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Increased migration between Asia-Pacific countries and the rapid pace of regional integration are leading to increasing calls for quality assurance in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) qualifications. The third International Congress on TVET held in Shanghai in 2012, for example, recommended the development of guidelines to assist Member States in this process. To this end, UNESCO Bangkok with Asia-Pacific Member States developed this set of guidelines. The guidelines focus on the quality assurance of TVET qualifications based on findings from 13 country studies. The study was carried out through a participatory process involving consultation with Member States to best respond to their diverse contexts and needs.

The aim of these guidelines is to propose principles and indicators that can assist Member States in optimizing their quality assurance mechanisms for TVET qualifications. They provide a framework for documenting, developing, monitoring, evaluating and improving the currency and comparability of certificates, diplomas or degrees in TVET. Member States are strongly urged to make efforts to implement the guidelines as appropriate to their specific national contexts.

Edited abstract from publisher's website. Show less

This paper is based on the review of research presented in the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) publication 'Giving credit: a review of RPL and credit transfer in the VET sector 1995-2001', indexed at TD/TNC 70.14. This paper summarises the review and analysis of recognition of prior learning (RPL) and credit transfer in that report and draws some additional conclusions, including the suggestion that, with the increased maturity of the competency based assessment (CBA) system, RPL as a distinct concept is no longer relevant and that RPL should become embedded within a wider assessment framework. Therefore, it is proposed that the term 'assessment' should be promoted in a way that ensures that all purposes of assessment (including RPL) are clearly embedded. Further, it is proposed that RPL be incorporated into the broader concept of assessment within the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) with the assurance that assessment is provided to clients at all stages of the training cycle.

The collection of refereed papers is indexed at TD/TNC 73.622; individual refereed papers are indexed from TD/TNC 73.623 to TD/TNC 73.650. The collection of non refereed papers is indexed at TD/TNC 73.651; non-refereed papers are indexed from TD/TNC 73.652 to TD/TNC 73.680. Show less

This report responds to OECD's questions by providing information on policies and activities in British Columbia. Formal education, non-formal and informal learning in British Columbia occur within a diversified post-secondary educational system, consisting of both public and private institutions. Components covered include: Demographic change; Internationalization; New ICT; Economic development and skills shortage/mismatch; Social developments; Description of institutional arrangements; Government and the role of government; Resources; Qualifications, qualification systems, qualifications framework; Credit accumulation and transfer; Assessment methods and procedures; Characteristics of stakeholders; Access; Participation; Incentives and disincentives; Economic benefits; Educational benefits; Social benefits; and Personal benefits.

The pan-Canadian overview is indexed at TD/TNC 92.610. Individual province/territory reports are indexed from TD/TNC 92.611 to TD/TNC 92.620. Show less

The Victorian Qualifications Authority (VQA) developed a draft Credit Matrix Model for recognising the complexity of learning units delivered across the three educational sectors in Victoria, namely senior secondary education, vocational education and training [VET] and the higher education sectors. This paper reports on the empirical validation of the complexity component of the model, in particular, the appropriateness of the domains and indicators of learning thought to capture increasing complexity. To examine the validity and reliability of the draft Complexity Model, the indicators for each domain were empirically tested and validated through survey techniques. Participants were requested to (a) supply background information about the unit of learning; (b) judge which of the indicators within each measure best captured the complexity of their unit; and (c) rate each measure on its perceived effectiveness in defining the true complexity of the unit. Two hundred and fifty four (n=254) people responded to the survey. Of these people, 31 per cent represented senior secondary education, 44 per cent represented the VET sector and 25 per cent represented higher education. Item Response Modelling was then used to evaluate the psychometric properties of the measures as well as to empirically develop and define levels of complexity within and across the measures. The data collected demonstrated the validity, accuracy and internal consistency of each Complexity Measure. The results also showed that the correlations among the five measures were significant, yet moderately positive, thus having direct implications for the factor structure that should underpin the Complexity Framework. Two variations of the framework were produced from this initial investigation: a six level structure and an eight level structure, each underpinned by the five domains: Application, Autonomy, Accountability, Problem Solving and Knowledge.

Published abstract.

Available papers from the 8th Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA) Conference, 'Emerging futures: recent, responsive and relevant research', are indexed from TD/TNC 81.564 to TD/TNC 81.610. Show less

The focus of this OECD study is an in-depth understanding of the way that teaching and learning takes place and student progress is assessed as a formative process, using a small number of exemplary innovations. When the OECD Ministers of Education met in April 2001, a significant part of their discussion was devoted to the promotion of innovative teaching and learning strategies: this study aims to deepen the understanding of what is possible. The importance of tailoring instruction more closely to student learning needs and to individual progress, rather than to suit the administrative convenience of education systems, is a long running theme of the lifelong learning agenda. This study addresses this issue with students in lower secondary schools. In Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador led a team of five provinces, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec, which all provided descriptions of their policy and program context, as well as data on their particular case studies, based on an OECD questionnaire (Appendix A). Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec and Saskatchewan also participated in the in-depth analysis by identifying a case study (based on criteria established by OECD and country experts) and by hosting a study visit from an OECD expert in April 2003. The [Council of Ministers of Education, Canada] CMEC coordinated the activity in Canada.

