TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment

Transcription

1 TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment MODULE 2 Creating Training Programs Within The VET System 1 Viviani Consulting

2 General Overview - TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment Over the next 12 months you will be participating in gaining a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. This qualification reflects the roles of individuals delivering training and assessment services in the vocational education and training (VET) sector. The skill derived from this qualification are suitable for those engaged in the delivery of training and assessment of competence in a workplace context. As a Preceptor, you are employed with the purpose of mentoring, supporting and training Graduate Nurses in the workplace. Attaining your TAE10 will enable you to have better skills and knowledge to perform your job well in supporting these job requirements. You will receive a self paced manual, designed to guide yourself through the course. You will be supported through this program with Collaborate on-line sessions guided by a trainer, and and phone support from this trainer as required. Throughout this training course it is expected that from time to time you will have questions, or want to run ideas past someone. The people supporting you through this are your trainer and your supervisor in the workplace. Please speak to your trainer if you have questions which relate to the course itself, and to your workplace supervisor if you have questions about how to manage your time, appropriateness of your projects to the workplace, and support within the workplace to complete your course. There are 10 units required for this qualification. The seven core units are: TAEASS401A Plan assessment activities and processes TAEASS402A Assess competence TAEASS403A Participate in assessment validation TAEDEL401A Plan, organise and deliver group-based learning TAEDEL402A Plan, organise and facilitate learning in the workplace TAEDES401A Design and develop learning programs TAEDES402A Use training packages and accredited courses to meet client needs 2 Viviani Consulting

3 The three elective units are: BSBLED501A Develop a workplace learning environment TAEDEL301A Provide work skill instruction BSBCMM401A Make a presentation This qualification assumes that you as the Preceptor have the vocational skill and background in nursing in order to be able to provide both training and assessment in nursing. After having completed this qualification, for those interested in furthering their skills and knowledge within the VET sector, you may go on to do further study, such as: TAA50104 Diploma of Training and Assessment or TAE70110 Vocational Graduate Certificate in Adult Language, Literacy and Numeracy Practice. Self Paced Learning There are 3 modules for completion during this course. These modules are designed as self paced modules, with timelines given as guidance so that learners can get a general guide on how to plan their work in order to have it completed on time. The modules are: Module 1 - Delivering Learning Programs. This module is about delivering nonaccredited coaching / skills based training sessions in the workplace. It also gives you an introduction to working within the Vocational Education and Training Sector. Module 2 - Moves onto developing and implementing training that is based upon formally recognised units of competency, including conducting training and assessment in this mode but also completing an RPL assessment based upon formally recognised qualifications. Module 3 - This Module is about the collection of supplementary evidence along the way of conducting the program. The purpose of the journal is to assist you to reflect upon your learning, as this reflective process assist us to improve our skills and knowledge. 3 Viviani Consulting

4 Support - You will be receiving online collaborate sessions throughout this course; one every month. You will also receive fortnightly s regarding the training with information and updates. Finally, you will receive on-line blog questions and learner resources. and phone support from the trainer are available throughout this training to all learners as the learner requests. Trainer is available throughout this course to provide feedback on assessment tasks prior to their formal submission. Flexibility and Fairness - Your Trainer will work hard to ensure that you have as much flexibility in assessment as possible to meet your needs, and that assessment processes are fair. It is up to you to let your Trainer know if you need more flexibility, or have any concerns about the fairness of the assessment process or outcomes. Privacy and Confidentiality - In providing information as part of your assessment, please respect the privacy and confidentiality of residents and staff of your organisation. Remove any identifying details and refer to residents by their initials only. We also undertake to respect your right to privacy and confidentiality in terms of the work that you submit for assessment. Any queries regarding your training and assessment should be directed to your trainer either face-to-face at your individual consultations, or by telephone. Assessment Information - You will be assessed through the following means: Participation in on-line Collaborate sessions Participation in on-line Blog sessions Submission of all assessment tasks (workplace projects, plus knowledge based questions and answers, journal, and supervisor testimonial) The trainer will give you feedback about your performance as requested, and will support you to do your best performance. Assessment Due Dates - Dates are given at the end of each module for when assessments are due. If you are not able to complete assessments by the scheduled time, please contact your trainer as early as possible. 4 Viviani Consulting

