What is a learning assessment and what is available for children?
A Learning Assessment can be a formal or informal process, whereby learning preferences, capacities and cognitive abilities (e.g IQ) are identified.
Observational assessment is a more informal type of assessment, which can help guide decisions about learning and help identify ways to engage better in learning. If you are accessing the free Learning Assessment, this involves a 30min online consultation with you and your child to provide guidance on the best way to support your child.
An Observational Assessment involves 2x50min parent sessions and 2x50min learner sessions. An observational report about your child's learning capacity is provided. This is available to learners aged 15-18 and costs $550.
Formalised assessment (or cognitive assessment) can help identify learning road blocks or areas of strength for your child. This can be useful when learning difficulties are suspected, or boredom at school is a problem due to higher cognitive capacities. The purpose a formalised cognitive assessment is to develop an individualised plan to support your child's learning potential. Unlike some proponents of IQ testing, the focus is to develop capacity rather than dictate potential. A formalised learning assessment involves a cognitive assessment (WISC-V) and associated report. This will identify learning strengths and challenges which can inform specific interventions and recommendations for your child at school. The assessment process will involve 2x50min parent sessions and 2x50min learner sessions. This will include both observational information as well as Australian normed cognitive assessment. This is available to learners aged 6-16 years. The cost of this service is $990.
What happens after a learning assessemnt?
There are a number of options after a formal or observational learning assessment. You can take the report back to your child's educational setting and provide information to help educators adopt any recommendations to improve your child's learning.
You can schedule further 1-1 sessions to develop your child's capacity to learn and improve any less developed areas.
You may also be referred to another service to support your child and their learning, for example a counselling psychologist to support the emotional and social wellbeing of your child.
Alternatively, you may wish to enrol your child into one of the two learning programs for learners in either grades 7-9 or 10-12 to work with a cohort and improve their capacity to learn to learn or extend their potential.
What are your online learning to learn programs?
A major goal of education in Australia is to create lifelong learners who can acquire, retain and retrieve new knowledge independently. Explosive growth in technology has transformed the way knowledge is attained and learners who are unable to adapt will face limited career and study opportunities.
While formal and informal assessment can identify learning preferences, potential, strengths and weaknesses, fundamentally learning is a skills that can be taught and developed. Furthermore, a learner's ability to self-manage and regulate their learning environment is a greater predictor of success than IQ. Therefore, it has become critical that learners understand how they learn, what effective learning involves and how they can use these skills to future-proof themselves for the learning environments of the future.
The programs offered by I Learn for Life develop a learner's capacity to learn how to learn and to understand the principles of effective learning. In light of the current global challenges (currently COVID-19), the nature of learning itself is changing and the programs we offer will ensure your learners are not left behind.
What is involved in the online learning to learn programs or 1-1 sessions?
All 1-1 sessions and the programs offered focus on the development of three critical learning skills:
Understanding my learning - This helps learners understand how they personally learn at their full potential by exploring individual learning preferences, learning mindset and learning obstacles. This has never been more necessary than in today's ever-shifting and often virtual learning environments. Each learner will receive a tailored report detailing their own personal challenges, their current learning mindset and learning preferences.
Improving my learning is outcome focuses on developing a learner's understanding of learning skills, strategies and processes for effective learning and content engagement.
Future-proofing my learning is the ultimate outcome of the program which enables a learner to apply what they have learned, and the principles of effective learning to different life skills that will support you in the future. This includes a focus on resilience, organisation, creative thinking and goal setting. In 1-1 sessions it can also focus on specific learning challenges and curriculum topics.
A learner can enrol in the full programs and they must be completed sequentially. This involves six 90 min sessions conducted in small groups online. Alternatively a learner can engage in 1-1 bespoke sessions which focus directly on current learning challenges.
Programs are offered for learners in grades 7-9 and also grades 10-12. Developmental challenges exist at each of these learning stages, with a higher focus on motivation, relationships and self-management in grades 7-9 and grades 10-12 will take a deeper look at the choices they make and how they influence learning capacity.
