Award in Education and Training (AET) A guide for building your portfolio for the AET emcett Evidence Guide
About this resource This is a video introduction to the third of three emcett blended-learning resources designed to support portfolio building with a view to accreditation for the new (2013) Award in Education and Training. Click here to view
Module Overview The Level 3 Award comprises one mandatory unit (3 credits) and a choice of one 6 credit unit and one of 3 credits. This pack details the requirements of the Education and Training units but not the optional Learning and Development (L&D) units, details of which can be found by reference to those awards. Prior achievement of relevant L&D units can, however, be recognised for credit transfer into the new (2013) award structure. The Award in Education and Training is the introductory level qualification for teachers who are new to the profession, or for those people who wish to enter profession and who may not yet be in a teaching role. The Units described and explained within this evidence guide are: Level 3: Understanding roles, responsibilities and relationships in education and training (3 credits); Level 3: Understanding and using inclusive teaching and learning approaches in education and training (6 credits); Level 3: Understanding assessment in education and training (3 credits).
Learning Support The Learning Support guides accompanying this module address all of the essential learning necessary to achieve the award. You are strongly advised to fully explore these guides, together with their associated on-line resources, even if you feel that you already have the required understanding. The learning support guides for this module are listed below together with an outline of their contents. The teaching role and associated responsibilities Related professions: boundaries, relationships and referral Legislation, regulatory requirements and codes of practice (relating to the teaching role) Ethical issues, values and beliefs Safeguarding, behaviour and mutual respect Inclusive and engaged learning: approaches, resources and individual needs Embedding English, maths, ICT and wider skills Communication and feedback skills Session Planning Purposes, principles and practices of assessment
Evidence of Professional Practice and Related Understanding You will need to provide the following evidence: a) criterion-related evidence and reflections, addressing essential knowledge and professional practice requirements, as directed within this guide; b) a session plan to support your micro-teach, as below; c) a micro-teach (of 15mins) delivered to learners or peers and assessed by an approved observer; d) a reflection on your micro-teach, based on feedback you will have received from your peers and your tutor/assessor. Addressing Criterion Requirements: Two Approaches Choose which of the following approaches works best for you, but stick with that for the entire award, otherwise you run the risk of leaving gaps in your evidence. Approach 1: criterion-led: If you wish to use a criterion-led approach, follow the guidance listed under each criterion in turn. It will help your nominated assessor if you head-up each section of your work with the relevant criterion. When using this approach, you may sometimes find it necessary to crossreference to your work for other criteria, where natural overlaps occur. Approach 2: assignment-led: This guide includes a series of assignments designed to enable you to address criterion requirements in a more holistic or naturalistic way. The assignments may address several criteria that are sequentially numbered, or criteria from different sections, or even units. It is important, however, that you read the criteria relating to each of the assignments to make sure that you produce your work in way that addresses them fully.
Understanding the criteria You will quickly notice, on reading the criteria, that they all written following a consistent format starting with an active verb (e.g. summarise, compare, describe, explain, etc), which has been emboldened in the text. The choice of these words is deliberate and they will guide you on how you should address the criteria. Failure to address the criterion as written will result in a referral and a request to resubmit work with a more valid response. A glossary of these terms is available in Annex C. EVIDENCE GUIDE: Criterion-Led Approach The following sections provide a criterion-by-criterion guide to evidence requirements for the award. Skip to page 8 to follow the assignment-led approach. Unit: understanding roles, responsibilities and relationships in education and training Learning outcome 1: Understand the teaching role and responsibilities in education and training. 1.1 Explain the teaching role and responsibilities in education and training. In explaining the teaching role you will need to address the key things that a teacher is expected to do (the sort of activities listed in your job description). Responsibilities may either relate to the role/s of the teacher or to the various expectations placed on them by legislation, regulations and codes as described in 1.2. 1.2 Summarise key aspects of legislation, regulatory requirements and codes of practice relating to own role and responsibilities. Legislation refers to major Acts of Parliament detailing the law in a particular area. Regulatory requirements flow from legislation and define what is required, in practice, to comply with the law. Codes of practice outline good or best practice as defined by an employing institution or professional body. Summarise implies a brief explanation of the key points. 1.3 Explain ways to promote equality and value diversity.
