Over the years, I have helped many people as they have struggled with the study and assessment requirements of the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification. It is not an easy qualification to get, and it can be very time consuming.
I have established a TAE Tutoring service to help people who need assistance with their TAE studies, or are wanting to speed-up their progress. Central to my service are tutoring sessions via Zoom video conferencing (frequently using the ‘Share Screen’ function). These sessions are supplemented by emails, text messages, and the occasional phone call.
TAE Tutoring sessions can be weekly, or as required. And some people have had multiple sessions in the one week. My tutoring service is tailored for each individual, and it is totally flexible.
Common problems experienced by TAE40122 students
Some common problems that are experienced by many TAE40122 students include:
Unsupported self-paced online learning
Complicated assessment instructions
Insufficient or unhelpful training.
Unsupported self-paced online learning
Many people doing their Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification as self-paced online learning often feel unsupported for various reasons, including:
Slow or no response from the RTO when help is needed
Lack of timely useful information and advice
Unfriendly or uncaring attitude.
Complicated assessment instructions
Many people find the instructions for their assessments are complicated and confusing. And jargon or terminology is often used that is difficult to understanding; especially for people new to the Australian VET system.
In addition to complicated assessment instruments, many TAE students are confronted with a range of templates that must be completed. Sometimes, these templates can be challenging to understand. Also, these templates can be challenging to use; especially if a person only has limited or basic word processing skills.
Insufficient or unhelpful training
The Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification can be delivered in different ways, for example:
Training delivered by a trainer in a training room
Training delivered by a trainer via video conferencing application; such as, Zoom or Teams
Self-paced online learning
Combination of the above.
Regardless of how the qualification is being delivered, many people find the training they received is insufficient or unhelpful. And in some cases, people feel that they haven’t received any training relevant to their assessment tasks. Without proper training, many people often find themselves wasting time and getting frustrated.
Do you need help with your TAE studies?
Are you a doing the TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, and are you struggling with your studies? Do you want help with your TAE studies?
Many people studying for their TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification will be required to complete the following three units of competency:
These TAE units of competency specifies the following:
The TAEDEL311 Provide work skill instruction unit of competency requires the delivery of three training sessions, with each training session being of at least 30 minutes duration.
The TAEDEL411 Facilitate vocational training unit of competency requires the delivery of five training sessions, with each training session being of at least 30 minutes duration.
The TAEDEL405 Plan, organise and facilitate online learning unit of competency requires the delivery of two training sessions, with each training session being of at least 30 minutes duration.
There will be some differences between the training sessions. Some training sessions must be delivered face-to-face, while other training sessions must be delivered online. Some training sessions must be delivered to small groups, while other training sessions must be delivered to individual learners. And some training sessions must cover content relating to a unit of competency, while other training sessions do not need to relate to a unit of competency.
The TAE40122 Student can expect to deliver at least ten training sessions as specified by the above three TAE units of competency, and each training session must be at least 30 minutes. That adds up to the delivery of at least 5 hours of training.
How much time does it take develop training?
The TAE Student will be required to develop:
Training session plans
Training materials.
Training materials may include:
PowerPoint slides
Handouts.
Some training materials may exist and be ready to use without breaching copyright laws. However, some training materials may need to be created, while other training materials may exist but need to be customised.
A TAE40122 Student may need a day to develop their training session plan and training materials for a 30-minute training session. Various factors may increase or decrease the time required to develop the training, such as:
Type of content
Amount of content
Type of learning activities
Availability of relevant training materials
Computer skills of the person developing the training.
The TAE40122 Student may need 10 days to prepare for delivering ten 30-minute training sessions. Depending on the elective units selected for the TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification, there may be more than ten training sessions that will need to be delivered.
What can be achieved in 30 minutes?
Very little learning can be achieved during a 30-minute training session.
As a general rule, allocate at least 50% of the available time to learning activities. This means that 15 minutes of every 30-minute training session should be used for one or some of the following:
activity to learn or apply knowledge
quiz to check if knowledge has been attained
brainstorming solutions to a problem
discussing a case study or scenario
practicing a skill or performing a task.
A TAE40122 Student will be expected to conduct an introduction and conclusion to the training session. These segments of training session will take about 5 minutes.
Therefore, there will be 10 minutes or less, available for presenting information or demonstrating the performance of a skill or task. Time will also be needed to answer questions raised by your learners.
Timeframe for a knowledge training session
The following is an example that shows how time can be used for a knowledge training session.
Timeframe for a skill or task-based training session
The following is an example that shows how time can be used for a skill or task-based training session.
In conclusion
The TAE40122 Student is likely to be required to deliver many 30-minute training sessions. Very little learning can be achieved in 30 minutes. Therefore, do not try to cover too much content.
The development of a training session plan and training materials can be very time-consuming. Are you wanting to learn effective and efficient ways to prepare your training sessions?
My tutoring services can hep you learn:
How to write learning objectives
How to develop a task breakdown
How to identify the knowledge and skills required to perform a task
How to determine key content points to be covered during the training session
How to develop a training session plan
How to find, develop or customise learning resources
How to develop PowerPoint slides and handouts
How to use artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce the time to develop the training.
