This Guide is a practical resource material for assessors and assessor trainers seeking technical... more This Guide is a practical resource material for assessors and assessor trainers seeking technical guidance on how to develop and/or review assessment tools. The Guide is not intended to be mandatory, exhaustive or definitive but instead it is intended to be aspirational and educative in nature. There are three sections to this Guide. Section 1 explains what an assessment tool is, including its essential components. Section 2 identifies a number of ideal characteristics of an assessment tool and provides four examples of how each of these characteristics can be built into the design for four methods of assessment: observation, interview, portfolio and product-based assessments. Section 3 provides an overview of three quality assurance processes (i.e. panelling, piloting and trialling) that could be undertaken prior to implementing a new assessment tool.
This paper was presented at the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) 1998 co... more This paper was presented at the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) 1998 conference: Industry training outlook '98, held in Sydney, from 12-13 October 1998. It describes a project researching a range of issues associated with the delivery of the Diploma In Community Services (Welfare Studies). This work was undertaken as part of the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) Institute Assessment Project. The project is reviewed, benefits for key players enumerated and future challenges described.
This Guide is a practical resource material for assessors and assessor trainers seeking technical... more This Guide is a practical resource material for assessors and assessor trainers seeking technical guidance on how to develop and/or review assessment tools. The Guide is not intended to be mandatory, exhaustive or definitive but instead it is intended to be aspirational and educative in nature.
This paper reports on a scoping study conducted for the Australian National Training Authority in... more This paper reports on a scoping study conducted for the Australian National Training Authority in 2003 into teaching and learning. The research was designed to identify key issues and themes that VET practitioners identified as being challenging in the translation of training packages into teaching, learning and assessment strategies. Recent research had provided evidence that practitioners were still coming to grips with the changes to pedagogical practice in a training package environment and it was considered strategically important to support the development of professionalism within the VET system and re-emphasise the importance of pedagogy. The study verified an observation commonly made in the extensive literature on teaching and learning in VET: that VET practitioners are delivering in a range of contexts, using broad ranging strategies and various tools and technologies to meet the needs of diverse learners. It also found clear evidence that a considerable amount of effective and innovative teaching and learning was taking place. However, what some teachers and trainers were doing well continued to challenge some other practitioners. A good deal of the research literature had previously pointed to the skills and knowledge gaps that many practitioners have when working in a training package environment. This study provided further evidence that a number of pedagogical issues need to be addressed and VET practitioners supported to build their capabilities to take on the current and future challenges in VET delivery.
The purpose of this paper was to examine graded assessment approaches being proposed and/or imple... more The purpose of this paper was to examine graded assessment approaches being proposed and/or implemented across Australia and internationally at the Diploma and Advanced Diploma levels with a view to improving consistency as well as student mobility between VET and higher education.
The introduction into the Australian vocational education and training (VET) sector of a national... more The introduction into the Australian vocational education and training (VET) sector of a national training framework (NTF) occasioned the need for extensive and practical professional development of staff within the sector. A major, nationwide initiative to this end was the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) sponsored program, Framing the Future. This program aimed to meet the needs of VET professionals to keep up to date with the changes in the VET system, and to do so by means of work based learning projects. The program was grounded in the belief that encouraging VET practitioners to take responsibility for their own learning needs would empower them to cope with these changes. In March 2001 it was proposed that Framing the Future be expanded beyond its staff development brief to be a more comprehensive, national support program assisting the VET sector in change management, policy engagement, networking, research and information services. (Mitchell & Young, 2001) Thus it was that the project’s objectives were expanded and, adopting the title of Mitchell’s report into the project’s long-term impacts, it was re-badged as Reframing the Future. Mitchell, 2000)
Literature on organisational structures and cultures suggests that for organisations to successfu... more Literature on organisational structures and cultures suggests that for organisations to successfully meet the demands of their ever-changing environment, they will need to be flexible, adaptable, agile and responsive. Teamwork and other structural innovations that overcome the limitations of the traditional bureaucratic form are seen as ways of the future. In concert with this changing view of structures, the focus of organisational change is moving from 'planning change' to 'facilitating emergence of change'-transforming cultures rather than conforming or reforming them. This paper reports on Research Activity 4 Assessing the impact of cultures and structures on individual and organisational capability in the consortium research program Supporting VET providers in building capability for the future. Using individual interviews with managers and group interviews with work teams, this study examined the ways in which diverse cultures and various structural configurations influence the capability of both work teams and organisations. The paper provides examples of how ten RTOs are adapting their structures and transforming their cultures to better address government, industry and community demands.
