This research examines the strengths and weaknesses of CBT as it is currently applied to the Australian VET system and whether there is cause to consider a broader approach to defining and describing competence and hence considering how best teaching and learning in VET is delivered and assessed.
This is the first of two reports which examine how the VET sector initially responded to COVID-19 through the increased use of online training delivery and begins to explore possible implications this might have on future training delivery modes.
Validation of assessment tools, processes and outcomes is an important element of the quality of assessment in vocational education and training (VET). This research explores how registered training organisations (RTOs) conduct independent validation of assessment (IVA) and what industry involvement they have in these processes.
This report describes the current system for granting RPL in Australian VET, including the nature and types of RPL being granted and what factors (if any) affect the likelihood of it being granted to a student.
This literature review focuses on the perspectives of adult language, literacy and numeracy, particularly the human capital and social practices perspectives, which at times do not sit comfortably in relation to each other.
The quality and rigour of assessments in VET have been key concerns for VET policy-makers, which questions the credibility of VET qualifications.
This report explores some of the key issues associated with the assessment in VET and reflects on some possible solutions.
This report explores the two tools used for assessing literacy and numeracy proficiency, the Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALLS) survey and Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF), and finds that, while it is broadly possible to translate the five ACSF performance levels to the ALLS scales, there is not an exact match between the two, especially at the higher levels.
This paper argues that assessment can play a central role in teaching and learning, and selecting an appropriate mix of assessment strategies can satisfy multiple goals of key stakeholders in vocational education and training. These goals include promoting learning, certifying learning and program evaluation. These objectives must be understood in a broad context delineated by the structures of education systems and of labour markets which, in turn, reside within national policy objectives. Forms of assessment must be consistent with the goals of learning and with a broad range of valued learning outcomes.
The community services and health industries have experienced a period of growth in recent times. This report focuses on the sub-section, alcohol and other drugs, which has had difficulty recruiting staff.
This paper explores a range of issues related to the development of the VET workforce. It examines key issues underpinning professional development structures and proposes a set of features integral to a comprehensive workforce development strategy.
Student intentions and outcomes in regard to studying the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment at NSW community colleges is the subject of this paper. Gaining employment and acquiring presentation skills were the most common reasons given for undertaking the course, but for many students the course did not deliver this. Those students who accessed pre-course information and thus had more realistic expectations of what the course would entail were more likely to report that the course met their expectations. The research was funded through the NCVER's Building Researcher Capacity initiative and was undertaken by a novice researcher in the Community of Practice scholarship program.
Rubrics are a tool that can be used to provide graded assessment for articulation from vocational education and training (VET) into higher education. By mentoring teachers to use rubrics and interviewing them to determine their experiences in using them, the author explored the potential of rubrics as an assessment tool. Overall, teachers found rubrics not only useful for grading assessments but also for conveying assessment expectations to students. The research was undertaken by a novice researcher in the community of practice program and was funded as part of NCVER's Building Researcher Capacity initiative.
An analysis of student verbatim responses in the Student Outcome Survey provides suggestions for how the vocational education and training (VET) system could be improved.
This discussion paper arises from a research project investigating the extent to which practitioners believe the Certificate IV Training and Assessment (TAA04) qualification provides an effective foundation for the delivery and assessment of training in the VET environment. This paper focuses on the history of the TAA04 and outlines some of the key issues relating to the quality of delivery. The project is due for completion in late-2010.
This paper aims to contribute to the discussion on the quality and accessibility of underpinning knowledge in competency-based training. It uses the Vocational Graduate Certificate and the Vocational Graduate Diploma in Education Design in a Queensland TAFE institute to examine how the 'traditional' knowledge and theory associated with higher-level qualifications can be accommodated within the framework of competency-based training and assessment. The paper raises some interesting, and provocative, questions about the status and value of these qualifications by comparison with their university counterparts.
The difficulties experienced by vocational education and training (VET) teachers in delivering the generic employability skills embedded in industry training packages are considered in this paper.
Ways of assessing and acknowledging the range of outcomes in non-accredited community adult language, literacy and numeracy programs are explored in this study. The instruments it tested take account of the diversity of learner needs and motivations. The study highlights that these assessment methods can bring benefits both to the learner and the tutor, especially when they are completed jointly in ways that inform learning plans and aim at building self-confidence.
Mp3 of interview conducted by Steve Davis with Roger Harris and Berwyn Clayton about their report 'Supporting vocational education and training providers in building capability for the future'.
The two-year consortium program, 'Supporting vocational education and training providers in building capability for the future' focused on approaches to help VET providers build their capability. These eight papers include a program overview, key contextual issues of concern to VET stakeholders, as well as the overall findings and key messages of each specific research activity. An MP3 audio interview with Berwyn Clayton and Roger Harris can also be streamed or downloaded from the NCVER website.