You will need to ensure that you are able to explain practical strategies (ways) of promoting equality and diversity. In other words, this is not asking for theory or principles of E&D. 1.4 Explain why it is important to identify and meet individual learner needs. Your explanation should, ideally, reflect an understanding of the broader individual needs that may impact on learning (including, but not limited to individual learning needs). Learning outcome 2: Understand ways to maintain a safe and supportive learning environment. 2.1 Explain ways to maintain a safe and supportive learning environment. Safe and supportive refers to both physical and psychological aspects. Be sure to explain both aspects in terms of practical steps to be taken. 2.2 Explain why it is important to promote appropriate behaviour and respect for others. In order to explain this, you will need to be clear about what appropriate behaviour is and how (mutual) respect is demonstrated in the learning environment. Learning outcome 3: understand the relationships between teachers and other professionals in education and training. 3.1 Explain how the teaching role involves working with other professionals. Explain what other professionals support the teaching role. This might include administrative or learning support staff and other professionals. 3.2 Explain the boundaries between the teaching role and other professional roles. Extend your work for 3.1 by explaining what distinguishes the roles of these other professionals from that of teachers. 3.3 Describe points of referral to meet the individual needs of learners. Provide at least three diverse examples of individual need that would require the support of other professionals. Describe the point at which you are likely to refer your learners on for support and to which other professionals.
Unit: Understanding and using inclusive teaching and learning approaches in education and training Learning outcome 1: Understand inclusive teaching and learning approaches in education and training 1.1 Describe features of inclusive teaching and learning. List aspects of teaching and learning that promote inclusion/inclusivity and then describe each one. 1.2 Compare the strengths and limitations of teaching and learning approaches used in own area of specialism in relation to meeting individual learner needs. Identify a range of teaching and learning approaches typically used in your own area of specialism. For each, compare their relative strengths and weaknesses in meeting a variety of individual need (you could tabulate this). Alternatively, compare them with the key aspects of inclusivity described in 1.1. 1.3 Explain why it is important to provide opportunities for learners to develop their English, mathematics, ICT and wider skills. You will need to be clear about what the term wider skills refers to and be able to give some examples of these. When explaining the importance of these skills, consider their impact on personal, social and economic well-being. Learning outcome 2: Understand ways to create an inclusive teaching and learning environment 2.1 Explain why it is important to create an inclusive teaching and learning environment. It would be helpful to consider this criterion together with 2.2. You should also reflect on your understanding of both a physical and a psychological teaching and learning environment before attempting your explanation. 2.2 Explain why it is important to select teaching and learning approaches, resources and assessment methods to meet individual learner needs. Ensure that your explanation applies to teaching and learning approaches, resources and assessment methods. You could usefully relate your explanation to your session plan, devised for criteria 3.1 and 3.2. 2.3 Explain ways to engage and motivate learners. This requires you to explain practical strategies for ensuring that learners are actively and enthusiastically engaged in learning.
2.4 Summarise ways to establish ground rules with learners. Summarise, implies a brief overview of methods/strategies of getting learners to agree to ground-rules Learning outcome 3: Be able to plan inclusive teaching and learning 3.1 Devise an inclusive teaching and learning plan. You will need to devise a session/lesson plan (that could be for your micro-teach) which demonstrates good practice in inclusivity. Additional note: You will need to deliver a brief (15mins) session to be delivered to your peers, during a scheduled workshop. This will be formally assessed by your tutor/assessor. It is advisable however to plan a session that lasts for a more realistic length of time (1 hour, or more) and then deliver a short section of this as your micro-teach. 