The Canberra Institute of Technology’s Assessment Project has used a teacher-centred action resea... more The Canberra Institute of Technology’s Assessment Project has used a teacher-centred action research approach to encourage educational change. Practitioners identify what they consider to be an important assessment issue to examine and generate concept proposals for their projects. They then carry out the research, present their findings to their peers and implement and evaluate the changes. This approach acknowledges that individual teachers are more likely to accept and implement better practice when they are given the opportunity to actively participate in research, development and decision-making processes. The outcomes of their research have been influential in generating better assessment practice. The findings have also informed the development and revision of policies at the institutional, faculty and departmental levels. More importantly, teacher-researchers have moved forward with enhanced self-confidence to accept a major role in the professional development of their peers. The Institute Assessment Project has generated a growing interest in research as an agent for change within CIT. This paper reports on the changes wrought by some of these research projects and presents evidence of better assessment policy and practice at the micro
Abstract ‘Impact’ is a notion that is not very well understood in research. Within Australian hig... more Abstract ‘Impact’ is a notion that is not very well understood in research. Within Australian higher education, it has been bandied about within such frameworks as the Research Quality Framework (RQF) and Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA). Vocational education and training (VET) research is not immune from these movements, and increasingly, VET researchers need also to be keeping a weather eye on the impact of their research. As a contribution to our understanding of impact and how it might be applied in VET research, this paper explores the notion. Following a review of relevant sources on impact, it uses as its case study evidence on the work of the Australian VET research consortium, Supporting VET providers in building capability for the future, and interprets available data within the framework of one of three potential models proposed in Australasia for the measurement of VET research impact.
… Implementing Change, Proceedings of the 10th …, 2002
... time, they have been continuously incorporating the altered professional practices that have ... more ... time, they have been continuously incorporating the altered professional practices that have evolved in their industries-of-origin into their own repertoires in order to continue to base their teaching practice on current industry practices. Thus VET professionals accommodate and ...
Abstract: This project was designed to gather data from staff currently employed in the vocationa... more Abstract: This project was designed to gather data from staff currently employed in the vocational education and training (VET) sector on how their employment has changed. It was also concerned with understanding how staff experience their working lives as ...
ABSTRACT Academic journals communicate research findings, share knowledge and stimulate debate. T... more ABSTRACT Academic journals communicate research findings, share knowledge and stimulate debate. They are the representative academic ‘voice’ for a discipline, reflecting its knowledge base. This paper examines all 350 articles published in the International Journal of Training Research from 1993 to 2019 to highlight significant trends over 27 years. It analyses the 462 authors, the article types and methodological characteristics, and their key themes and sub-themes. Analysis of authorship over time reveals rises in the proportions of females publishing, of international contributors from 30 different countries, of contributors affiliated with universities and of multiple authorship. Two-thirds of the articles were qualitative research or expository. Key themes were on political, organisational and structural change and on students, followed by vocational knowledge, learning and instruction, and vocational teachers. Studying the themes and sub-themes over time showed how their relative popularity in research has tended to parallel policy developments in the VET sector.
