ORICL is a new tool co-developed with professionals, policy-makers and providers, and trialled in long day care and family day care services to support infant-toddler educators to:
The tool does this by considering the unique contextual factors in the education and care setting that impact each child’s development, learning and wellbeing. Unlike other tools it does not assess quality at the group or room level, it encourages educators to observe, reflect and improve children's learning by considering children’s own actions, and those of educators and peers in response to children.
ORICL is unique in supporting individualised observation and reflection on children’s experiences.
See more information on the ORICL Tool here.
Background: By the age of 2 years, 59% of Australian children attend an early childhood service for a regular part of each week. However, a significant proportion of these services do not meet Australia’s National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care benchmark for quality, rated against the National Quality Standard (NQS). Under-performance is most evident in Quality Area 1: Educational Program and Practice that includes Standard 1.1 Program, Element 1.1.3 Program learning opportunities, Element 1.3.1 Assessment and planning cycle and Element 1.3.2 Critical Reflection. The ORICL tool has been designed to address this gap and enhance educators' knowledge and practice.
Research and development: Over the course of 2017-2019 a pilot study of the ORICL tool was completed across 4 states in Australia with 21 educators each using the tool to observe children aged between 7-33 months.
Findings: The stakeholder co-design panel endorsed the purpose, development and design processes, content, usability, and potential benefit of the ORICL tool. Educators reported the ORICL contributed to:
Find out more about our research and further developments here.
Macquarie University acknowledges the traditional custodians of the Macquarie University land, the Wallumattagal clan of the Dharug nation - whose cultures and customs have nurtured, and continue to nurture, the land since Dreamtime.