5 CREATING TRAINING PROGRAMS WITHIN THE VET SYSTEM WHAT IS COMPETENCY AND APPROACHES TO ASSESSMENT? Assessment tools need to be catered to the specific needs of the unit of competency as well as the needs of the learner and the workplace. In order to be able to create assessment tools, we must first have an understanding of some general concepts around competency and assessment. What is competency? The ability to perform tasks and duties to the standard of performance expected in the workplace. Competence requires application of skills, knowledge and attitude relevant to the industry. SOURCE: CHC08 Training Package No human being will work hard at anything unless they believe that they are working for competence. SOURCE - William Glasser - (American psychologist) Assessment tools therefore need to assess not just whether the person can do the task (skills), but also assesses their knowledge and their attitude. We assess knowledge, skills and attitude with Assessment Tools. Assessment tools are the instruments and procedures used to gather and interpret evidence of competence. Instrument- the specific questions or activity used to assess competence, Procedures the instructions given to the learners and the assessor about how the assessment is to be conducted and recorded. SOURCE: AQTF Essential Standards for Registration 5 Viviani Consulting

6 PRINCIPLES OF ASSESSMENT - The four Principles of Assessment give guidelines on how an assessment task should be written. These principles are: Reliability - Refers to whether all assessors looking at the same evidence would assess the learner the same. Is there consistency in interpretation of evidence and assessment outcomes, a common understanding of the expectations of the learner? If there is ambiguity, then the tool is not reliable. The assessor must: use benchmarks on what is the expected skills / knowledge to be demonstrated adhere to those benchmarks when assessing monitor and review own and others assessment decisions to ensure consistency of judgement across assessors Fairness - Assessment is fair when the learners needs are met and the assessment is agreed upon by the learner. For assessment to be fair, the assessor: provides learner with information about the assessment process allows for the learner to prepare themselves for assessment applies reasonable adjustments where required and appropriate documents the assessment process and provides feedback to the learner. Validity - Validity is about assessment instruments assessing what they claim to assess. The assessor must ensure: they address all requirements from units of competency there is sufficient evidence to collected, gathered on a number of occasions and in a range of contexts, using different assessment methods. Flexibility - Involves consideration of the needs of all stakeholders in assessment. Flexibility applies to the assessment process - not the competency standard. Providing for flexibility must be balanced to ensure validity. To be flexible, assessments should: reflect the needs of learners and other parties (eg, the employer) be accessible to learners in terms of timing and readiness provide for the recognition of competencies no matter how, where or when they have been acquired draw on a range of methods and be appropriate to the context enable progression from one competency standard to another. 6 Viviani Consulting

7 DIMENSIONS OF COMPETENCE - Assessments need to cover dimensions of competence, eg, an assessment should not just be about can you type case notes on the computer, but should also include the skills that surround this task. An example is: Dimension of competence Skills to be demonstrated Example of assessment TASK SKILLS: The specific skills need to do the task in this workplace context. TASK MANAGEMENT SKILLS: Managing a number of interrelated tasks that are party of the normal process. CONTINGENCY MANAGEMENT: Being able to problem solve and handle the irregularities of any job. JOB ENVIRONMENT SKILLS: Meeting the expectations of the work environment in terms of working as a member of the workplace team. TRANSFERABILITY SKILLS: Can the knowledge and skills learned in one environment be transferred to a similar environment? Sufficient literacy and computer literacy skills to write case notes. Ability to book the use of the computer, organise yourself to have your materials ready. What do you do if the computer does not turn on? Deciding with your team member who will type the different clients' notes. If the person can write case notes on the computer in this group home, can they also do this if working in a different group home? ASSESSMENT TASK: You are to write your case notes each day at the end of your shift in the computer in the appropriate place. This will involve: Booking the computer Agreeing with your c- worker which client notes you will each do Making notes under the client name Make a half page report to submit at the end of the week stating how this process has gone for you, any problems, how you solved them, etc. Submit your half page report as well as an example of a case note that you made. 7 Viviani Consulting

8 APPROACHES TO ASSESSMENT - There are various different pathways for assessment. These are: Training and assessment pathway the learner is trained how to do a task, then assessed on their ability to do it. Assessment only pathway a learner puts themselves forward as having already learnt the information and skills and hence does not need training; they can be assessed without any training occurring. RPL pathway the person has learnt the information and been applying the skills within a workplace. They will come to you with evidence of their skills and knowledge. The trainer will assess the evidence that has been supplied against the criteria as set out in units of competency. Combination many people will have a combination of the above, eg, be able to demonstrate skills and knowledge and hence go down an RPL path for some units, but need training and assessing in other units. RULES OF EVIDENCE - Rules of evidence refers to the evidence that is collected after an assessment has taken place, and whether this evidence meets particular criteria. Below are the four basic evidence criteria. Currency - demonstrates the candidate s current skills and knowledge Sufficiency - demonstrates repeatable competence over a period of time, does not inflate the LLN requirements beyond those required, has at least THREE (3) different forms of evidence Validity - reflects the skills and knowledge described in the unit of competency, the skills and knowledge are applied in appropriate situations Authenticity - the evidence is the work of the learner, not somebody else, the evidence can be corroborated/ verified 8 Viviani Consulting

