Seven Learning Principles Chart
Seven Learning Principles Chart
Seven Learning Principles Chart
Developed by Ellen Hauser and Bernadette Pearce, Sandhurst Catholic Education Office, Wagga
Wagga, Australia.
The OECD’s work on innovative learning environments was led by Hanna Dumont, David Istance and
Francisco Benavides. Their 2010 report “The Nature of Learning” identified seven principles of
learning:
Each of these principles is described in more detail in the research report and in the 2012
practitioner guide: Nature of Learning: Practitioner guide (PDF).
One way to help leaders and teachers to scan the learning environment using the seven principles is
to ask them to carefully read each of the descriptions in the practitioner guide and then to fill in the
boxes on the chart on the next page.
There are three main questions to consider for each of the principles:
What are we doing well that is promoting learning and how do we know?
What are we not doing so well that isn’t promoting learning and what evidence do we have?
What do we need to think about next? (This last question might be about collecting further
evidence, or be about developing a focus in the spiral).
NOTE
The same principles apply to professional learning environments. When you get to the New learning
phase of the spiral of inquiry, learning and action, it might be important to visit these principles
again in relation to professional learning.
What are we doing well What are we not doing so What are we doing well What are we not doing so What are we doing well What are we not doing so
that is promoting learning well that isn’t promoting that is promoting well and isn’t promoting that is promoting well and isn’t promoting
learning? learning? learning? learning? learning?
What evidence do we 1. Learners at the centre What evidence do we What evidence do we 2. Social nature of What evidence do we What evidence do we 3. Emotions are integral What evidence do we
have? have? have? learning have? have? to learning have?
What next? What next? What next? What next? What next? What next?
How do we know? 7. Building horizontal How do we know? How do we know? 6. Assessment for How do we know? How do we know? 5. Stretching all students How do we know?
connections learning
What next? What next? What next? What next? What next? What next?