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.
Information on the divergence between student numbers and delivery hours for the period 2002 to 2007 is provided in this technical paper. The change in hours from one year to the next is decomposed into three effects, one of which is 'hours inflation', whereby nominal hours increase over time for the same unit of competency or module. Here we show that the 'hours inflation' explains relatively little of the divergence between students and hours. However, another form of hours creep, whereby new modules have higher average hours than ceased modules, was of some significance at the start of the period in question.
This technical paper examines some large and unusual movements for data in the 2007 VET Provider Collection by comparison with 2006. Changes in the patterns of courses undertaken explain most of the divergence between students, enrolments and hours.
This technical paper provides information on changes to the method of calculating government recurrent expenditure used for national efficiency Key Performance Measure 6.