9 EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS - Employability skills need to be incorporated into assessment tools where appropriate. Some examples are: Self management work based assessments for which learners are personally responsible for completing by the due dates Learning work based assessments in which learners need to research and find things out for themselves Technology build technology use into work based assessments, eg, type your answer Communication presentations to the class, role plays, participation in class discussion Teamwork learners work together in small groups to answer questions, give a small group a work project to do together Problem solving give small groups a problem that they need to collaborate on and solve, case scenarios to problem solve Initiative and enterprise brain storm problems to have learners become accustomed to creating ideas, encourage learners to think in different and creative ways Planning and organising learner needs to plan and organise for themselves to get their work based assessments completed on time Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. SOURCE: Mark Twain 9 Viviani Consulting

10 PLANNING ASSESSMENT - Planning the assessment requires organising the materials, place, time, people involved, record keeping and recording. Some methods include: Questioning - both verbal and written Portfolio of workplace evidence Third party reports / supervisor testimonials Direct observation of someone doing a skill Structured activities such as role plays and projects Self evaluation / reflection Assessment methods are required to: meet the rules of evidence provide choice, where appropriate provide reasonable adjustment meet the competency standards reflect the principles of assessment incorporate principles of access and equity Assessment requirements in summary: create assessment tools and methods meet legislative requirements meet employability skills where required meet the principles of assessment meet the rules of evidence meet the dimensions of competence meet unit of competency requirements physical resource requirements make any reasonable adjustments 10 Viviani Consulting

11 MAPPING OF ASSESSMENTS - The purpose of a mapping tool is to demonstrate how the unit of competency has been assessed. This allows for transparency for auditing purposes, and for organising oneself, regarding covering assessment sufficiently. Mapping also allows others who are using your training materials to adapt the assessments as required. An example might be that if an assessment requires the learner to complete a role play on augmentative communication, but the learners would rather focus the role plays on conflict resolution as that is their area of need, is this possible? The answer to this will most easily be found by looking at the mapping tools and seeing where the role play is mapped back to, and therefore determine if making this change still meets the requirements of the unit of competency. Mapping tools can look quite different, however all are valid as long as it is obvious how the unit has been assessed. Some examples of mapping tools are shown in the following pages. EXAMPLE 1 CHCCS400A Work within a relevant legal and ethical framework EVIDENCE 1: EVIDENCE 2: EVIDENCE 3: ELEMENT 1: Demonstrate an understanding of legislation and common law relevant to work role Supervisor testimonial Class Activity 1 Work Based Assessment 1 ELEMENT 2: Follow identified policies and practices Supervisor testimonial Class Activity 2 Work Based Assessment 1 ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE Supervisor testimonial Class Activity 1,2,3,4 Work Based Assessment 1,2 ESSENTIAL SKILLS Supervisor testimonial Class Activity 1,2,3,4 Work Based Assessment 1,2 11 Viviani Consulting

12 EXAMPLE 2 CHCCS400A Work within a relevant legal and ethical framework PERFORMANCE CRITERIA EVIDENCE GATHERING TECHNIQUES (the teaching/assessment task is described in the Training and Assessment Session Plan for each block) Class Based Assess ment Supervi sor Testimo nial Workpla ce Assess ment Role Play Other ELEMENT 1: Demonstrate an understanding of legislation and common law relevant to work role Trainer Comments on skills / knowledge / attitude of learner 1.1 Demonstrate in all work, an Task 1 Assess Task 4 Learner participated in class based discussions in understanding of the ment 3 which they were accurately able to state the legal responsibilities different legislations that are involved in the and obligations of disability sector, and to further state how these the work role legislations related to the specific work role of a Disability Support Worker. 12 Viviani Consulting

13 CONTEXTUALISATION - means either (A) making changes to units of competency, or (B) packaging units into a qualification by choosing elective units to suit specific needs. In all cases of contextualisation, the integrity of the outcome of the endorsed units of competency must be maintained. When Contextualising Units Of Competency, you may add to the unit or replace words that are more specific to workplace circumstances, include, modify or substitute text within units of competency and usually within the range statement or evidence guide to reflect the specific situation of the workplace, but you must not: distort or narrow the competency outcomes and limit its use remove the content of any of the elements and performance criteria diminish the breadth of application of the competency and reduce its portability. Following are some suggestions for contextualising units of competency: In the Evidence Guide specify the kinds of evidence that learners may be able to provide, eg, where it might say "In a simulated environment", you might replace this with "In the training kitchen at head office." Identify specific knowledge to meet a specific industry need, and add this information to the Essential Knowledge And Skill in the evidence guide., eg, where it might say "verbal communication skills", you might add to this "verbal communication skills to speak to people who have a communication disability." Replace generic terms descriptions of equipment or procedures with specific examples, eg, where it might say "manual handling equipment", you might replace this with "slide board and walk belt". "Individual Planning", you might replace this with "Person Centered Planning." Modifying the delivery and assessment strategy to suit learners with special needs is also a form of contextualisation. SOURCE: 13 Viviani Consulting

