Action+Plans+-+Academic+Strategies

ACTION NAME: **Strategic Changes to academic programs and teaching styles and methods**

1. Implicitly and explicitly include Theory of Knowledge concepts in every subject, encouraging and developing critical thinking skills. 2. Support students in need through coordination of the peer tutor programme. 3. Provide information for teachers on how they can support students in need of reinforcement in areas such as language development, time management, study skills and learning strategies. 4. Make better use of w3/w4 subject pages, providing online resources for students, peer tutors, and staff. 5. Pilot studies of on-line teaching (eg Physics) 6. Learn to make effective use of the Smart-board technology, taking advantage of opportunities to expand skills with colleagues and students. 7. Develop the teaching of Arabic as a beginners language
 * DESCRIPTION**

1. Improvement in perceived relevance of ToK among students and assessment results. 2. Enhanced self Confidence among target group and improved overall performance. Monitored by advisors. 3. Production of shared documentation and availability – monitored by Education Committee. 4. Updating of files on w3 and from Jan 2011 on w4 – monitored by Academic Programs (APC) committee 5. Production of on-line Physics and Chemistry courses as pilot schemes. 6. All staff to be competent with smart board following training. Monitored by APC
 * MEASURABLE GOAL**

1,2,3,4, Ongoing process of training development and upgrading. 4 Launch of w4 complete with academic links- Jan 2011 in beta form 5 Smart-board competence by April 2011 for current staff. 7 Volunteers courses in 2010 – 2012.
 * TIMEFRAME AND MILESTONES**

All teachers – 5. abandoned or postponed
 * RESPONSIBLE PERSONS**

Time – no need for special budget. Possible need for investment in extra smart-boards
 * RESOURCES /COSTS /**

To maintain the relevance of the academic curriculum. To ensure that the RCNUWC model becomes more widely known.
 * RELEVANT FOR:**

1. Slow progress but the TOK course is improving as noted in student feedback. 2,3 Angie Toppan (teacher of ESL) given support to attend specialist course LILAC (Language in Learning Across the Curriculum) and to develop material and training for staff. First sessions planned for May 2011 with volunteer staff and from August 2011 for all staff. Teacher feedback shows there is a need for greater support to students from difficult backgrounds. Second course begins August 2011. First course a great success. Staff training for all in August completed. As of 1st October 2011, 18 staff have attended the two courses. 3,4 With pressure from the Student Council the subject pages on w3 and soon on w4 are being updated. Training for new intranet site w4 to begin in February 2012. 5 The IB is developing online course. Physics teacher was invited to join the working group but declined because of limits in the course ambitions. The use of online teaching for language teaching (eg Arabic and Chinese) is being investigated by UWC heads in partnership with the IB. Plan abandoned through lack of need and support. 6 Noticeable increase in the use of Smart Board technology but frustrations felt by hardware failures caused by student abuse. Need rules and instructions for use and restrictions on damaging use by students. March 2012 Updating of older boards and addition of 4 new boards in identified rooms. 7. Contacts with W Sahara (Polisario exchange with Fredskorps) have enabled informal Arabic teaching but not the introduction of a formal subject. Chinese language learning has suffered a setback <span style="font-family: 'arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">with the refusal of work permits for part time teaching 2010 -2011. Confusius Institute in Bergen seeking ways to <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">support teaching of Chinese at RCN. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Sept 2011 Bergen based Confusius Institute provide a teacher at the college from September 2011. Initially for a two year period. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt;">Teacher confirmed for one more year. Course proceeding well. Summer course planned in summer 2012.
 * STATUS:**

Experienced teachers of Arabic recruited for the first time to arrive in August 2012. FK extend exchange with W Saharah due to the sucess of the project especially for volunteers in the WS camps. Numbers to be increased to 6 from Norway twice a year.