3.2 Justify own selection of teaching and learning approaches, resources and assessment methods in relation to meeting individual learner needs. Ensure that your session plan meets the good practice that you have described earlier in this unit. You will then be able to adapt your explanation in criterion 2.2 to justify your choices in relation to this criterion. Additional note: past experience suggests that there is an advantage in delivering your micro-teach on a topic that your learners are unlikely to know, rather than to ask them to role-play being new to the topic. This means that the process is real and you can consider the real learning needs of your peers, as real learners. The following learning outcome describes criteria that will be met through the actual delivery of your micro-teach session. Learning outcome 4: Be able to deliver inclusive teaching and learning Note: you will use the Micro-Teach and Review pro-forma as evidence for criteria 4.1 to 5.1. You should download a WORD copy of this document for completion. 4.1 Use teaching and learning approaches, resources and assessment methods to meet individual learner needs. The word use indicates that you should demonstrate inclusivity when delivering your micro-teach session. 4.2 Communicate with learners in ways that meet their individual needs. You will need to demonstrate effective communication with your learners during your micro-teach session. 4.3 Provide constructive feedback to learners to meet their individual needs. You will need to demonstrate how you provide constructive feedback during your micro-teach session. Learning outcome 5: Be able to evaluate the delivery of inclusive teaching and learning
5.1 Review the effectiveness of own delivery of inclusive teaching and learning. You will be required to review your own practice, following your micro-teach session, taking account of tutor and peer feedback. This is supported by the Micro-Teach and Review proforma in Annex A. 5.2 Identify areas for improvement in own delivery of inclusive teaching and learning. You will need to identify personal development targets, following your self-review for criterion 5.1. Download a WORD copy of the AET Personal Development Plan (Annex B) to record your targets. Unit: Understanding assessment in education and training Learning outcome 1: Understand types and methods of assessment used in education and training 1.1 Explain the purposes of types of assessment used in education and training. Consider what forms of assessment occur at different stages of the learning journey and for what purpose. List the different types of assessment and explain the purpose each serves. 1.2 Describe characteristics of different methods of assessment in education and training. It is helpful to be able to describe examples of methodologies that span each type of assessment, as described in 1.1. 1.3 Compare the strengths and limitations of different assessment methods in relation to meeting individual learner needs. For each of the assessment methodologies described in 1.2, compare their effectiveness in meeting the individual needs of learners. 1.4 Explain how different assessment methods can be adapted to meet individual learner needs. Developing your work for 1.2 and 1.3 further, take examples of where assessment methodologies may be weak in meeting individual need and explain how you would adapt them to make them more inclusive. 2. Understand how to involve learners and others in the assessment process. 2.1 Explain why it is important to involve learners and others in the assessment process. You will need to consider and explain why involving others - and particularly the learners, themselves - in the assessment process, is regarded as good practice. 2.2 Explain the role and use of peer- and self-assessment in the assessment process.
Extend your explanation for 2.1 to explain how you can make use of learners self and peer-assessments to support learning and teaching. 2.3 Identify sources of information that should be made available to learners and others involved in the assessment process. Consider what information is needed to support the assessment process and also what information is generated by the process, itself. In either case, identify what these sources of information might be and explain who should be made aware of it. (Make sure you include the learner in this.) 3. Understand the role and use of constructive feedback in the assessment process. 3.1 Describe key features of constructive feedback. Research an established/approved method for giving effective feedback. Describe its features (or stages within the process). 3.2 Explain how constructive feedback contributes to the assessment process. Explain the points at which feedback should be given within the assessment process and what value this adds. 3.3 Explain ways to give constructive feedback to learners. Develop your explanation for 3.2 by explaining practical ways to deliver feedback (e.g. time, place, communication medium, etc). 4. Understand requirements for keeping records of assessment in education and training. 4.1 Explain the need to keep records of assessment of learning. In order to explain the need, you will first need to be clear about what records have to be kept - consider all forms of assessment (not just summative ). Having explained what records need to be kept, explain why. 4.2 Summarise the requirements for keeping records of assessment in an organisation. Add to your explanation, in 4.1, by briefly summarising how these records of assessment are required to be kept (this might include aspects of format, storage and security).