Schein (1992) suggests that organisational culture is even more important toady than it has previ... more Schein (1992) suggests that organisational culture is even more important toady than it has previously been before. Globalisation, increased competition and technological change have created a greater need for innovation, coordination and integration across organisations in order to improve efficiency and meet the expectations of increasingly more sophisticated clients. It is suggested that the key is to identify and effectively manage the varying cultures that exist within organisations, to develop synergies between them and, where possible, prevent them from conflicting with each other. At the same time, traditional organisational structures are being tested by demands for greater adaptability and flexibility and mechanistic organisational structures are making way for more organic structural approaches. This paper presents the findings of research into Australian vocational education and training providers and the impact that cultures and structures have on their organisational capability. The study is a component of the DEST funded consortium research program Supporting VET providers in building capability for the future.
This paper aims to reveal the core problems in Madrasahs as obstacles in improving the quality of... more This paper aims to reveal the core problems in Madrasahs as obstacles in improving the quality of madrasas. The results of the study show that Madrasahs are faced with a dilemmatic position as educational institutions. As an educational institution, madrasas should be given broad authority in the management of madrasas, especially when this is the era of regional autonomy. In the current era of autonomy, one of the concepts that can be applied to improve the quality of education is school-based management. SBM is a strategy to make schools become more qualified by giving broad authority to Madrasahs. Although Madrasahs are under the auspices of the Ministry of Religion, the SBM concept can still be applied based on the suitability of SBM as a strategy to address Madrasah problems.
This report results from a two year collaboration between the Australian College of Educators (AC... more This report results from a two year collaboration between the Australian College of Educators (ACE), TAFE Directors Australia (TDA), the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations ( DEEWR), and later also with a research team from the Work-based Education ...
This research, funded and supported by the Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework)1, e... more This research, funded and supported by the Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework)1, examines what practitioners and auditors judge to be the key issues in e-assessment, and most significantly, potential practical actions that will promote better understanding and improved practices. In this research, e-assessment covers the wide range of activities where digital technologies are used in assessment, including the designing and delivery of assessments, and in marking.
This paper reports on one part of a two-part study examining industry views on the management and... more This paper reports on one part of a two-part study examining industry views on the management and maintenance of industry currency of VET practitioners. While they play a critical role in up-skilling the broader Australian workforce, research suggests that currency gaps exist amongst the VET workforce (Toze & Tierney 2010). In light of this, currency has become a concern for industry, training providers and practitioners alike (Precision Consulting 2008). Rather than taking a strictly VET view of the issue, this qualitative study gathered insights into the way nine knowledge-leading organisations in the fields of science, health, engineering and human resources dealt with the updating of their professional workforce. Findings indicate that effective updating was not only dependent upon a healthy organisational climate that sent the message that keeping current was an expected activity, it needed to be strategically planned, collaboratively undertaken, monitored and regularly reviewe...
In a number of overseas countries, the delivery and assessment of generic skills has become an is... more In a number of overseas countries, the delivery and assessment of generic skills has become an issue of considerable interest. Likewise, in Australia there has been an increasingly obvious shift by vocational education and training (VET) policy makers and major industry representatives, away from a complete focus on technical competencies to one that promotes an enhanced positioning for generic skills in VET. In their simplest form, generic skills are currently represented in Training Packages and in practitioners’ minds, by the Mayer Key Competencies. However, research indicates that the teaching and assessment of Key Competencies is relatively problematic. Learners’ achievement of Key Competencies is generally inferred, and is only rarely directly delivered and evaluated. This paper reports on a series of case studies of RTO approaches to assessment of generic skills. It examines the issues and concerns raised by practitioners currently engaged in the delivery and assessment of ge...
Practitioner expectations and experiences with the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAA... more Practitioner expectations and experiences with the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAA40104) is a research project designed to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences and perceptions of the teachers, trainers and registered training organisation (RTO) managers in regard to the certificate IV in the Training Package for Training and Assessment (TAA04). The focus of the study is on whether practitioners believe that the qualification provides them with an effective foundation for the delivery and assessment of training in the vocational education and training (VET) environment. It will also endeavour to determine whether practitioners and their managers believe that the TAA04 qualification enables practitioners to make confident judgements, over time, about the kinds of training and the assessment strategies required to meet the needs of diverse student groups in a range of training settings.