14 CRITERION AND NORM-REFERENCED ASSESSMENT - There are two main ways that assessment can occur. The differences are detailed below: Criterion-Referenced Assessment Norm-Referenced Assessment CRTs determine "...what test takers can do NRTs highlight achievement between and and what they know, not how they among learners to produce a rank order of compare to others. (Anastasi, 1988, p. learners from high achievers to low 102. CRTs report how well learners are achievers. School systems might want to doing relative to pre-determined criteria, classify learners in this way so that they and whether they meet these objective can be properly placed in remedial or criteria. gifted programs. These types of tests are also used to help teachers select students The content of a CRT assessment is for different ability level reading or determined by how well it matches the mathematics instructional groups. learning outcomes. The content of an NRT test is selected according to how well it ranks learners from high achievers to low. SOURCE: Bond, Linda A. (1996). Norm- and criterion-referenced testing. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 5(2). One of the features of training and assessment within the VET sector is that it uses Criterion Referenced Assessment. The VET sector is interested in whether the learners can actually do the tasks and if they know the knowledge. In the VET sector, when a learner achieves gaining their qualification, all learners receive the same list of units achieved if they have met the basic criteria, even though there will be some learners who know the basics and pass fine but some learners who are very good / excellent at the skills / knowledge. Some RTOs choose to acknowledge high achieving performers by listing on their qualification a score level, eg, A,B,C, or Distinction, Credit, Pass, etc. Within VET however, these are not recognised categories; learners either achieve the qualification by meeting the criteria, or they don t. A ranking of individual learners is not recognised. 14 Viviani Consulting

15 GROUP DYNAMICS Groups of people can act and feel differently to training people individually. It is useful to know some theories about group dynamics when facilitating a group, to help understand your group and therefore work best with it. In a group, you have issues that the trainer needs to negotiate, such as that people within the group do not get along and there are tensions. The opposite can also happen, where some people are close friends and exclude others. There are a myriad of ways that working with a group of people can have it s challenges, as well as it s rewards. This section will review some common theories that may be useful to know when working with groups. Stages of Group Development - Bruce Tuckman (1965) developed a popular and useful way of looking at groups. This theory is useful for groups who have goals they are working on together. The trainer can use the information below for working out where a group of people are at, and to then be assisting that group to move forward. 1. Forming members of the group will need to develop an identity and some agreed upon goals. 2. Storming the stage where people worry about not being part of the group, issues of power arise as members react to what they are instructed to do, question authority, create conflict, challenge leadership, and so forth. 3. Norming group members become more comfortable with each other, agree upon acceptable behaviours, and become co-operative and cohesive group. 4. Performing group members at this stage are now feeling very comfortable with one another, and goals are achieved with ease. 5. Mourning a later addition to this theory, the stage where the group has achieved it s goal and are now winding down, reviewing achievements, with mixed feelings about closure It is amazing what can be accomplished when nobody cares about who gets the credit. SOURCE: Robert Yates 15 Viviani Consulting

16 Increasing the chance of group success -. In 2002 Richard Hackman wrote a book which summarised his years of research from 1967 to the present on group dynamics. Hackman suggests that groups are successful when they develop the ability to perform not just now but also in the future, satisfy internal and external clients, and when individuals find meaning and satisfaction. Hackman proposes five conditions that increase the chance that groups will be successful. These include: 1. Expert coaching: is provided on specific tasks as required. 2. Compelling direction: a clear and useful goal. 3. Enabling structure: tasks which have variety, skilled group members, role modeling of appropriate behavior, and a group size that is not too large. 4. Being a real team: clear boundaries which clarify who is inside or outside of the group, shared task, stability in group membership. 5. Supportive context: a system that provides the information and materials to do the work, performance is rewarded, systems that develops individuals skills. Hackman believes that teams can be ineffective because the team leaders are overbearing and undermine group effectiveness. The choice of team leader therefore is imperative to the success of a team. A full list of the materials written by Hackman can be found at: Many of these articles that Hackman has written are are free to download, and are well worth a read if you want to learn more about current research in group dynamics. I love to hear a choir. I love the humanity... to see the faces of real people devoting themselves to a piece of music. I like the teamwork. It makes me feel optimistic about the human race when I see them cooperating like that. SOURCE: Paul McCartney 16 Viviani Consulting

