Learning Intentions and Success Criteria

What are learning intentions?

A learning intention for an event or series of events is a statement, created by the provider, that describes what the provider wants the students to know, understand, and be able to do as a result of the learning and teaching activities in the event.

Clear learning intentions should help students focus not just on the task or activity taking place but on what they are learning. Learning intentions are always linked to one or more learning outcomes.

What are success criteria?

Good success criteria are closely linked to the learning intention

They should be easy to understand and written in student friendly language
They help the teacher and student to make judgements about the quality of learning
They should focus on specific features of the work and what the student is learning rather than what he/she is doing.

Sample 1 – History:

Learning Intention: To develop an understanding about Federation in Australia
Success Criteria	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3
An understanding of how key figures and events that led to Australia's Federation, including British and American influences on Australia's system of law and government.	Sequence key figures and events in the development of Australian democracy.	Sequence key figures and events and explain their significance in the development of Australian democracy, eg Sir Henry Parkes, Edmund Barton, Louisa Lawson, Vida Goldstein	Sequence key figures and events and explain their significance in the development of Australian democracy. Critically evaluate the impact of Federation on a current event in Australia.

Sample 2 – Literacy:

Learning Intention	Success Criteria
We are learning to: Present a point of view in a persuasive manner	I can: begin with a good opening sentence present reasons and examples to back up your argument use emotive and persuasive language (such as 'Surely') use humour, stories and/or questions to gain your audience’s attention conclude with a strong statement look at your audience

Sample 3 – Science:

Learning Intention	Success Criteria
We are learning to: Write a testable hypothesis Decide on the most appropriate methods for conducting an investigation Explain how reliability, fairness and safety have been considered	I can: generate, discuss, and choose interesting questions to investigate use scientific ideas to make testable predictions suggest more than one way to investigate the question identify the variables in the investigation explain the predicted relationships between the variables identify and justify the most appropriate way to investigate conduct a risk assessment of the proposed method and outlines necessary safety precautions - Identifies the most appropriate data-gathering instruments to record reliable data - Acknowledge the limitations on the precision of the data to be recorded

Learning Intention

Success Criteria

We are learning to:

Write a testable hypothesis
Decide on the most appropriate methods for conducting an investigation
Explain how reliability, fairness and safety have been considered

I can:

generate, discuss, and choose interesting questions to investigate
use scientific ideas to make testable predictions
suggest more than one way to investigate the question
identify the variables in the investigation
explain the predicted relationships between the variables
identify and justify the most appropriate way to investigate
conduct a risk assessment of the proposed method and outlines necessary safety precautions - Identifies the most appropriate data-gathering instruments to record reliable data - Acknowledge the limitations on the precision of the data to be recorded

Sample 4 – Stage 1 Geography:

Learning Intention	Success Criteria
We are learning to: notice the natural and human features of places.	I know I am successful if I can: draw some natural and human features of a place. talk about some natural and human features of a place. label some natural and human features of a place.

References

NSW Department of Education, Learning Intention and Success Criteria Google Slides sample. Accessed from: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1c9F8XDh8yxlZsYEnqroN5ljyQpD07Vk7rgggSB5qGjI/template/preview?clearCache=9ec35cc8-b9ae-ae7b-5313-21b5ba680fb

NSW Department of Education, Learning Intention and Success Criteria, PowerPoint templates. Accessed from: https://schoolsnsw.sharepoint.com/:p:/s/DLS/EUA8NbOaT_1OpW5HnsZhv4gBdFNSDpEllh5NhOGOgubecA?rtime=Yfm7dUCU2Ug&isSPOFile=1

National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (2015), Focus on Learning, Learning Intentions and Success Criteria. Available at https://ncca.ie/media/1927/assessment-workshop-1_en.pdf (Accessed Oct 2021)

Kamay Botany Bay Environmental Education Centre (2021). Learning Intention and Success Criteria sample

Learning Intentions and Success Criteria

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