Mid-year survey supports Deeper Learning initiative

The Sharon Academy began an important initiative at its High School’s 2021-22 school year.  Dubbed “Deeper Learning”, this initiative was adopted to improve the teaching and learning experience and outcomes. Logistically, it involved moving the start of classes to later in the morning when adolescent brains are more active, concentrating learning into longer classroom sessions, focusing attention on just a few core subjects at a time, and rotating through the core subjects throughout the school year. Learn more

 

In December 2021, TSA conducted a survey among students to assess their experiences to date. Overall, the data below shows that the initiative has evoked a positive student experience. Another more in-depth survey is planned for the spring, to understand the effect of the deeper learning paradigm on educational outcomes.

 

Survey Results:

PROS of Modular Schedule

  • More specific content
  • Less homework, makes it easier to do extracurriculars
  • Easier to manage / maintain
  • Can get much more “into” a class, learn more, more interesting
  • More choices
  • Less stressful

 

CONS of Modular Schedule

  • Less time to revise work
  • Hard to retain information between modules
  • Classes can be too long/boring but depends on the class
  • Missing a day puts you at a bigger disadvantage/scared of missing days
  • The modules are too short

 

Do you have enough time to revise your work?

  • 61% Yes (3% of which is “most of the time”)
  • 16% No
  • 15% depends on the class/teacher/timing + caveats