17 Extremities in groups - Le Bon first started the research and theories on group work in He reasoned that there is a general influence of a crowd or group which makes the members of the group feel, think and act differently than they would have as individuals; in that when in a crowd, people tend to act more extremely. There is also the intense uniformity of which causes people to be emotionally swept to join the group's atmosphere. Thus, the effect of the group causes emotions of individuals to be exaggerated compared to what that individual would normally be. Even if there is only one member in an otherwise average group which is extremely negative or positive in emotion, that person might influence the emotional state of the other members and cause the group to be much more negative or positive than would be expected from its average-level of emotion. This mood shift happens through emotional contagion, in which members are influenced by others' emotions. It is important to take notice of these emotional extremists within groups, since, as the saying goes, one bad apple can spoil the whole barrel. If groups of people like one another, there will be a stronger desire for those members to be together, emotional ties are stronger, and there is a commitment to positive group dynamics; hence achieving group tasks is more likely. The leader of the team has an important part in determining the moods of the team members. Members of a team with a leader in a negative mood tend to be more negative themselves than members of teams with a leader who is positive. SOURCES: Tuckman, B Developmental sequence in small groups. Psychological bulletin, 63, The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind (1896) Gustav Le Bon, American Libraries: Freud, Sigmund (1922) Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego. New York: Liveright Publishing. Hackman, J. R. 2002, Leading teams: Setting the stage for great performances. Boston: Harvard Business School Press Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships. SOURCE: Michael Jordan 17 Viviani Consulting

18 Positives of group work - There are many good and positive aspects of working with groups of people. Some of these are: o An individual doing training on their own can feel under the spotlight and a lot of pressure to perform. In a group, individuals can blend in with the crowd, and not feel so pressured. In this way, groups work better for those people who do not like being the centre of attention. o Some learners in a group may have expert knowledge in areas that the trainer does not have, and this expert knowledge can be shared with the group. o Learning from peers is very powerful, and can outweigh the learning from an expert on the topic. o A group of people bring a myriad of life and work experiences that can add interest to group discussions. Individuals can bring case scenarios and practical examples from their working life to the theories being discussed, sharing their problem solving and stories of real life application of the theories. o Groups can achieve a high volume of work to be done, as many hands makes light work. o Some useful and impacting activities can only be done in groups, eg, role plays. Individuals miss out on these learning opportunities. Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. SOURCE: Henry Ford 18 Viviani Consulting

19 VALIDATION Validation is primarily concerned with continuous improvement of training and assessment practices and outcomes. A validation process is typically undertaken after training and assessment tools have been developed, with the aim of a group of peers reviewing the materials and making comment as to whether they meet criteria and current best practice. Validation is a quality review process that involves checking that the assessment tool will produce valid, reliable, sufficient, current and authentic evidence to enable reasonable judgements to be made as to whether the requirements of the relevant aspects of the Training Package or accredited course had been met. SOURCE: Implementation Guide: Validation and Moderation 2009 (National Quality Council) The full publication for the Implementation Guide: Validation and Moderation 2009 can be found at: data/assets/pdf_file/0012/51024/validation_and_ Moderation_-_Implementation_Guide.pdf The outcomes of validation are in terms of recommendations for future improvement to the assessment tools; ensuring they meet current best practice as well as the needs of the learners, the organisations, and the units of competency. Typically, the below documents are assessed during a validation process: 1. Program plan 2. Lesson plan 3. Contextualised units of competency 4. Mapping document 5. Teaching resources 6. Learner resources 7. Assessment resources 8. Answer guides 19 Viviani Consulting

20 Typical aspects that are assessed in a validation are the following: Training needs analysis conducted Does the training itself reflect the outcomes of this training needs analysis? Materials meet all assessment requirements Are all skills and knowledge assessed? Do the assessments meet the requirements as set out in the following sections of a unit of competency: Critical aspects for assessment and evidence: Context of and specific resources for assessment: Method of assessment may include: Materials meet appropriate AQF level If materials are meant to be set at a Certificate III level, are the materials on par with this; not too easy or too hard? Resources meet LLN needs, are informative, relevant Suitable learning activities - simulation, role plays, demonstration, discussions All requirements are clearly explained All tasks need to have an explanation for the learner as to how the task is done, timeframes for completion, how to submit, etc. Break content down into chunks Does the content allow the learner to achieve the competency step by step, possibly with practice between each chunk? Timeframes planned well activities well spaced, breaks, sufficient break-up of content Subject matter researched well Is the information up to date? Well researched? Assessment tools meet principles of assessment, fair, reliable, valid, flexible. Assessment tools meet rules of evidence - authentic, sufficient, valid, current. Assessment tools meet dimensions of competence Task skills, task management skills, contingency management, transfer skills. 20 Viviani Consulting

