You are here > Resources > Improvement Guides

Improvement Guides

The following are the guides developed by QLA to assist you apply specific Quality Learning and Improvement techniques.

The guides can be purchased singly, as a complete set or in handy packs of ten copies. Special prices are available for class sets and bulk purchases.

Quality Learning for Students with Special Needs

This guide was jointly written by QLA and Helena Hewish, a School Services Officer at Seaford 6-12 School in Adelaide.

The guide outlines how Helena uses the Quality Learning approach and tools with her Special Needs students - one-on-one, in groups and as a whole class.

The guide explains, with examples, the use of the following tools:
Parking Lot
Capacity Matrix
Code of Cooperation
Structured Brainstorming
Flowcharts

Publisher: Quality Learning Australia, Full colour, 20 pages 297mm x 210 mm.

H-SSN-one $25.00 incl. GST per copy.
Contact us for prices for bulk purchases.

Capacity Matrices

A Capacity Matrix is a visual learning tool and charting technique created by David Langford and Myron Tribus. It helps learners understand explicitly what they need to know, understand and be able to do. Progress towards these learning goals can be tracked over time using the matrix.

This guide book provides a comprehensive reference that describes the creation and uses of capacity matrices.

Click here to see examples of capacity matrices.

Publisher: Quality Learning Australia, Two colour, 24 pages 297mm x 210 mm.

H-CMAT-one $25.00 incl. GST per copy.
H-CMAT-ten $150.00 incl. GST for a pack of 10 copies.
Contact us for prices for bulk purchases.

Quality Learning School Self Assessment

This comprehensive guide introduces the 12 Principles that underpin the Quality Learning approach.

Each Principle is explained with description of how the Principle applies to a school and to a classroom.

A matrix of descriptors allows school teams to self-assess the maturity of the school's leadership and management processes against each Principle. This can be repeated periodically to measure progress integrating the Principles into daily action. Improvement opportunities are identified through the process to inform planning and improvement.

Click here to see a sample matrix.

Publisher: Quality Learning Australia, Two colour, 64 pages 297mm x 210 mm.

H-QLSSA-one $25.00 incl. GST per copy.
H-QLSSA-ten $150.00 incl. GST for a pack of 10 copies.
Contact us for prices for bulk purchases.

PDSA Improvement Cycle

The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) improvement cycle encapsulates how we learn and improve things. It has been a basis of the scientific approach to improvement since the 1920s.

This booklet describes PDSA thinking and its application as a structured nine-step process for improvement. For each action in the process, specific improvement tools are recommended and examples given.

Publisher: Quality Learning Australia, Full colour, 40 pages 297mm x 210 mm.

H-PDSA-one $25.00 incl. GST per copy.
H-PDSA-ten $150.00 incl. GST for a pack of 10 copies.
Contact us for prices for bulk purchases.

Process and Deployment Flowcharting

Processes are the sequences of actions we go through to get things done. A deployment flowchart can be used to document a process, including who is responsible for enacting each step along the way.

This improvement guide provides a comprehensive introduction to processes and flowcharting, including step by step instructions for creating deployment flowcharts. The guide also includes a comprehensive inventory of approximately 200 typical school processes.

Publisher: Quality Learning Australia, Two colour, 16 pages 297mm x 210 mm.

H-PDF-one $20.00 incl. GST per copy.
H-PDF-ten $120.00 incl. GST for a pack of 10 copies.
Contact us for prices for bulk purchases.

System Mapping (Second edition)

A System Map is a pictorial representation of the elements that comprise an organisational system. It can help us develop shared understanding of the critical elements within our systems and their interrelationships.

Click here to see examples of System Maps.

This second edition of the guide has been fully revised and update. It describes, with examples, the System Map tool. The booklet describes the key concepts and provides step by step instructions on how to create them.

Publisher: Quality Learning Australia, Two colour, 28 pages 297mm x 210 mm.

H-SM-one $25.00 incl. GST per copy.
H-SM-ten $150.00 incl. GST for a pack of 10 copies.
Contact us for prices for bulk purchases.

This page updated 30-Apr-2009