Learning Progressions: Aligning Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment

1.0 Introduction:
I have chosen an article titled Learning Progressions: Aligning
Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment. This article was written by Ravit
Goldan Duncan and Cindy E.Hmelo-Silver on 21 April 2009 at New
Brunswick, New Jersey. In this article, it more focused on learning
progressions in science teaching. It involved how to altering the
curriculum, direction and evaluation in order to improve science education
in all over country. Based on my reading, I found that this learning
progression or LP more focused on Sciences subject whom I think these
subjects are really important. When we talk about sciences, it involved in
chemistry subject, biology subject, physics subject and other subjects. All
these subjects are important when students want to further their study.
This subject will affected on what course that they could take and where
the universities that they will go for their tertiary level. I think this topic
suit with my subject as I will become a science teacher.
2.0 Summary
In this article, there are three goals that they focused. Firstly, it
explains the genesis for developing learning progression and agreed
suggested definition by people that involve in LPs. Second, it portrays how
this construct are being developed and validated. Lastly, it discussed on
unresolved questions in respect to the emerging of erudition.
Based on National Research Council [NRC] in 2007, learning
progressions assure that they would transform sciences education in
most of country to develop much better arrangement in curriculum,
direction and evaluation. According to Valverde and Schmidt in 2000, they
state that most countries, in current science standard they cover too
many topics in a cursory manner, so it rearranged on science curriculum
that focus on narrow ideas and exercise in a long period. Definition of LPs
provided will be narrower in four analytical and structural key of
description. Firstly, it highlighted on some basic and productive concept

and practices. Second, in learning progression, it has bounded for higher

anchor where learners are able to made elaboration of what they have
recognize and they are able to carried out at the end of the lesson. This
anchor is well-versed by analysis in this field as well as public prospect.
For lower anchor, learners are enclosed to explain about their previous
knowledge and their skills as they start join this program. Lastly, LPs
explain about diversified stages of successes as transitional steps
between the two anchors. These stages modified from composition of
existing study on student education in this field. Lastly, curriculum and
focused direction are division in the Learning Progression.
In development and validation of learning progress in nature, they
are theoretical in speculative models of knowledge where it required more
time to be empirically validate. Process of validating and developing are
related and happen through repeating process until approaching desired
goal or know as iterative cycle. Mostly, agreement have been achieved to
providing Learning Progression, it must enlightened by empirical research
on learners thought and medium of learning. Empirical research is defined
as viewed and measured phenomena and we got information from real
experience not from theory or belief (Ellysa, 2013). LPs would be based on
created cross sectional study which it held at one time or in a little period
that record students development based on information and reasoning
based on medium for all grades. Based on Lehrer and Schauble in 2000, it
stated progression must be in arranging in teaching experiments for all
grades.
Lastly, there are some unresolved questions in this progression.
Firstly, how the progression closely related to curriculum and instruction.
Second, what is the concept of validity means in this progress? Lastly, how
learning progression can estimate the histories of students.
3.0 Opinion
I am so impressed about this article because it highlighted more on
learning progressions especially in science education. Based on report

from National Research Council in 20017, I do agree that in Learning

Progression, it assure that they would transform sciences education in
most of country to develop much better in arrangement of curriculum,
direction and evaluation. In order to increase quality of science education,
we must have an improvement in the content. All the content in the
syllabus must be the latest one. As we know science field always have a
new findings. So, the content must be updated to make sure students are
able to know latest findings in science field. In my personal opinion,
syllabus or content of science education in Malaysia are left out from the
latest knowledge in science field. Student only learned about the older
findings of past 50 years ago. As time flies, lots of findings in sciences are
found. Our students only got the knowledge from their reading in internet,
books and other resources. Based on Ivan Salinas in 2009, it stated that
on learning progression, there are possible to construct a link between
research on studying and classroom practices in school. So, I think we
have to make a specific subject only for new findings and current issues in
sciences. So, our educational system can be upgraded as international
education system.
Other than that, based on Kennedy, Brown, Draney and Wilson in
2005, they stated that learners progresses are tracked by assessments
system that particular develop by them. I do agree with this system
because it prepared an assessments tracking system to evaluate student
progress. In order to get accurate and up to date the result about their
progression, students also can know their progression and can improved
their result. According to Ivan Salinas in 2009, Learning Progression is
explaining steps in students learning by helpful tools for them.
There are two anchors that bounded in learning progression. It is
upper anchor and lower anchor. For upper anchor, learners are able to
made elaboration of what they have recognize and they are able to carry
out at the end of the lesson. For lower anchor, learners are enclosed to
explain about their previous knowledge and their skills as they start join
this program. Based on my understanding, the lower anchor represent as

entrances test and upper anchor as exit test. This anchor would help them
to verify whether does the learner affect with this progression.
Next, according to Reiser, Krajcik, Moje and Marx in 2003, LPs has a
transition step which it would be evidence of learners understanding
where their ability is provided in the outline of learning presentation.
Levels knowledge for every student are tested based on their learning
performances. Teacher facilitated them to carry out the experiment in
neutralization. Then, students need to use their skills and knowledge
about neutralization process and apply it in the experiment. So how they
used the apparatus, chemicals and their safety equipment are evaluated
by teacher. So, I can conclude that their understanding will be evidence on
what they have applied in the situation.
Lastly, in process of validation and development of LPs it related and
take place in iterative cycles that shows lots of element along this cycles.
The entire elements in this cycle are repeating until the desired goal
approach. I think this cycle is very good to produce a valid program. It
shows that all the points are keep repeating until the best result produced.
For example, if we want to make something, for example we want to make
an experiment. We have to do it more than one times to get the best
result. If the result unsatisfied, we will redo again until we satisfied with
that. The more we try, the more we get. These progressions maybe have
weakness. By doing iterative cycles, all the weakness will be overcome.
4.0 Conclusion
In conclusion, this learning progression is really good ideas that
must be imply in our education system especially in science education.
The alteration of the curriculum gives a big impact toward our education
so it needs to be improved. As future teacher, I hope this progression of
learning will help me more to make student understanding in every theory
of science that they learn and they can imply it in daily live or situation. In
order to become develop countries, Malaysia need to fix the education

system because from education, it will develop nations. Develop nation

produce develop country.
This article is valid because the writers cited each the information
they got from others. The information that provided is really useful
because from my reading on this article, I start to know what are learning
progression, how it developed and the purpose for it. It also helps me in
doing article review for this subject.

5.0 References
Duncan, R., & Hmelo-Silver, C. (2009). Learning Progressions:
Aligning Curriculum, Instruction and Curriculum. Journal Of Research In
Science Teaching, 46(6), 606-609.

National Research Council (NRC). (2007). Taking science to school:

Learning and teaching science in
grade K-8. In R.A. Duschl, H.A. Schweingruber, & A.W. Shouse (Eds.),
Committee on science learning,
kindergarten through eighth grade. Washington, DC: The National
Academy Press.
Reiser, B., Krajcik, J, Moje, E., & Marx, R. (2003). Design strategies
for developing science
instructional materials. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the
National Association for Research in
Science Teaching, Philadelphia, PA.
Salinas, I. (2009, June 1). Learning Progressions In Science
Education: Two Approaches For Development. Retrieved April 5, 2015,
from http://education.msu.edu/projects/leaps/proceedings/Salinas.pdf
Songer, N.B., Kelcey, B., & Gotwals, A.W. (2009). How and when
does complex reasoning occur?
Empirically driven development of a learning progression focused on
complex reasoning about biodiversity.
Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 46, 610631.