How does the online learning to learn program work? What technology is required?
If enrolled in an online program you receive an email providing access to a 20-30 minute Learning Capacity assessment. This questionnaire provides some base information to support your capacity to develop lifelong learning skills. Once completed, students will receive a second email to an online classroom where the sessions will take place, they are provided with a calendar invite for each subsequent session and link to attend the classroom. To attend the online sessions each learner will need a personal computer, their own email address, webcam and microphone. A stable internet connection is also required. A printer is useful if your student like to print the program workbook.
How much does the online learning programs cost?
1-1 online sessions are run for 50 min @ $150
The programs for high school students (grades 7-9 or 10-12) involve six 90 min sessions conducted in small groups. This program costs $880/student. These are run on an as needed basis.
How do I book in and attend a session?
Click here to book online. Follow the prompts to enrol into the program (ages 16-18) or book a 1-1 session. Once the booking is confirmed you will receive an email to explain how and when to access the online classroom. Before you attend the session you will be asked to provide some background information via a Learning Capacity assessment which will provide insight into your current learning approaches. You will need to complete this feedback forms at least 2 days before your first online session to be eligible to attend.
What kind of improvements could I expect to see?
Students who undertake the program can expect better self-awareness, understanding of the factors that influence their own learning environment (e.g. anxiety/mindset/boredom) and how to over come these. They will also develop the skills to identify their mindset towards learning and challenge this when it is not conducive to progress. Learners will understand the preferences they have when learning, and impact that this has on engagement and the achievement of outcomes.
Who can be involved in the online learning to learn programs?
The program is designed for high-school students and divided into two groups (Grades 7-9 and grades 10-12). They are designed for individual's who want to develop their capacity to become life long learners. The program aims to explore the ways you learn; your learning environment; and what is impacting your learning. Improved marks has often been an outcome for many who have participated as they become more self-directed learners. The objective it to help you develop the skills to improve your approach to learning. This means that you can become a self-directed learner who can work to improve your own learning situation.
I am interested in the program but do not think my child will engage...
The best approach would be to schedule a phone call with the facilitator and your child. We would recommend that they attend the first first classroom session online. If the program is not right for them we will provide a refund for the full program. The 90 min group sessions are designed using the principles of effective learning and therefore if the session is not engaging the learner, we have not designed it well. This engagement excludes technical related bandwidth issues.
What is your track record? What success has the program had in the past?
On the home page a summary of the most recent student's engaging with the I Learn for Life approaches have been shared. Real names have been changed to uphold the confidentiality of the learners.
What is covered in the program?
The Becoming a lifelong learner program covers the following topics:
1. Understanding my learning preferences, skills and capacity
2. Identifying my current learning mind-set (e.g. fixed v.s. growth principles) and emotional states that impact learning (e.g. anxiety)
3. Understanding the cognitive processes (the neuroscience) and conditions for effective learning
4. Explore my cognitive processing and learning preferences (e.g. propositional learning, procedural learning, experiential learning or conceptual learning)
5. Goal setting to improve my current learning environment.
What research and evidence is the program based upon?
The About Us menu includes some reference material about the current educational theories and philosophies upon which the program is based. Some of the key principles underlying the programs include:
1. Developing a learners ability to self-regulate (Nilson, 2013)
2. Supporting a learner to manage their learning environment (Winne, 2011)
3. Improving a learners mindset towards learning (Dweck, 2007)
4. Providing insight into the learners learning preferences (Sawyer, 2014)
5. Teaching the the learner to engage with effective learning design principles (Sawyer, 2014, Atkin 1978)
What if the times of the program do not suit me or my child?
The programs schedule is currently based on demand and aims to be run when learners are more available online. If you are interested, however, the time does not suit your needs, please let us know via the contact form. We can discuss future scheduling options with you.
My question is not listed here?
Please let us know via the contact form. We can discuss further questions you have over a phone meeting.
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