EVIDENCE GUIDE: Assignment-Led Approach The following assignments offer you an alternative approach to producing a valid portfolio of evidence for the Award in Education and Training. This is not, therefore, additional activity to complete for the award - you are free to choose either approach, but should not mix up the two. AET: Assignment 1 Roles and responsibilities TASK 1.a) List and briefly explain the roles and responsibilities of a teacher in relation to: teaching, learning and assessment; the provider institution (and the need to assure quality). 1.b) Add to the work for (a) by summarising what aspects of legislation, regulations and/or codes of practice impact on these various roles and responsibilities. 1.c) Focus on the need to (actively) promote equality and values relating to diversity, throughout your teaching role and, explain how you will go about this. (It will be helpful to consider how you might demonstrate this in your micro-teach.) AET: Assignment 2 Professional relationships TASK 2.a) Produce a graphical representation.(e.g. a Mind-Map or Venn diagram) or text description of the connections or interface with other professionals within your teaching role (these may include professionals who are external to your teaching institution). Ensure that your representation or description also explain the context or purpose for that professional relationship. 2.b) Extend your work for (2.a) by explaining the point at which your responsibility ends and that of the other professional begins (the boundaries), with some examples to illustrate particular points of referral to support learner needs. CRITERION URRR 1.1 URRR 1.2 URRR 1.3 CRITERION URRR 3.1 URRR 3.2 URRR 3.3 Note: Assignment 3 is built around preparation for your planned micro-teach and should be completed in that context. It is advisable to produce a plan for a session that would normal run for at least 1 hour - you will then deliver a shorter section (15-20 minutes) of your plan, for your assessed micro-teach. This will enable you to meet more criteria through the sessionplan itself, which would otherwise be difficult within a 15 minute delivery. Past experience suggests that there is an advantage in delivering your micro-teach on a topic that your learners are unlikely to know, rather than to ask them to
role-play being new to the topic. This means that the process is real and you can consider the real learning needs of your peers, as real learners. The topic you choose, does not have to be within the subject area that you intend to teach it can, for example, be in a hobby area. AET: Assignment 3 Planning inclusive teaching and learning TASK 3.a) Consider the typical individual needs of learners that might potentially surface when working with learners (these might not be restricted to learning needs ). Explain the importance of being aware of potential these issues and why you need practical strategies to create a safe and inclusive environment for teaching and learning both physically and psychologically. 3.b) Consider your planned micro-teach session and describe what aspects of your delivery will help to ensure that none of your learners are or feel excluded from engaging in your session. Add a reflection on how well various teaching and learning strategies, typically used in you subject area, support inclusion or meeting individual needs. 3.c) Extend you reflection on your planned micro-teach to explain and justify your choice of learning approaches, resources and assessment methods to meet individual needs and actively promote inclusion. 3.d) Reflect on ways to engage and motivate learners. Explain how you plan to achieve this, in your microteach and in your future practice. 3.e) Explain the importance of promoting standards of behaviour and (mutual) respect in teaching and learning and summarise practical strategies to establish ground-rules to help achieve this. 3.f) While planning your session, that will include your micro-teach, consider why English, maths and ICT skills might influence learners achievement of planned learning outcomes. Explain the importance, therefore, of including opportunities for learners to develop these skills within the subject area. Finally, consider what wider skills (beyond the vocational skills) learners need to exhibit in order to be effective in the vocational task, and explain why your session planning should also reflect this. 3.g) Finally, create a session-plan (which will include a sub-set of delivery for your 15 minute micro-teach) that demonstrates all of the above good practice. You may need to adopt and adapt, if necessary, and institutional template for this or create one that fulfils the above requirements. CRITERION URRR 1.4 URRR 2.1 UUITL T2.1 UUITL 1.1 UUITL 1.2 UUITL 2.2 UUITL 3.2 UUITL 2.3 URRR 2.2 UUITL 2.4 URRR 1.3 UUITL 3.1
AET: Assignment 4 Delivering your micro-teach session TASK 4.a) Deliver a 15min micro-teach session to peers and to your tutor. Make sure that you have considered all aspects of planning this session covered in previous assignments and notably Assignment 3. Past experience suggests that there is an advantage in delivering your micro-teach on a topic that your learners are unlikely to know, rather than to ask them to role-play being new to the topic. This means that the process is real and you can consider the real learning needs of your peers, as real learners. Also, read the Micro-Teach and Review pro-forma in order to be clear about the criteria on which you will be assessed. This document also includes some examples of feedback prompts for you to use when evaluating micro-teach sessions delivered by others in your peer group 4.b) Following your micro-teach session and before you forget details complete the Micro-teach and Review proforma (left-hand column) and provide a copy for your tutor-observer to complete the righthand column. On receipt of your tutor-observer s comments and a collection of feedback from your peer group ( learners ), complete the final reflection section of the form. 4.c) Finally, download a copy of the AET Professional Development Plan and complete the first two columns on the left, based on you review of your teaching practice in (4b) AET: Assignment 5 Assessing learning progress and achievement TASK 5.a) Explain what types (not methods) of assessment are applicable at the beginning, during and at the end of any segment of learning and what the purpose is of each type is. Further, explain what role peer and self-assessment can (or should) play in each of these types of assessment and why it is important to involve learners and others in the assessment process. Finally, identify what information learners and others are likely need before and after the assessment in order for it to be effective. 