Do you need help with your TAE studies?
Are you a doing the TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, and are you struggling with your studies? Do you want help with your TAE studies?
This is a short history of online learning. It may be incomplete but I have tried to capture the big historical events. Also, I have written this article with a connection to Australia and the Australian VET system.
Distance learning
Before online learning we had distance learning. Distance learning was traditionally conducted by correspondence where the student corresponded with the school, university, or learning institution via mail. Wikipedia tells me that one of the earliest attempts to provide a correspondence course was in 1728. [1]
In the 1930s, two hundred years later, there was a rapid spread of radio. This led to the wide-spread use of radio for distance education in the USA.
In Australia, the School of the Air started broadcasting lessons to school children in 1951.
The Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) started using television to broadcast education programs to schools in the 1960s.
The use of broadcast television for adult education has been limited.
During the 1980s audio cassettes and video cassettes were being widely used for educational purposes. This included personal development, motivational and business training. Some business training topics covered by audio and video cassettes included selling skills, customer service skills, meeting skills, and presentation skills.
Computer-based training
I was working in an office in 1986 when the first desktop computer arrived. It was a ‘share computer’ for everyone in the office to use. There was about 25 people working in the office at that time. A second computer arrived soon after the first, but it was for the exclusive use of the office administrator.
Personal computers started to take off in the mid 1980s and early 1990s. Computers were becoming part of the office and more people were buying computers for their home. At this time I was working for Telecom Australia (now known as Telstra Corporation), and we were beginning to develop computer-based training. I bought my first computer in 1986. It had MultiMate word processing software, a 5-¼ inch floppy disk drive, monochrome monitor, and a dot matrix printer.
Data storage
The early personal computers had limited data storage capability. Over the years the internal storage capacity increased. And the ability to install new software increased as we went from big floppy disks, to smaller floppy disks, to CD-ROMs. Later, USB memory sticks made it even easier and quicker for the installation of new software and transfer of files.
During the 1990s, everyone in the office I was working at was using a computer. And the new, big thing was email. Email and word processing revolutionalise the way we worked. But internet access was limited to a few ‘trusted people’ because it was thought that productivity would be lowered if everyone had it.
The installation of games onto home computers, including educational games for children, was happening during the late 1990s and the early 2000s. Using computers for the purpose of learning was beginning to gain general acceptance.
Internet
The internet changed everything. I can still remember connecting to the internet via dial-up modem. Connecting to the internet was slow and the speed of the internet was slow. The next big thing was fast broadband internet with the capability to support voice and video.
The widespread use of computers and the internet have made distance learning easier and faster, and today virtual schools and virtual universities deliver full curricula online.
Faster, smaller and cheaper computers and the development of applications
In recent years, computers have got faster, smaller and cheaper. And access to strong, stable and fast internet connections are reasonably priced. I understand that some Australians in remote and rural areas may not have the same connectivity or they still have internet issues. And, it is said that, some Australians may struggle to afford access to the internet. However, the vast majority of people in Australia today have at least one device connected to the internet.
Ready access to computer hardware and software has removed many of the technology barriers to accessing online learning. Today’s personal computers have access to a large number of applications, such as email and word processing. Learning management systems (LMS) can be easily downloaded and installed. And many personal computers come with a camera and microphone that enable video conferencing.
Smart phone
By the mid-2010s, the smartphone had become common. These days, it is rare for someone to have a dumb-phone.
Smart phones are ubiquitous. Many people have got use to using technology in their everyday life. People use their smart phone for communicating with others by voice, by text, by email, by video. And people use their smart phone for social media, banking, shopping, searching the internet, etc.
Generally, people have overcome many of their fears and concerns about using technology. Therefore, using technology for learning has been legitimised.
COVID-19
In 2020, COVID-19 arrived in Australia. Work went online, school went online, university went online, so much of our lives went online for many people. And during this time a significant number of RTOs shifted training delivery online in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Getting learning resources to learners and using video conferencing for training became common. For many trainers, this was their first experience at facilitating online learning. This crisis became an opportunity for many trainers to develop their capability to deliver online learning.
Many trainers will no longer be resistant to changing from ‘traditional training methods’ to using online learning. However, many things in vocational education and training can not be delivered or assessed using online methods. The future will be a blended approach, combining traditional and online methods.
In conclusion
There are still some real barriers to using online learning. For example:
Some people have no or limited experience using computers. This continues to be a barrier for them to participate in online learning.
Some developers of online learning lack the ability to design and develop user-friendly and effective online learning programs and resources. This frustrates learners and creates unnecessary barriers to learning, regardless of the learner’s technology skills.
The TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification has recognised that many trainers and assessors will need the capability to deliver online learning and conduct assessments using online methods. Two elective units of competency that are likely to be included in the TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification are:
TAEDEL405 Plan, organise and facilitate online learning
TAEASS404 Assess competence in an online environment
Are you a doing the TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, and are you struggling with your studies? Do you want help with your TAE studies?
In the Australian VET system, the terms ‘holistic assessment’ and ‘integrated assessment’ are often used interchangeably. However, there is a differences between the two concepts.