21 Assessment tools have clear instructions - Procedures for collecting, assessing and recording outcomes. Assessment tasks assess evidence over time different types of evidence, in different contexts, over a period of time PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT DURING VALIDATION The Code of Professional Practice contains a set of principles as guidance on how to conduct validation within a (VET) setting. These principles include: Educative - Validation should provide constructive feedback which leads to continuous improvement. Equitable - Validation must be fair, equitable and unbiased. Transparent The purpose, process and implications of the validation should be transparent to all stakeholders. Representative - A representative sample should be used to validate assessment tools and judgments. Tolerable - The way in which evidence is gathered and interpreted against the standards will vary. Validation enables the variation in margins of error to be identified and limited to what is tolerable. Confidential - Information regarding individuals must be treated with confidentiality, sensitivity, and discretion. SOURCE: A Code of Professional Practice For Validation and Moderation 2009 (National Quality Council) The full publication of the A Code of Professional Practice can be found at: data/assets/pdf_file/0010/51022/validation_and_ Moderation_-_Code_of_Professional_Practice.pdf 21 Viviani Consulting

22 ASSESSING COMPETENCE Making an assessment is a two step process; the decision made by the assessor on whether: a) the evidence provided meets the principles of assessment and rules of evidence b) the candidate is Competent/ Not Yet Competent Assessing competence - Expanding the information in the box above, assessing competence involves the below steps: Establishing and maintaining the assessment environment Gathering quality evidence Supporting the learner to do their best Making the assessment decision Recording and reporting the assessment decision Reviewing the assessment process - moderation ASSESSMENT FOR DIFFERENT AQF LEVELS The below is a summary of the learning outcome characteristics and their distinguishing features for Certificate III, IV, and Diploma levels. These learning outcomes are given in the AQF Implementation Handbook. All assessment tools should be designed to meet the right level for which the unit of competency has been intended. Certificate III Breadth, depth and complexity of knowledge and competencies would cover selecting, adapting and transferring skills and knowledge to new environments and providing technical advice and some leadership in resolution of specific problems. This would be applied across a range of roles in a variety of contexts with some complexity in the extent and choice of options available. Performance of a defined range of skilled operations, usually within a range of broader related activities involving known routines, 22 Viviani Consulting

23 methods and procedures, where some discretion and judgement is required in the selection of equipment, services or contingency measures and within known time constraints. Applications may involve some responsibility for others. Participation in teams including group or team coordination may be involved. Certificate IV Breadth, depth and complexity of knowledge and competencies would cover a broad range of varied activities or application in a wider variety of contexts most of which are complex and non-routine. Leadership and guidance are involved when organising activities of self and others as well as contributing to technical solutions of a non-routine or contingency nature. Performance of a broad range of skilled applications including requirements to evaluate and analyse current practices, develop new criteria and procedures for performing current practices and provision of some leadership and guidance to others in the application and planning of the skills. Applications involve responsibility for, and limited organisation of others. Diploma Breadth, depth and complexity covering planning and initiation of alternative approaches to skills or knowledge applications across a broad range of technical and/or management requirements, evaluation and coordination. The self-directed application of knowledge and skills, with substantial depth in some areas where judgement is required in planning and selecting appropriate equipment, services and techniques for self and others. Applications involve participation in development of strategic initiatives, as well as personal responsibility and autonomy in performing complex technical operations or organising others. It may include participation in teams including teams concerned with planning and evaluation functions. Group or team coordination may be involved. The degree of emphasis on breadth as against depth of knowledge and skills may vary between qualifications granted at this level. SOURCE: 23 Viviani Consulting

24 RECORDING AN OUTCOME After having made a decision on whether a learner is competent or not, you will need to write a report outlining how you came to this decision. This report may include: details of assessment/s, date, time, venue summary of evidence gathered justification of decision summary of learner s action plan if anything needs following through with sign-off by assessor and learner electronic/ paper reports to funding bodies It is important to be clear when recording your outcome decision on the reasons why you have made your decision, with details about the evidence demonstrated. Recording a clear outcome will assist with your organisation s accountability should any action occur in the future for which the organisation needs to show their decision making processes. Examples of when an organisation may be held accountable for their decisions are: A child care worker shakes a baby who later dies, claiming that in their training, they were never told about Shaken Baby Syndrome Abusive Head Trauma. A learner has been trained in OHS and manual handling. They then have a manual handling incident and are injured, requiring time off work and WorkCover involvement. The learner points back to the training and states they were never trained properly. In making your decisions as an assessor, it is important to: absolutely know that the learner is competent before making such a decision, and be clear about your decision in your report, citing evidence to support your decision. There are various terms for deciding that someone is not competent. Below are some common terms. They are all similar terms and all mean the same thing. Not Yet Competent (NYC) Competency Not Yet Achieved 24 Viviani Consulting

