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The VOCEDplus landmark documents are key documents considered by history and authoritative commentary to have influenced the development of the Australian vocational education and training (VET) system, providing vision and/or leading to significant change. This paper is part of a series of overviews that analyse and describe how these landmark documents impacted on the development of various aspects of Australia's VET sector. Its focus is on the impact the landmark documents have had on training and assessment in Australia's VET system. This overview demonstrates how training and assessment, as fundamental activities of vocational education, were viewed in different ways across the landmark documents. Up to the mid-1980s, a more traditional, educational perspective was evident with training seen as a practice comparable to that of schooling. The Dawkins policy papers of the late 1980s signalled a significant shift in the conceptualisation of training and assessment as playing a key role in national skills formation. Assessment not only confirmed and measured individual learning progress but served as a guarantee of system quality.

The landmark documents covered in this analysis are: TAFE in Australia: report on needs in technical and further education, April 1974 [Kangan report] (TD/LMR 85.637); Education, training and employment: report of the Committee of Inquiry into Education and Training [Williams report] (TD/LMR 85.677); COSTAC overseas mission to study developments in vocational education and training (TD/TNC 87.1259 and TD/TNC 90.776); Successful reform: competitive skills for Australians and Australian enterprises [FitzGerald report] (TD/LMR 85.636); Young people's participation in post-compulsory education and training: report of the Australian Education Council Review Committee [Finn review] (TD/LMR 85.641); Key competencies: report of the Committee to advise the Australian Education Council and Ministers of Vocational Education, Employment and Training on employment-related key competencies for postcompulsory education and training [Mayer report] (TD/LMR 85.658); [Dawkins trilogy]: A changing workforce (TD/LMR 85.675); Improving Australia's training system (TD/LMR 85.676); Skills for Australia (TD/LMR 85.648); Training costs of award restructuring: report of the Training Costs Review Committee [Deveson report] (TD/LMR 85.635); The Australian Vocational Certificate Training System [Carmichael report] (TD/LMR 85.646); Moving on: report of the high level review of training packages (TD/LMR 85.653); Formal preparation of TAFE teachers in Australia: a report to the Council by the Staff Development Advisory Committee [Fleming report] (TD/LMR 85.662); Enterprising nation: renewing Australia's managers to meet the challenges of the Asia-Pacific century [Karpin report] (TD/LMR 85.651). Show less

Competency-based training (CBT) has been fundamental to how accredited vocational education and training (VET) is delivered in Australia over the last 30 years or so, and over this time both advocates and critics of this approach have emerged. Taking the format of a panel discussion, this webinar will cover issues highlighted in a recent National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) publication on CBT [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 150.04] including whether there is a need to have a broader conception of what it means to be competent, one that explicitly acknowledges the importance of 'non-technical' skills and capabilities and if so, what would this mean for the capabilities required by trainers to teach and assess non-technical competencies. Other questions to be explored in the discussion are whether the CBT approach should be applied to all qualifications and whether there is a place for graded or proficiency-based assessment. Where relevant, the relationship between these issues and elements of the Commonwealth government's proposed new qualification model may be explored.

Summary from publisher's website. Show less

This handbook is designed for further education (FE) and post-16 teachers, whether specialising in academic or vocational education. Digital capability is crucial for learners, no matter what subject they study. Teachers will therefore need to develop their own digital capabilities as a basic competence in order to embrace current digital tools, apps and techniques to the pedagogy of teaching FE. This book provides the knowledge and skills required to source information learning technology (ILT) and content, and to convert traditional learning and teaching resources into engaging and interactive online material. It is designed around each aspect of the teaching and training cycle - identifying needs, planning and designing, delivering and facilitating, assessing and evaluating.

The book aims to: (1) explain what ILT and eLearning are in the context of the further education and skills sector; (2) enable teachers to successfully plan, prepare, facilitate and manage ILT for learning activities and tasks related to their role; (3) guide teachers through sourcing and applying the use of ILT and design of eLearning activities and digital resources; (4) establish and encourage ways to enhance learning, teaching and assessment through the use of ILT; (5) develop teachers' digital capabilities in exploring a range of digital tools; and (6) identify ways for teachers to keep up to date and share their own practices of ILT.

