Projects

The Learning Partnerships project involves collaborations between school students and tertiary students of Medicine and Education. The tertiary students participate in a curriculum of shared drama workshops designed to assist teachers and doctors to communicate effectively with adolescents about social and emotional issues which impact on learning and wellbeing. The school students work as coaches, key informants and actors, assisting the teachers-to-be to explore the impact of social problems on student engagement in learning and the medical students to develop their skills in talking with young people about social health issues.

The work fits in the drama curriculum as the students focus on the different types of theatre they are using and on developing their skills in using drama and theatre to promote social health. The work becomes part of the English curriculum via a focus on researching and communicating about social issues. Some of the English classes have researched and written small books designed to help beginning teachers. The work in development of the English curriculum has taken place under the leadership of Glen Pearsall, Head of English at Eltham High School. Bernadette Murphy (AYRC) has led the development of the primary curriculum, where the work is incorporated into the literacy and personal development curriculum. In the primary classes there is a strong focus on developing social skills and citizenship opportunities as well as a focus on oral language and critical thinking. Regardless of which subject ‘home’ the students do the work within, they find it to be uplifting to be engaged in authentic learning tasks in which they have a real and appreciative audience who value their contribution. They build social competence, self-esteem and a sense of pride in having made a contribution.

In 2006, the project was awarded a Vice-Chancellor’s Teaching and Learning Innovations grant to support its expansion. A professional development day was run in December 2006 to incorporate new schools. Four primary schools and seven secondary schools were represented and these schools will become active in the partnerships in 2007. Project activity in 2006 included the provision of twelve seminars for final year medical students and four seminars delivered into three Education Policy Schools and Society classes in the Diploma of Education/Bachelor of Teaching courses. The school partnerships were with Princes Hill Secondary College (Prue Wales and Tracy Carroll), Williamstown High School (Michael Waugh), University High School (Ken Harper), Eltham High School (Glen Pearsall), and Errol Street Primary School (Renee McConnaghy).

Contact: Helen Cahill

Contact: h.cahill@unimelb.edu.au