This Guide is a practical resource material for assessors and assessor trainers seeking technical... more This Guide is a practical resource material for assessors and assessor trainers seeking technical guidance on how to develop and/or review assessment tools. The Guide is not intended to be mandatory, exhaustive or definitive but instead it is intended to be aspirational and educative in nature. There are three sections to this Guide. Section 1 explains what an assessment tool is, including its essential components. Section 2 identifies a number of ideal characteristics of an assessment tool and provides four examples of how each of these characteristics can be built into the design for four methods of assessment: observation, interview, portfolio and product-based assessments. Section 3 provides an overview of three quality assurance processes (i.e. panelling, piloting and trialling) that could be undertaken prior to implementing a new assessment tool.
This paper was presented at the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) 1998 co... more This paper was presented at the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) 1998 conference: Industry training outlook '98, held in Sydney, from 12-13 October 1998. It describes a project researching a range of issues associated with the delivery of the Diploma In Community Services (Welfare Studies). This work was undertaken as part of the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) Institute Assessment Project. The project is reviewed, benefits for key players enumerated and future challenges described.
This Guide is a practical resource material for assessors and assessor trainers seeking technical... more This Guide is a practical resource material for assessors and assessor trainers seeking technical guidance on how to develop and/or review assessment tools. The Guide is not intended to be mandatory, exhaustive or definitive but instead it is intended to be aspirational and educative in nature.
This paper reports on a scoping study conducted for the Australian National Training Authority in... more This paper reports on a scoping study conducted for the Australian National Training Authority in 2003 into teaching and learning. The research was designed to identify key issues and themes that VET practitioners identified as being challenging in the translation of training packages into teaching, learning and assessment strategies. Recent research had provided evidence that practitioners were still coming to grips with the changes to pedagogical practice in a training package environment and it was considered strategically important to support the development of professionalism within the VET system and re-emphasise the importance of pedagogy. The study verified an observation commonly made in the extensive literature on teaching and learning in VET: that VET practitioners are delivering in a range of contexts, using broad ranging strategies and various tools and technologies to meet the needs of diverse learners. It also found clear evidence that a considerable amount of effective and innovative teaching and learning was taking place. However, what some teachers and trainers were doing well continued to challenge some other practitioners. A good deal of the research literature had previously pointed to the skills and knowledge gaps that many practitioners have when working in a training package environment. This study provided further evidence that a number of pedagogical issues need to be addressed and VET practitioners supported to build their capabilities to take on the current and future challenges in VET delivery.
The purpose of this paper was to examine graded assessment approaches being proposed and/or imple... more The purpose of this paper was to examine graded assessment approaches being proposed and/or implemented across Australia and internationally at the Diploma and Advanced Diploma levels with a view to improving consistency as well as student mobility between VET and higher education.
The introduction into the Australian vocational education and training (VET) sector of a national... more The introduction into the Australian vocational education and training (VET) sector of a national training framework (NTF) occasioned the need for extensive and practical professional development of staff within the sector. A major, nationwide initiative to this end was the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) sponsored program, Framing the Future. This program aimed to meet the needs of VET professionals to keep up to date with the changes in the VET system, and to do so by means of work based learning projects. The program was grounded in the belief that encouraging VET practitioners to take responsibility for their own learning needs would empower them to cope with these changes. In March 2001 it was proposed that Framing the Future be expanded beyond its staff development brief to be a more comprehensive, national support program assisting the VET sector in change management, policy engagement, networking, research and information services. (Mitchell & Young, 2001) Thus it was that the project’s objectives were expanded and, adopting the title of Mitchell’s report into the project’s long-term impacts, it was re-badged as Reframing the Future. Mitchell, 2000)
Literature on organisational structures and cultures suggests that for organisations to successfu... more Literature on organisational structures and cultures suggests that for organisations to successfully meet the demands of their ever-changing environment, they will need to be flexible, adaptable, agile and responsive. Teamwork and other structural innovations that overcome the limitations of the traditional bureaucratic form are seen as ways of the future. In concert with this changing view of structures, the focus of organisational change is moving from 'planning change' to 'facilitating emergence of change'-transforming cultures rather than conforming or reforming them. This paper reports on Research Activity 4 Assessing the impact of cultures and structures on individual and organisational capability in the consortium research program Supporting VET providers in building capability for the future. Using individual interviews with managers and group interviews with work teams, this study examined the ways in which diverse cultures and various structural configurations influence the capability of both work teams and organisations. The paper provides examples of how ten RTOs are adapting their structures and transforming their cultures to better address government, industry and community demands.
