Most TAFE teachers, trainers and assessors working for an RTO learnt about designing competency-based assessment when they studied for their Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification . But designing a competency-based assessment for real is often very different to learning about it at a TAE training course.
On Target Work Skills is delivering a training webinar that provides a simple and practical approach to designing competency-based assessment. The aim is to improve capability for new and experienced VET practitioners.
Webinar objectives
The webinar objectives are:
Identify compliance requirements relating to the development of competency-based assessment
Describe a 7-step process for developing competency-based assessment
Determine the volume of performance evidence
Decide the number of assessment tasks
Check that the entire competency standard is planned to be assessed.
Key content points
The key content for this training are:
Compliance requirements (as per the Standards for RTOs 2015)
Definition of assessment
Principles of assessment and rules of evidence
Assessment Requirements
Knowledge evidence
Performance evidence
Assessment conditions
Sequence and structure of assessment tasks
Assessment methods
Assessment matrix
Assessment tools
Assessment instruments
Assessment instructions
Review and trial of the assessment tool before implementation
Nine golden rules when developing as assessment tool.
Location
The webinar shall be conducted via Zoom. Therefore, you can attend the webinar from your workplace or home.
Duration
3 hours webinar.
Note: There are two short breaks provided during the webinar.
Also, this webinar can be delivered to a work group. It can be a relevant and timely professional development activity for a group of trainers.
Date and start time
Please call Alan Maguire on 0493 065 396 to discuss.
Most TAFE teachers, trainers and assessors working for an RTO learnt about designing competency-based training when they studied for their Certificate IV in Training and Assessment qualification . But designing a competency-based training program for real is often very different to learning about it at a TAE training course.
On Target Work Skills is delivering a training webinar that provides a simple and practical approach to designing competency-based training. The aim is to improve capability for new and experienced VET practitioners.
Webinar objectives
The training objectives are:
Identify compliance requirements relating to the design of competency-based training
Describe a 7-step process for designing competency-based training
Estimate total training duration
Develop a draft training agenda
Check that the entire unit of competency is covered
List the 6 essential elements of a training program plan.
Key content points
The key content for this training are:
Compliance requirements (as per the Standards for RTOs)
Definition of competency
Units of Competency and Assessment Requirements
Instructional design theory
Robert Gagné’s 9-events of instruction
David Merrill’s first principles of instruction
Malcolm Knowles’ assumptions about adult learners
7-step process for designing competency-based training
Modes of delivery
AQF volume of learning and nominal hours
Chucking and sequencing
Training session structure
Introductions and conclusions
Structure of a knowledge training session
Structure of a skill or task-based training session
Summaries, self-reflection and breaks
Active learning and the importance of learn by doing
6 essential elements of a training program plan.
Location
The webinar shall be conducted via Zoom. Therefore, you can attend the webinar from your workplace or home.
Duration
3-hour webinar
Note: There are two short breaks provided during the webinar.
Also, this webinar can be delivered to a work group. It can be a relevant and timely professional development activity for a group of trainers.
Date and start time
Please call Alan Maguire on 0493 065 396 to discuss.
The TAELLN421 Integrate core skills support into training and assessment unit of competency can be difficult to read and understand because of the jargon it uses.
This unit has four elements:
Identify core skill demands
Identify learner and candidate core skill needs
Integrate core skill support
Review effectiveness of integrated core skill support.
Just looking at the elements of competency, there are a few questions raised:
What is a core skill?
What are core skill demands?
What is the difference between a learner and candidate?
What is core skills support?
What is meant by integrated core skill support?
What is a core skill?
There are five core skills in the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF):
Learning
Reading
Writing
Oral communication
Numeracy.
What are core skill demands?
I will use the word ‘requirement’ instead of the word ‘demand’. The following is an example of questions we can ask to help us determine the reading skill requirements:
What level of reading skill is required to perform a work task?
What level of reading skill is required to participate in the training and assessment?
What level of reading skill is required to use the training and assessment materials?
And ask the same questions for the other four core skills.
What is the difference between a learner and candidate?
A learner is a person we provide training to. A candidate is a person we assess. Often, the learner and the candidate are the same person.
What is core skills support?
We can support the development of a person’s core skills by using training strategies and learning resources designed. For example:
We could allow more time for the person to learn the content
We could provide support sessions for the individual learner
We could use learning resources based on images and diagrams to help the person learn the content.
Also, we can use assessment strategies appropriate for the person being assessed. For example, we could use oral questioning instead of written questioning to gather knowledge evidence if the person has low level of reading and writing skills.
What is meant by integrated core skill support?
We need to address the development of the core skill at the same time as helping the person learn how to perform the work skills. For example, we can help a person develop their reading skill by helping them learn to read a relevant workplace procedure.
Also, ‘integrated core skill support’ means incorporating strategies and resources when we deliver training and conduct assessment. In other words, no doing something separately.