Holistic assessment is an assessment approach that covers multiple elements of competency. This approach would not explicitly gather evidence for each item of required knowledge or required skill. The assessor would consider the learner’s overall performance, including their application of knowledge and skills.
Integrated assessment occurs when a learner performs an assessment task that can be used to gather evidence for multiple units of competency. The assessment task would be designed to explicitly gather evidence specified by two or more units of competency. [1]
Holistic assessment focuses on one unit of competency, and integrated assessment focuses on multiple units of competency. The following illustrates the difference between an holistic and integrated approach to assessment.
Both holistic and integrated assessment can be used to improve the quality of assessment in the Australian VET system. They can help to ensure that learners are assessed on their ability to apply their knowledge and skills to real-world situations.
What is integrated assessment?
Individual competencies are rarely performed in isolation in the workplace. Typical job roles involve a number of related tasks, and evidence gathering should reflect this.
Integrated assessment is the simultaneous assessment of two or more related units of competency. The integrated approach can reduce the time spent on assessing, but more importantly it will make assessment more realistic because it more closely reflects the real nature of work. [2]
An example of integrated assessment
The following is an example of an assessment task that can be used to gather evidence for four different units of competency.
In conclusion
Although, ‘holistic assessment’ and ‘integrated assessment’ are often used interchangeably, they are two different concepts.
Integrated assessment can reduce the time spent on assessing, but more importantly it will make assessment more realistic because it more closely reflects the real nature of work.
This article has explored and described integrated assessment. Although, ‘holistic assessment’ and ‘integrated assessment’ are often used interchangeably, they are two different concepts. You may be interested in an article that I have published that focuses on holistic assessment.
The terminology used in the Australian VET system can be confusing and overwhelming. Are you a doing the TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, and are you struggling with your studies? Do you want help with your TAE studies?
Recently, I was asked by a person studying for their Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification:
“What is ‘amount of training’?”
The term ‘amount of training’ has a particular meaning in the Australian VET system.
The importance of quantity of training
Many people talk about the quality of training, however, the quantity of training a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) delivers is as important as the quality of the training. An RTO must ensure that the amount of training provided to a learner is sufficient. ASQA has published a guide to help RTOs determine if the amount of training is compliant with the Standards for RTOs 2015, clauses 1.1 and 1.2. [1]
Clause 1.1
The RTO’s training and assessment strategies and practices, including the amount of training they provide, are consistent with the requirements of training packages and VET accredited courses and enable each learner to meet the requirements for each unit of competency or module in which they are enrolled. [2]
Clause 1.2
For the purposes of Clause 1.1, the RTO determines the amount of training they provide to each learner with regard to: [2]
the existing skills, knowledge and the experience of the learner;
the mode of delivery; and
where a full qualification is not being delivered, the number of units and/or modules being delivered as a proportion of the full qualification.
What is ‘amount of training’?
ASQA describes ‘amount of training’ as an amount of time that a provider anticipates a learner would reasonably need to undertake the training. This amount of training must be suitable for the typical learner to gain the knowledge and skills specified in the relevant training product. [1]
The amount of training an RTO provides is determined by:
characteristics and needs of learners
training product being delivered
mode or modes of delivery.
Learner characteristics and how it impacts the amount of training required
Understanding the characteristics and needs of learners enables an RTO to identify an amount of training that reasonably supports a learner to fully absorb the required knowledge and develop the required skills over time in a range of situations they would experience in the workplace. The learner should have the opportunity to practice and apply these skills and knowledge requirements prior to assessment.
The time taken for a learner to develop the capabilities required by a training product will differ based on a learner’s: [1]
existing knowledge and skills
previous or current industry experience
language, literacy and numeracy skills
disability that may impede learning
motivation and time to learn.
Training product and how it impacts the amount of training required
Each training product describes the knowledge, skills and application of knowledge and skills required to be considered competent. The amount of training required for a training product is influenced by: [1]
amount, breadth and depth of knowledge required
amount, type and complexity of skills required
application of knowledge and skills required
any work placement requirements.
Delivery mode and how it impacts the amount of training required
Delivery modes can include one, or a combination, of: [1]
face-to-face, group-based training delivered by a trainer
synchronous or real-time online learning delivered by a trainer
asynchronous or self-paced online learning, that is included as a measurable, set exercise
other forms of self-paced delivery, where a student undertakes training in their own time and location
workplace delivery, including training activity conducted in the workplace by an RTO or an employer.
ASQA acknowledges that the amount of training will vary depending on which mode of delivery the RTO has selected with some delivery modes enabling learners to develop the required skills and knowledge in a shorter timeframe.
In conclusion
An RTO must determine how long it will take to deliver learners training so that they are prepared and ready to undertake assessment. Determining a suitable amount of training will require the RTO to consider: [1]
characteristic and needs of learners
requirements specified by the training product
mode or modes of delivery to be used.
The following is a checklist that may be used when checking if the amount of training described in an RTO’s training and assessment strategy is appropriate.
Are you a doing the TAE40122 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, and are you struggling with your studies? Do you want help with your TAE studies?
On Target Work Skills 