The Canberra Institute of Technology’s Assessment Project has used a teacher-centred action resea... more The Canberra Institute of Technology’s Assessment Project has used a teacher-centred action research approach to encourage educational change. Practitioners identify what they consider to be an important assessment issue to examine and generate concept proposals for their projects. They then carry out the research, present their findings to their peers and implement and evaluate the changes. This approach acknowledges that individual teachers are more likely to accept and implement better practice when they are given the opportunity to actively participate in research, development and decision-making processes. The outcomes of their research have been influential in generating better assessment practice. The findings have also informed the development and revision of policies at the institutional, faculty and departmental levels. More importantly, teacher-researchers have moved forward with enhanced self-confidence to accept a major role in the professional development of their peers. The Institute Assessment Project has generated a growing interest in research as an agent for change within CIT. This paper reports on the changes wrought by some of these research projects and presents evidence of better assessment policy and practice at the micro
Abstract ‘Impact’ is a notion that is not very well understood in research. Within Australian hig... more Abstract ‘Impact’ is a notion that is not very well understood in research. Within Australian higher education, it has been bandied about within such frameworks as the Research Quality Framework (RQF) and Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA). Vocational education and training (VET) research is not immune from these movements, and increasingly, VET researchers need also to be keeping a weather eye on the impact of their research. As a contribution to our understanding of impact and how it might be applied in VET research, this paper explores the notion. Following a review of relevant sources on impact, it uses as its case study evidence on the work of the Australian VET research consortium, Supporting VET providers in building capability for the future, and interprets available data within the framework of one of three potential models proposed in Australasia for the measurement of VET research impact.
… Implementing Change, Proceedings of the 10th …, 2002
... time, they have been continuously incorporating the altered professional practices that have ... more ... time, they have been continuously incorporating the altered professional practices that have evolved in their industries-of-origin into their own repertoires in order to continue to base their teaching practice on current industry practices. Thus VET professionals accommodate and ...
Abstract: This project was designed to gather data from staff currently employed in the vocationa... more Abstract: This project was designed to gather data from staff currently employed in the vocational education and training (VET) sector on how their employment has changed. It was also concerned with understanding how staff experience their working lives as ...
ABSTRACT Academic journals communicate research findings, share knowledge and stimulate debate. T... more ABSTRACT Academic journals communicate research findings, share knowledge and stimulate debate. They are the representative academic ‘voice’ for a discipline, reflecting its knowledge base. This paper examines all 350 articles published in the International Journal of Training Research from 1993 to 2019 to highlight significant trends over 27 years. It analyses the 462 authors, the article types and methodological characteristics, and their key themes and sub-themes. Analysis of authorship over time reveals rises in the proportions of females publishing, of international contributors from 30 different countries, of contributors affiliated with universities and of multiple authorship. Two-thirds of the articles were qualitative research or expository. Key themes were on political, organisational and structural change and on students, followed by vocational knowledge, learning and instruction, and vocational teachers. Studying the themes and sub-themes over time showed how their relative popularity in research has tended to parallel policy developments in the VET sector.