Excerpt from published introduction reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

It was not the intention of this study to revisit the debate about graded assessment within competency based assessment in the Australian vocational education and training (VET) system, but rather, in recognition of the fact that such graded assessment does take place, to update research into graded assessment to take account of changes in the VET environment. The study focuses on an examination of the various approaches to grading that may be employed where a decision to grade has already been made. Definitions of grading, validity, reliability and consistency are offered and a review of Australian and relevant overseas literature is given. Data were gathered through focus groups and telephone and face-to-face interviews with stakeholders. The findings are analysed and a proposal is offered for policy development that will increase the consistency and validity of grading practices without diminishing the flexibility of providers to assess and report learners appropriately. Show less

The National Quality Council (NQC) funded a consortium led by Victoria University to design and implement 11 interactive sessions across each state and territory. The aim of the sessions was to communicate outcomes of the NQC's current work on assessment to schools involved in the delivery of [vocational education and training] VET qualifications recognised under the [Australian Quality Framework] AQF. This included schools that were either school-based [registered training organisations] RTOs and/or those schools who had partnership and/or auspicing arrangements with other RTOs. It was also expressed by the NQC that participation in the workshops was to be limited to school-based trainers and assessors delivering VET qualifications recognised under the AQF and not prevocational or similar programs. The relevant findings of the NQC funded projects to be communicated as part of the dissemination strategy included the reports and support materials available from the NQC website in relation to assessment, validation and moderation. The NQC completed these projects in 2009 and 2010 and was interested in ensuring that the key outcomes of the projects were shared with school teachers/assessors delivering nationally recognised VET qualifications

Excerpt from publication. Show less

The brief for the research activity reported here was to identify critical issues in teaching, learning and assessment, in order to inform and influence vocational education and training (VET) practice. The three specific goals guiding the structure of this report were: (1) to identify what individual learners and industry clients want from VET in terms of teaching and learning experiences, services and support, and propose how these can best be met; (2) to identify the skills needed by VET practitioners in the design of learning programs and resources and in the provision of assessment services to meet the needs of different client groups and propose how these skills might be developed most effectively; and (3) to summarise the critical success factors, individual, organisational and systemic, in developing and implementing innovative approaches to teaching, learning and assessment in VET providers and propose how models of good practice might be most effectively transmitted. This research identified a tension between compliance and creativity which needs to be addressed in quality frameworks at the system level. It highlighted a common concern for, and pursuit of, high quality within VET, by both policy-makers and practitioners, although the two groups have different definitions of quality and different views about where effort is required to achieve quality. However, research for this project shows that VET stakeholders generally accept that to achieve high-quality outcomes requires adequate inputs and multiple strategies: there is no single solution and there is no quick fix.

Related publications from the consortium research program are: Having your say: views from the sector on enhancing vocational education and training provider capability (TD/TNC 92.05); Supporting vocational education and training providers in building capability for the future: research activity overviews (TD/TNC 93.470); and Visions and options: a report on five forums introducing the research consortium on building VET provider capability (TD/TNC 93.13). Show less

This set of case studies is part of the project entitled ‘Critical issues in teaching, learning and assessment’. It has two purposes: to illustrate, test and extend a range of the critical issues in teaching, learning and assessment that emerged from the research for this project; and to provide the vocational education and training (VET) sector with models of effective practice. Each case study identifies a critical issue faced by practitioners, describes the context and challenges, summarises the responses of the practitioners, cites the outcomes of the practitioners’ strategies and discusses aspects of the new practice that may be transferable to other settings. The contents are: Introduction; Case studies on what clients want from VET; Case studies on what skills and resources are needed by VET practitioners; Case studies on innovation.

This set of case studies is designed to be read in conjunction with other documents indexed from TD/TNC 83.391 to TD/TNC 83.393 and at TD/TNC 84.435. Show less

With the implementation of competency based assessment within the Australian vocational education and training (VET) sector the focus has been on valid and reliable assessments to ensure that there are consistent outcomes across training providers. Underpinning this has being the notion of providing assessment judgements within a dichotomous reporting framework; that is competent or not yet competent. This study investigated the appropriateness of subject matter experts in developing performance rubrics for competency as defined by the Public Services Training Package. Levels of performance were identified along a continuum for interpretive purposes and competency decision making. Groups of judges estimated the relative difficulty of each of the rubrics. Item response theory calibrated the rubrics. A comparison of judges' estimates of difficulty and interpretation of developmental continuum, was compared to the outcomes of item response analysis. The findings indicated that the specialists who developed the items and their relative difficulty levels were accurate in their judgments. The internal consistency measure was high indicating that the assessment instrument was a reliable measure of the construct. The criterion validity measure (person separation index) was high. There was room for improvement in terms of the construct validity (item separation index) of the instrument. The study concluded that standard setting using subject matter experts proved adequate for developing performance rubrics.

Published abstract.

The collections of non-refereed papers are indexed at TD/TNC 78.519 and TD/TNC 78.520. Available non-refereed papers are indexed from TD/TNC 78.521 to TD/TNC 78.556. The collection of refereed papers is indexed at TD/TNC 78.501. Available refereed papers are indexed from TD/TNC 78.502 to TD/TNC 78.518. Show less