25 Competency Not Achieved / Fail An action plan is typically required if a NYC outcome is recorded. An action plan may include: gap training on what the learner has to do to fill their gaps in skills / knowledge additional practice opportunities additional assessment opportunities/ evidence gathering opportunities individual facilitation, where relevant referral to specialist support Some useful web links on making assessment decisions are: MODERATION Moderation is a process where trainers and assessors compare decisions about competency, to either confirm these decisions or to change them. It is a quality assurance process aimed at ensuring that assessment decisions are being made consistently across trainers, and are accurate and fair. What is consistency? - Consistency in relation to assessment occurs when assessors make judgements about a learner that are based on a common understanding of the required skills, knowledge, and attitude of the learner. All assessors, irrespective of location or time, should come to the same assessment decision on learners based upon the evidence. Moderation helps us to create this consistency as it: o develops accuracy and reliability in making decisions o ensures judgements are fair o strengthens the value of judgements made by assessors 25 Viviani Consulting

26 o develops a shared understanding of standards, and what learners achievements look like o informs improvement of future training programs Factors that make moderation easier: o where appropriate tasks are set for different levels o where tasks are sufficiently open-ended to allow learners to demonstrate skills in a variety of ways o where criteria for competence are agreed upon o where sufficient amounts of work are gathered from the learner Factors that make moderation difficult: o where tasks set require clarification of what they had been taught and how o when a piece of work shows achievement of outcomes at more than one level o where assessors have difficulty interpreting the exact meaning of the standards. MODERATION VERSUS VALIDATION Modration and validation are similar processes, however do have distinctly different purposes. The main differences between them can be found in this table below, which comes from TVET Australia booklet - Validation and Moderation Implementation Guide factors abut the main distinguishing features of validation and moderation include: o Validation is concerned with quality review prior to training materials being used with learners. Moderation is concerned with this after the training materials have been used. o Whilst validation and moderation can both focus on assessment tools, moderation requires access to judged (or scored) learner evidence. o The outcomes of validation are in terms of recommendations for future improvement to the assessment tools and/or processes; whereas moderation 26 Viviani Consulting

27 may also include making adjustments to assessor judgements to bring standards into alignment, where determined necessary. SOURCE: data/assets/pdf_file/0012/51024/validation_and_moderation_- _Implementation_Guide.pdf A summary of the distinguishing features is below: FEATURES VALIDATION MODERATION Assessment Quality Management Type Quality Review Quality Control Primary Purpose Continuous improvement Bring judgements and standards into alignment. Timing On-going Prior to the finalisation of candidate results Focus Type of Approaches Outcomes Assessment Tools; and Assessment tools; and Candidate Evidence (including assessor judgements) (desirable only) Assessor Partnerships Consensus Meetings External (validators or panels) Recommendations for future improvements Candidate Evidence, including assessor judgements (mandatory) External (moderators or panels) Statistical Recommendations for future improvements and adjustments to assessor judgements (if required) SOURCE: TVET Australia booklet - Validation and Moderation Implementation Guide Viviani Consulting

28 What am I looking for during a moderation meeting? o Has the trainer provided reasonable adjustment where required? o Has the evidence been collected over a period of time (reliability)? o Has the learner completed all required assessment tasks? o Are the answers correct (validity)? o Is there evidence of knowledge as well as skills? o Is there sufficient evidence (sufficiency)? o Is there thought that this may not be the person s own work (authenticity)? o Are the skills and knowledge demonstrated to the appropriate AQF standard? o Are the assessment tasks within a recent time period (currency)? o Is there a range of different types of assessment? o Has the trainer been overly easy or harsh on the learner in making their assessment (fairness)? Having taken all of the above into consideration, do I agree with the original assessment decision? If not, what must I do now? SOURCES: (Validation and Moderation Implementation Guide) 28 Viviani Consulting

29 SKILLS RECOGNITION Skills recognition is a term that can be used to cover the ways in which an individual s skills, experience, knowledge and qualifications can be formally acknowledged, so that a learner does not have to go through a training and assessment process but instead can go through a recognition of current skills process. Different skills recognition pathways include: National recognition - means that a learner automatically has credit for units of competency that they have completed at any other RTO in Australia. Recognition of current competency (RCC) - applies if a learner has previously completed the requirements for a unit of competency and is now required (for example, by a licensing authority) to be reassessed to ensure that the competence is being maintained, and the learner is keeping up to date with changes in the sector. Recognition of prior learning (RPL) - assesses the individual s previous formal and informal learning to determine the extent to which that prson has achieved the learning outcomes against units of competency or whole qualifications. More about RPL: RPL is a process of collecting evidence and determining the learner s current skills, knowledge and attitude based upon their work experience in the sector. This process replaces the learner participating in training and assessment, for all or part of a qualification. During this process, gaps in skills and knowledge may be found, and only these parts need to be trained and assessed. Skills learnt through a variety of means can be recognised through the RPL process, eg formal or informal training courses, life experience, and work experience. The benchmarks for assessment are the same as those used in a training and assessment pathway. Evidence can include: Certificates achieved on similar topics Samples of work Interviews with supervisors 29 Viviani Consulting

