to ensure that learning providers have the skills necessary to meet the learning needs of students?

As the scenarios develop across the spectrum, from the bottom left to the top right of the figure 1 diagram, this becomes more relevant.  The four scenarios move from a more tightly structure programme, in which the provider has considerable influence in the teaching and delivery of programmes, through to a far more open structure, in which outside providers and resources are utilized to meet the needs of students and deliver programmes.

Is the learning too personalised in terms of possible future application in wider contexts for the students?

This is determined by the selection of programmes in any of the four scenarios.  Any of the four approaches could be based around either a very narrow or broad curriculum.  The breadth of the curriculum isn’t determined by the methodology for delivering it.