How do we integrate core skills support into training and assessment?
I have unpacked the elements, performance criteria and performance evidence to create the following 4-part process that gives greater clarity to the TAE Student about what they need to do.
Assessment requirements for the TAELLN421 unit
Knowledge evidence
An assessment task will be required to gather the specified Knowledge Evidence. A TAE Student must demonstrate they have the following knowledge:
Core skill levels of the Australian adult population, and of VET learners
Australian Core Skills Framework and Digital Literacy Skills Framework
Impact of core skills on a person’s capability to participate in work and in training and assessment, and the implications for design and delivery of vocational training and assessment
Overview of core skill demands in the workplace that relate to the nationally recognised training products
VET regulatory requirements relating to integrating core skills support into training and assessment
RTO procedures relating to integrating core skills support into training and assessment
Benefits of integrating vocational and core skill training for all individuals
How to identify core skills in nationally recognised training products, workplace tasks and texts, etc.
Responsibilities and limitations of own job and practice in relation to providing core skills support in training and assessment.
Performance evidence
The Performance Evidence for the TAELLN421 Integrate core skills support into training and assessment unit of competency is reasonably complex. This complexity may mean that the assessment task or tasks will be complex.
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?
Anyone who knows me, knows that I love PowerPoint. And anyone who knows me, knows that I create PowerPoint presentations to support training programs I am designing, developing and delivering.
Recently, I have been delivering the ‘How to implement the National Microcredentials Framework’ training. Here is a sneak preview of some PowerPoint slides that I have developed for this training.
I hope you enjoy having a ‘walk-through the gallery’.
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.
What is holistic assessment?
Holistic assessment is an assessment approach that covers multiple elements of competency. The assessor would consider the learner’s overall performance, including their application of knowledge and skills. This assessment approach would not explicitly gather evidence for each item of required knowledge or required skill.
What is integrated assessment?
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 gather evidence specified by two or more units of competency.
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.
Exploring words and their meaning
It is difficult to find an official definition of ‘holistic assessment’ in the context of the Australian VET system. Let’s explore various words and understand their meaning within Australia’s VET system:
Competency
Assessment
Holistic
Unit
Unit of competency
What is the definition of competency?
In the Australian VET system, ‘competency’ is defined as: [1]
The consistent application of knowledge and skill to the standard of performance required in the workplace. It embodies the ability to transfer and apply skills and knowledge to new situations and environments.
A competent person must have the knowledge and skills required to perform a work task. And they must have the ability to apply those knowledge and skills to consistently perform work tasks to the standard that is expected in a workplace.
What is the definition of assessment?
In the Australian VET system, ‘competency’ is defined as: [1]
Assessment means the process of collecting evidence and making judgements on whether competency has been achieved, to confirm that an individual can perform to the standard required in the workplace, as specified in a Training Package or VET Accredited Course.
The smallest component of a Training Package that can be assessed and recognised is a unit of competency. Recognition is achieved by an RTO issuing a nationally recognised qualifications and statements of attainment.
What is the meaning of holistic and unit?
‘Assessment’ has an official definition (see above), but there isn’t an official definition of ‘holistic assessment’ in the context of the Australian VET system. Therefore, we’ll look at the common meaning for ‘holistic’ and add it to the definition of ‘assessment’.
The word ‘holistic’ is derived from the Greek ‘holo’, meaning ‘whole’. Wholistic has the same meaning as holistic, but it is typically thought of as a misspelling of holistic.
What is another word for holistic? And what is the opposite of holistic?
Another important word to explore is ‘unit’. The word ‘unit’ can be defined as an individual thing regarded as single and complete, but which can also form an individual component of a larger or more complex whole.
What is a unit of competency?
A unit of competency is the smallest component of a Training Package that can be assessed and recognised. It describes the knowledge and skills required to perform work tasks, and the standard of performance that is required in the workplace. Units of competency are used as the building blocks for qualifications or skill sets.
The following illustrates how a units of competency is single and complete, and it is used as a component for a qualification or skill set. Units of competency, qualifications, and skill sets are contained with a Training Package.
A unit of competency includes the following parts:
Elements and Performance Criteria
Required knowledge (Knowledge Evidence)
Required skills (Foundation Skills)
A ‘holistic assessment’ of competency is an assessment that covers the whole unit of competency, rather than separately assessing the parts of the unit of competency.
In conclusion
In theory, holistic assessment means that we should not assess one part of a unit of competency separately from other parts, if we really want to determine if a person is competent as specified by a unit of competency. However, in reality, we do explicitly gather evidence of knowledge separately from gathering evidence of performance.
Also, some units of competency have been written in a way that do not allow for the assessment to be conducted holistically.
This article has explored and described holistic 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 integrated assessment.
Reference
[1] Standards for RTOs 2015, Glossary
Do you need help with your TAE studies?
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?
On Target Work Skills 