5.b) Choose six diverse methods of assessment and describe their different characteristics. Include a comparison of how well each assessment method meets particular individual learner needs and explain how you could adapt it if does not. 5.c) Describe the features of an established model of giving feedback to learners and explain how this process is used within the assessment process. Explain this method of feedback can be described as constructive. 5.d) Explain what needs to be recorded during or following assessment (note that this may be different for different types of assessment as 5a, above) and how those records need to be stored. CRITERION UUITL 4.1 UUITL 4.2 UUITL 4.3 UUITL 5.1 UUITL 5.2 CRITERION UA 1.1 UA 2.2 UA 2.1 UA 2.3 UA 1.2 UA 1.3 UA 1.4 UA 3.1 UA 3.2 UA 3.3 UA 4.1 UA 4.2
AET Annex A: Micro-teach and Review [ Trainee Name: Session Topic: Date: Personal Critical Reflection Observer s Evaluation Assessment How effective were your teaching resources in meeting individual learning needs? Criteria UUITL 4.1 How effective were your resources in supporting individual learning needs? UUITL 4.1 How did your communication methods meet learners needs and aid their understanding? UUITL 4.2 How did you provide constructive feedback to your learners to meet their individual needs? UUITL 4.3 How did you use assessment to support individual learning needs? UUITL 4.1 Trainee s General Comments Observer s General Comments Observer s Name: Signed: Dated: (Complete the following reflection after you have received feedback from your tutorobserver and your peer group.) Reflection on feedback from your tutor/assessor and peer group (UITLAET 5.1)
Annex A (cont): Peer Feedback Trainee Teacher: Observer: When you observe someone else s micro-teach, note down any things that you would like to steal from this teacher s approach in order to make them part of your own practice. This may include personal qualities, teaching skills and techniques, activities, classroom atmosphere, etc. Include notes to help you remember any important details. You may also want to record why you felt good about the stolen goods. Finally, choose something you feel you would like to give this teacher in return for your many thefts. Stolen item 1 (description of item): I stole this because: Stolen item 2 (description of item): I stole this because: Stolen item 3 (description of item): I stole this because: I would like to give you: I think you d like this because: Adapted from Scrivener J, (1994) Learning Teaching, Macmillan Education Trainee Teacher: Observer: As you observe the session, note down several things that you would like to steal from this teacher and the lesson in order to make them part of your own teaching. This may include personal qualities, teaching skills and techniques, activities, classroom atmosphere, etc. Include notes to help you remember any important details. You may also want to record why you felt good about the stolen goods. Finally, choose something you feel you would like to give this teacher in return for your many thefts. Stolen item 1 (description of item): I stole this because: Stolen item 2 (description of item): I stole this because: Stolen item 3 (description of item): I stole this because: I would like to give you: I think you d like this because: (Copy these forms and split into two.)
Annex B: AET Personal Development Plan PLANNING (Complete at the end of the module) EVALUATION of IMPACT FURTHER DEVELOPMENT WHAT do you need to improve? HOW are you going to do it? (by) WHEN? WHAT WENT WELL (WWW)? and/or EVEN BETTER IF (EBI)? WHAT NEXT?
Annex C: Glossary of Assessment Criteria Adapt Analyse Compare Contrast State what is being changed and how you are changing it Break down and describe the key component parts (particularly the ones that make a difference ) Describe in what way two or more things/views are similar (what do they have in common?) Describe in what way two or more things/views are different Demonstrate Confirm that you can do something (needs observation by an assessor, peer, manager, learners, etc) or, sometimes, understand something (by describing and explaining) Describe Evaluate Explain Identify Interpret Justify Plan Record Reflect (on) Report Review Summarise Use Write (or talk about) something s features in a logical sequence Explain the value of something (often the relative value of two or more things) similar to Justify Describe the parts, stages or functions of a thing, process or idea Find the information that is relevant and clearly label it Pull-out the essential meaning and express it in Plain English Explain why something is good or good to do Outline what needs to be done and how (often tabulated) Keep regular (timely) notes on events or data Describe something and explain its importance or impact for future consideration Give written or verbal feedback on what has happened. As a document, a Report would also need an introduction (background), and explanation of what was done, a description of what happened as a result and, finally, a reflection on what this means for the future Check the currency of things, information, resources, support, etc. What, if anything, needs to be changed? List the key points (usually of an evaluation) Do it! usually followed by reflect