Session 4 Assessment Validation Model

This session was an overview of the processes and forms that had been developed by NAVAL ( Network of Assessment Validation Assessor Leaders)

Naval is SWSI"s Community Services Assessment validation group. This group meets once a month and developed a CD Rom for the end of 2005. This network it is hoped will be extneded to Hunter Institute and this project will establish a network and collaboration between Community Services (Welfare Teachers) and to implmenet assessment validation. For this project we discussed strategies for assessment validation and reviwed the forms available. As a cross Institute project it was decided we would use the forms available at each Institute and after the process has been finalised discuss and evaluate the forms and proecesses further in order to refine.

Session 3 Evidence Guides

In this session we talked about naming of the project and tools and after discussion decided on:

CEG: this is the name of the project Competency Evidence Guide (CEG)

ATEG: This is the tool for assessors and teachers: Assessor/Teacher Evidence Guide (ATEG) The ATEG will maximise confidence in assessment decision making.




LEG : This is the the tool for the learner:
Learner Assessor Guide (LEG) The LEG will encourage and support learners in the RPL process.

The Assessor and Learner Evidence Guides will be developed in a variety of formats and will assist meeting AQTF standard 9.2. Groups of two were allocated 2 competencies and work was done to populate and expand the template. Although this took longer than anticipated it encouraged active discussion and assisted the teams to work together inevaluating and value adding to the ATEG and LEG through an action learning process.

Session 2 Resources

This session was identifying resources that could support the development of the resources for this project. This included reviewing, discussion on ways to adapt and customise resources in assisting with the layout of the evidence guides.

The Curriculum Centre include unit guides and recognition guides:

CIDO provides syllabus documents for the course:

Whilst the Community Services Skills Council provides a very useful tool for recognition.

We reviewed the new look NTIS site. Although it has been updated there is a concernt that documents are now more difficult to find and print.

Prove It a useful tool developed by CLI TAFE NSW which has the Certificate IV Alcohol and Other Drugs and therefore includes competencies useful for this project.

Some resources were familiar whilst others it was difficult to find the time to review. Links will be added to the jetty communication site for everyone to acces.

Arriving at Kurri

At the last minute I decided to travel to Kurri and work with Helen from Hunter Institute to nut out the final plans. We also were able to try out the restuarant that we wre egoing to the next night.

This proved a good move as some of the Sydney people got caught up in bad traffic on the morning. We managed to have represntatives from Newcastle Ourimbah, Campbelltown and Granville colleges. All in all up to 16 people were in attendance which was really exciting.

We started off with very brief introductions and Session1 began.

Session 1 Overview of the Project

The project tries to meet the VETAB Audit identified points of
*Cross Institute Assessment Validation in particular AQTF 9.2
*Certificate IV Community Services Work identified due to the competencies being able to be used over more qualifications
*Assessor Evidence Guide which will assist with meeting RPL identified support and procedures needed *Learner Evidence Guide also identified as a being able to document the procedure to assist learners through the RPL process

Outcomes Include:
•Develop Assessor and Learner Evidence Guides in a variety of formats.
•AEG will maximise confidence in assessment decision making.
•LEG will encourage and support learners in the RPL process.
•Meet AQTF standard 9.2

Time Frame
April 2006
1. Allocate competencies for development.
2. Develop evidence information.
3. Develop interview questions.
4. Upload information.
May 2006
1.Review LEG and AEG
2.Provide Feedback
3.Complete Validation Checklist
4.Edit and finalise
June 2006
1.Compile material
2.Develop Resources
3.External Reviewer
4.Team Meeting
5.Materials Finalised

Morning tea arrived and we were off to try out some lovely home baked cake....

Getting Ready For the Talkfest

With meeting being at Kurri it was difficult to try and think waht would be the most useful resources to have there. The time would be brief so it was important to have a model to begin and focus the discussion. So web pages were developed to showcase the evidence guides with as well placing this within the Jansion Framework.

To meet the project outcomes it was important to also have copies for the pages in a handout as we would also be developing a written package.

Fortunately Teachersmart a computer programme from Illawarra Institute provided icons that can be used and the actual layout will be a discussion point at the meeting.

The resoucres were gathered which included the unit and recognition guides from the curriculum centre, the unit guides from NTIS website, the Certificate IV documentation form the Commnity Services Skills Council as well documents locally developed.

The agenda included:

Session 1 Overview of the Project: outcomes and timeframe
Session 2 Resources: identifying, reviewing, adapting and customisation
Session 3 Evidence Guides: teacher/ assessor and learner.
Session 4 Assessment Validation Model; process, avaiability, communication channels
Session 5 Roles and responsibilities: payment and hours
Session 6 Recap: reflection
Session 7 Layoutand design: colours, icons, images for templates
Session 8: Scope of the project: presentations at ICVET conference, get together of Community Services Hunter and SWSI in June
Session 9 Review: AV model, communication strategies
Session 10 Feedback and evaluation: online survey.

Numbers of the teams have changed and will probably continue to change up until the day. We have made the final booking at Kurri inlcuding the yummy food including home made scones.

Curriculum Centre Meeting

Today a meeting with Program Managers from the Curriculum Centres was held to begin the scoping of the project. Learning at the workplace has become very topical in TAFE NSW determining the way this learning can be supported and aligned to the training package for assessing' learner's competence.

The focus of the project will be to:

• adapt exisiting assessment resources that are already aligned to units of competence in the Certificate IV Community Services Work. The curriculum centre has developed materials that can support the project.
• validate assessment tools. This will become a part of the model for cros Institute validation. An important point is to consider the contextualising of the resource to meet the needs of learners and teachers.

Where to now?

The agenda needs to be finalised for the Talkfest next week letting everyone who is coming what they can expect from the "Talkfest"

What resources do we need to take?

Hard copies of the resources from the Curriuum Centre and from the state ITAB and laptops.

Mmm, I think we will need to pack some sugar as well.....

Outcomes for the project include:

• A cross Institute model for assessment validation developed in cooperation between Hunter and South Western Sydney Institues of TAFE NSW.
• Teacher and Learner Evidence Guide adapated from current resources.
• Guides will be made available in multi- media formats.

Overview of the Project

Meetings

24th February 2006 Faculty representatives from the collaborating Institutes met to scope project and have planned a two day "Talkfest" at Kurri Kurri 11th -12th April 2006 for interested teachers currently delivering and assessing the Certificate IV.

Late February to early March 2006 Institute meetings with Community Services Faculties to encourage participation by teachers at the "Talkfest"

23rd March 2006 Learn@work meeting SWSI lots of interest in "Talkfest" at Kurri Kurri.

29 March 2006 Teleconference with other Emerging Priorities funded projects. Information provided on required reports for the project and expected outcomes as well as the assistance that can be provided.

30 March 2006 Meeting with CLI (Cente for Learning and Innovation) to discuss approaches for sharing the Cross Institute Assessment Validation Model and the Developed Evidence Guides. (One example could be to extend Prove It)

31st March 2006 Meeting with Illawarra Institute Training and Resource development Unit to determine approaches for formatting the resources.

3rd April 2006 Meeting with Curriculum Centre planned to discuss outcomes and the scope of the project.

11th-12th April 2006 "Talkfest" Kurri Kurri to discuss and map project.

Future Directions

It is anticipated that the project will provide the opportunity for teachers to develop skills in customising and contextualising resources to best suit both their own teaching styles and the needs of their learners. It is also expected that this project will extend to other qualifications from the Community Services Training Packages.