30 Practical demonstrations in the workplace References and testimonials Assessment involves judgement RPL assessment tools encourages the use of a competency conversation to maximise the learner s opportunities to demonstrate competence. This is NOT an oral exam. It is about using holistic questions to start a conversation with the learner which draws out their actual individual experiences and relevant skills. RPL kits Some organisations have developed RPL kits for many units of competency and whole qualifications. When conducting an RPL assessment, you may develop your own tool or else use a developed resource from a reputable company. Some RPL kits are listed below: Skills First RPL Kit Resource Generator West One Recognition of Prior Learning Assessment Tool Kits Some useful web links on RPL are: athway/tabid/158/default.aspx 30 Viviani Consulting

31 MODULE 2 ASSESSMENT - CREATING TRAINING PROGRAMS WITHIN THE VET SYSTEM Learner Name:... These assessment tasks relate to the following units: TAEDES402A Use training packages and accredited courses to meet client needs TAEDES401A Design and develop learning programs BSBLED501A Develop a workplace learning environment TAEDEL401A Plan, organise and deliver group-based learning TAEDEL402A Plan, organise and facilitate learning in the workplace BSBCMM401A Make a presentation TAEDEL301A Provide work skill instruction TAEASS401B Plan assessment activities and processes TAEASS402B Assess competence TAEASS403B Participate in assessment validation Your materials for all assessments below are due for submission to your trainer at the end of this entire program in November, however it is imperative to meet goals for completion along the way as some assessment tasks require you to work with a peer after certain work is completed. A summary is in the table below: 31 Viviani Consulting

32 Flowchart Of Conducting Training And Assessment 1. Training needs analysis, choose a relevant unit of competency and understand it Related Task To Complete TASK 7 Timeline End of June 2. Develop Program Plan, Lesson Plan, Learner Resources, Assessment Tasks, Answer Guide, Mapping Tool TASK 8 End of June 3. Validation (with a peer) TASK 9 End of June 4. Update materials based upon validation feedback TASK 9 End of August 5. Conduct training and do the assessment, get feedback from the learners as well as yourself on the training, make a decision on learner's competence and write report TASK 10 and 11 End of August 6. Conduct moderation (with a peer) TASK 12 End of August 7. Design and Assess via RPL TASK 13 End of October All materials due to be submitted to trainer by end of November. 32 Viviani Consulting

33 TASK 7 - Unpacking a unit of competency Instruction: The purpose of this assessment is for you to get a feel for what a unit of competency is all about. Complete the below tasks based upon this. 1. Conduct a training needs analysis about the training needs in your area of work and based upon this, choose a training topic that is needed to be conducted. Show this topic and unit of competency to your supervisor and ensure to get their consent to continue. Document below the methods you used in your training needs analysis. 2. Go onto the training.gov website and choose a unit of competency that best matches your topic. Based upon this unit of competency, you are to unpack this unit by giving a summary of the below: Describe the training context Consider learner characteristics Give a general overview of the unit What are the required skills and knowledge What are the dimensions of competency What Employability skills are incorporate into this unit What are some ways of training and assessing this unit that would fit in well specifically within the work environment of Regis? Think of at least 3 different ways that this unit could be assessed. 33 Viviani Consulting

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35 TASK 8 - Design a training program Instruction: You are to design and develop a training program based upon the unit of competency and your training needs analysis that you have completed in TASK 7. The topic will ultimately be placed in a library of resources for other Preceptors and nursing educators within Regis to use. A full training program should encompass the following aspects: o the unit of competency itself o the unit of competency that has been contextualised o program plan o lesson plan o learner resources o assessment tasks o answer guide o mapping tool o a trial being conducted of the training program For each of the above, blank proformas have been provided for your use. Some specifications for this program are: the learning program must be an authentic program that is relevant to the learners and the organisation the learning program plan must be run over a series of at least two (2) separate sessions, of at least one (1) hour each session (ie, a minimum of 2 hours in total, though it can be longer than this if the facilitator desires) you must assess a group of at least four (4) people the learning program must have defined outcomes, and be able to be assessed your supervisor must agree with your unit of competency and the general topic that you are training and assessing your learner resources must reflect current best practice within the industry the trial requires you to select a small section of your assessment and practice this on someone, such as a peer, prior to doing it on the actual learner, then update any materials as required based upon your trial. Do a journal paragraph which outlines your trial and any adjustments you feel you needed to make. 35 Viviani Consulting