In the 22^nd year of providing PD for secondary Psychology teachers, CDES is proud to present another quality program that delivers excellence in teaching practice for senior secondary Psychology in 2020. After four years of the current Units 1 & 2 course and three years of Units 3 & 4, we have a greater insight into the nuances of the current Study Design which is again a focus of the workshops on offer in the 2020 Conference program. In terms of breadth, the program covers Year 10 Psychology, VCE Units 1 – 4 and the IB course. Speakers presenting on Units 3 & 4 will utilise experiences gained from teaching the course to discuss some of the quirks and nuances of the Study Design. In so doing, they will share some of the teaching tools and tasks they have found to be of most use in maximising outcomes for students. Speakers presenting on Units 1 & 2 will provide a range of new as well as tried and proven teaching and learning ideas to engage and excite students about Psychology but also meet the learning outcomes. Specific workshops are also available on: Year 10 Psychology, the IB Psychology curriculum, exam preparation, maximising study scores in Psychology, teaching Psychology for the first time, the use of technology in Psychology classrooms, and much more. With almost two-thirds of the 42 different workshops offered being either new topics or workshops prepared and delivered by new presenters, this conference has been organised with fresh, stimulating material alongside current pedagogical practice, covering differentiation, flipped classrooms and other evidence based teaching strategies.

One of the highlights of the annual conference, consistently reported by teachers is the opportunity to hear about directly from VCAA personnel involved in overseeing our study. In 2020, teachers will again have the opportunity to hear from Erin Wilson, Stem Manager (Psychology and Biology) at the VCAA, whose role it is to administer VCE Psychology. Erin will present the usual VCAA Update and a Q & A opportunity in the first session of the day. Dr Meredith McKague, the Chief Assessor of the VCE Psychology Exam also address all teachers in the VCAA Update session. She will provide an overview of the common mistakes made by students in the 2019 exam. Both Erin and Dr McKague will also present specific workshops (see the Brochure for details). They have both committed to being at the conference for its duration, so there will be many opportunities to also chat with them informally throughout the day. The ‘Meet the Speakers’ session at the end of the formal program will also provide a chance for teachers to chat with some of the other 2020 Conference presenters.