ABSTRACT
Action planning is a central leitmotiv of this book; it follows from an analysis of past achievements and implications for planning of pathways of learning that still lie ahead. The rise of action planning is a response to flexible learning systems1 which, in turn, are a response to the realisation of the potential of information technology to transform the workplace – in school or outside. Opportunities for action planning reach further still; many schools have moved to modular programmes, particularly at the secondary and post16 phases, where students negotiate with teachers to follow combinations of compulsory and optional modules that contribute to a rounded and yet specialised programme of learning. Modular programmes have several attractions:2
they are learner-centred and responsive to individual needs; greater autonomy and responsibility for planning learning is devolved to students, building in ‘ownership’of the learning process; students can both specialise and follow generalist, all-round education; they enable learning to be focused and organised into easily manageable units; they enable students to develop their own ‘portfolios’of achievements; assessment is continuous rather than summative (at the end of many years of schooling); frequent feedback is available; the comparatively open pathways through modules can be more individualised than longer courses; they enable cross-curricular, cross-department planning and collegiality to develop; they are outcome-focused and objectives-driven; they are premised on a personalised approach to teaching and a personal tutor system, i.e. they acknowledge the significance of one-to-one discussions in planning pathways, setting targets and action planning; they enable small amounts of learning and achievements to be recognised and qualified, enhancing student motivation; they are competence-driven.
