Facilitating factors

1.	Data was used effectively to promote reflective teaching practices
	Based on the student work and feedback collected from teachers, the curriculum team continuously revised the teaching and learning materials used. A clear schedule was set and there were checkpoints to collect student work to ensure effective implementation of the project. Based on the student work, the NSS team members discussed with the teachers how feedback could be given to students in order to reduce the mistakes made in the final draft. The NSS team members explained to the participating teachers the rationale and objectives of the design of the project and the expectations on student work.  They also conducted lesson demonstrations to show the other teachers how feedback could be given after each sales presentation.
	For example, After looking at the posters, leaflets and story boards, the NSS team members shared the findings and suggestions with the participating teachers:
2.	One of the learning objectives of “Learning English through Workplace Communication” is to enhance learners’ ability to carry out workplace-related activities through providing them with opportunities to practise and demonstrate their language and communication skills in simulated tasks.   This coincides with the aim of the Careers and Guidance team -- To see all students, irrespective of their abilities, orientations and levels of study, being able to develop positive attitudes towards work and learning.

Implications for learning and teaching

1. Students have different learning styles and different talents. If they are given the opportunities to learn or present their knowledge and skills in different ways, their strengths can be shown and they are less likely to give up. Students who are not good language learners or can easily display logical-mathematical thinking may not achieve high academic performance, but they may be good at other things. They can be as successful as the high achievers in their future career.
   
   
2. To help students develop positive attitudes towards work and learning, it is important for teachers and students to play their roles in the simulation. Teachers should give students feedback from the perspective of the CEOs of a big company, with students as the trainees of the branch companies. The feedback of CEOs is very important in helping students understand work-related conventions and expectations. The students are expected to see their tasks as part of a marketing campaign, not homework. The audience should also play the role of customers with critical eyes. 
   
   
3. Quality feedback is crucial to maximise students’ learning. The teachers involved need to set checkpoints to collect student work so that students have enough time to make revisions to the products based on teachers’ feedback and have all the products ready for the sales presentation.
   
   For sales presentation, feedback should be given to ‘the companies’ right after their presentations. Comments should be given on the product, the language use and the design of the posters, TV commercials and the performance on the sales presentation in the perspective of a supervisor.
   
   
4. It is important for the teachers involved to reach a consensus on the objectives of the project and expectations of student learning.  Level of expectations and input materials can be differentiated to meet the needs of students. For stronger classes, teachers can allow students to work on any products (services are difficult to promote as they involves abstract concepts) they are interested in; for weaker classes, teachers ask students to work on a specific category; for really weak classes, teachers can set the product to be sold (e.g. chocolate, shampoo) as it is easier for teachers to prepare input for students if the range of choices is limited.
   
   
5. The teachers who participated in the project preferred to have the whole project completed before the end of S5. Cross year projects are more difficult to manage. There were unknowns like deployment of teachers, schedule and plans for the new school year. It also took some time to remind students of work previously completed.
   
   
6. It is important to align the different components of the curriculum, as well as the teaching, learning and assessment cycle.
   
   
7. The PROCESS is as important as the PRODUCT. It is important to ask the students to complete the worksheets and give them feedback before they design the final product. The students spent effort and time on designing beautiful products, posters, leaflets, etc., so they were reluctant to make changes. Unfortunately this meant unnecessary language mistakes could be found in the final products.  It was a pity to identify language mistakes on posters with beautiful design, leaflet and attractive and creative TV commercials.

Conclusion