For the first time in a decade, the New South Wales English Curriculum is breaking free of old restraints, with the introduction of the English Discovery Program – a new study concept that will replace the ‘Journey’ area of study that has been the standard for the last ten years.
This new area of study requires students to explore discovery as a concept, and investigate how discovery is represented within the set texts. While both areas of study are similar, the Discovery Program concept delves deeper into abstract thought processing; necessitating a deeper understanding of the text, the author and the way in which a concept resonates in everyday life.
Instead of exploring the simple why, what and how thought process of ‘Journey’, the Discovery Program looks deeper at why a discovery is necessary, what did (or does) a discovery reveal, what impact did / does the discovery have and how do these ramifications differ for each individual, now, in the past, as well as in the future.
By generating compositions and responses to the concept of Discovery (from within the texts), students reflect on discovery:
- within their own experiences,
- within their experience through engagement with texts,
- by how the author has shaped the concept,
- of individual and widely-held assumptions or beliefs,
- as well as through the representations of other people, relationships, communications, societies, events, places and ideas.
The comprehensive model of the Discovery Program can be difficult to grasp for some students. The level of lateral thinking involved in this type of program often causes students to focus on the minutiae and lose sight of the bigger picture. Thankfully, Global Education Academy (GEA) are one of only a few tutoring academies who have integrated the Discovery Program into their courses.
We guide students at an individually catered pace, in order to clarify the complex meanings behind the Discovery Program. Students are empowered with strategies that foster independent thinking skills, which allow them to develop a deep understanding of the required concepts.