Schein (1992) suggests that organisational culture is even more important toady than it has previ... more Schein (1992) suggests that organisational culture is even more important toady than it has previously been before. Globalisation, increased competition and technological change have created a greater need for innovation, coordination and integration across organisations in order to improve efficiency and meet the expectations of increasingly more sophisticated clients. It is suggested that the key is to identify and effectively manage the varying cultures that exist within organisations, to develop synergies between them and, where possible, prevent them from conflicting with each other. At the same time, traditional organisational structures are being tested by demands for greater adaptability and flexibility and mechanistic organisational structures are making way for more organic structural approaches. This paper presents the findings of research into Australian vocational education and training providers and the impact that cultures and structures have on their organisational capability. The study is a component of the DEST funded consortium research program Supporting VET providers in building capability for the future.
This paper aims to reveal the core problems in Madrasahs as obstacles in improving the quality of... more This paper aims to reveal the core problems in Madrasahs as obstacles in improving the quality of madrasas. The results of the study show that Madrasahs are faced with a dilemmatic position as educational institutions. As an educational institution, madrasas should be given broad authority in the management of madrasas, especially when this is the era of regional autonomy. In the current era of autonomy, one of the concepts that can be applied to improve the quality of education is school-based management. SBM is a strategy to make schools become more qualified by giving broad authority to Madrasahs. Although Madrasahs are under the auspices of the Ministry of Religion, the SBM concept can still be applied based on the suitability of SBM as a strategy to address Madrasah problems.
This report results from a two year collaboration between the Australian College of Educators (AC... more This report results from a two year collaboration between the Australian College of Educators (ACE), TAFE Directors Australia (TDA), the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations ( DEEWR), and later also with a research team from the Work-based Education ...
This research, funded and supported by the Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework)1, e... more This research, funded and supported by the Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework)1, examines what practitioners and auditors judge to be the key issues in e-assessment, and most significantly, potential practical actions that will promote better understanding and improved practices. In this research, e-assessment covers the wide range of activities where digital technologies are used in assessment, including the designing and delivery of assessments, and in marking.
This paper reports on one part of a two-part study examining industry views on the management and... more This paper reports on one part of a two-part study examining industry views on the management and maintenance of industry currency of VET practitioners. While they play a critical role in up-skilling the broader Australian workforce, research suggests that currency gaps exist amongst the VET workforce (Toze & Tierney 2010). In light of this, currency has become a concern for industry, training providers and practitioners alike (Precision Consulting 2008). Rather than taking a strictly VET view of the issue, this qualitative study gathered insights into the way nine knowledge-leading organisations in the fields of science, health, engineering and human resources dealt with the updating of their professional workforce. Findings indicate that effective updating was not only dependent upon a healthy organisational climate that sent the message that keeping current was an expected activity, it needed to be strategically planned, collaboratively undertaken, monitored and regularly reviewe...
In a number of overseas countries, the delivery and assessment of generic skills has become an is... more In a number of overseas countries, the delivery and assessment of generic skills has become an issue of considerable interest. Likewise, in Australia there has been an increasingly obvious shift by vocational education and training (VET) policy makers and major industry representatives, away from a complete focus on technical competencies to one that promotes an enhanced positioning for generic skills in VET. In their simplest form, generic skills are currently represented in Training Packages and in practitioners’ minds, by the Mayer Key Competencies. However, research indicates that the teaching and assessment of Key Competencies is relatively problematic. Learners’ achievement of Key Competencies is generally inferred, and is only rarely directly delivered and evaluated. This paper reports on a series of case studies of RTO approaches to assessment of generic skills. It examines the issues and concerns raised by practitioners currently engaged in the delivery and assessment of ge...
Practitioner expectations and experiences with the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAA... more Practitioner expectations and experiences with the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAA40104) is a research project designed to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences and perceptions of the teachers, trainers and registered training organisation (RTO) managers in regard to the certificate IV in the Training Package for Training and Assessment (TAA04). The focus of the study is on whether practitioners believe that the qualification provides them with an effective foundation for the delivery and assessment of training in the vocational education and training (VET) environment. It will also endeavour to determine whether practitioners and their managers believe that the TAA04 qualification enables practitioners to make confident judgements, over time, about the kinds of training and the assessment strategies required to meet the needs of diverse student groups in a range of training settings.
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Papers by Berwyn Clayton