Edited excerpts from publication. Show less

Recent developments in OER and MOOCs (open educational resources and massive open online courses) have raised questions as to how learners engaging with these courses and components might be assessed or credentialed. This descriptive and exploratory paper examines PLAR (prior learning assessment and recognition) as a possible answer to these questions. It highlights three possible connections between PLAR and open education which hold the greatest promise for credentialing open learning experiences: (1) PLAR may be used to assess and credential open educational activities through the use of exam banks such as CLEP (College Level Examination Program); (2) learning occurring in MOOCs (MOOCs based on already credentialed courses) and in other open contexts resembling 'courses' may be assessed in PLAR through course-based portfolios; and (3) PLAR may also be enabled through the specification of 'gap learning' facilitated through OER of many different kinds. After describing these options, the paper concludes that although the connections leading from open educational contexts to PLAR credentialing are currently disparate and ad hoc, they may become more widespread and also more readily recognised in the PLAR and OER communities.

Published abstract. Show less

The author argues that competency-based education and training is a tool of administrative reform with complex and contradictory effects. It is important in today’s policy climate not because it will improve learning or make individuals more competent to act, but because it provides an infrastructure for making teachers and administrators more accountable to a policy process. Through competency measures, education and training objectives are set and program delivery is organised according to principles of ‘efficiency’, ‘effectiveness’ and ‘responsiveness’ to the needs of industry. Broad public purposes and the social vision of education and training institutions are replaced with the logic of the market and the social relations of private wealth creation. Thus it brings a profound and fundamental shift in where, how and in whose interests institutions of education and training are controlled and managed. Show less

This paper discusses the impact of the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 pandemic on the learning experience of students at a VET (Vocational Educational Training) Higher Education Institution in tourism education, namely the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS) in Malta (EU). A sample of students who attended ITS between March 2020 and January 2022 generated the primary data. This revealed the students' experience in terms of their academic performance (both theoretical knowledge and practical skills), their personal well-being, and their perceived evaluation of the educational institution during the emergency caused by COVID-19. There is particular emphasis on e-learning / remote learning and the challenges of conducting school-related practical work, going on work placement or work in the tourism industry (both part-time and full-time) apart from their studies.

The data analysis revealed that the student experience at ITS was, in many aspects, similar to international trends. This was seen in terms of the impact of the pandemic's restrictions on face-to-face learning and the sudden shift to pure e-learning in all courses. Students confirmed that since ITS had, in previous years, invested in the e-learning infrastructure, e-learning systems in place proved extremely effective when they were needed most. However, not all subjects were considered suitable for delivering online. In fact, students stated that most practical subjects and certain theoretical subjects are better delivered face-to-face. The way forward recommended by students is a blended system where the courses have both a face-to-face component and an online component. The latter not only provides more flexibility in learning, which is especially sought by mature and part-time students, but also reduces time wasted in travel to and from campus.

Although research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education is widely available, little research focused on VET and Higher Education in Tourism, especially through the experience of learners. For this reason, this paper seeks to address this gap in knowledge. The major limitation of this research is that it was conducted in a volatile situation with ever-changing COVID-19 conditions, restrictions and challenges that had a direct impact on education.

Published abstract. Show less

Despite more than a decade of policy initiatives and encouragement to embrace recognition of prior learning (RPL) there has been an apparent reluctance, borne out in national statistics, to take up RPL. In 1992 the National Training Board issued the National Competency Standards wherein policy and guidelines identified RPL as an important element in competency based training. Supporting this stance in 1993 the Federal and State Ministers of Education declared the National Framework for the Recognition of Training (NFROT), committing educational institutions, at all levels, to provide recognition for the existing skills and knowledge of students regardless of how, when or where they were acquired. Fourteen years on the continuing reform agenda maintains the principles of RPL and a concern about its uptake. Recent responses to this concern include the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreement to fund RTOs to establish or improve recognition services and processes, and the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) that positions RPL as an essential element of quality training and assessment. Through an interpretive research process 100 teachers and educational leaders shared dialogue expressing their views on the practice of RPL and impediments to its broader embedding in practice. The findings suggest that for many practitioners there are poor understandings across a range of issues and not limited to the prevalent view that tools and frameworks are the critical element, but also about competency units, the nature of evidence and its collection for assessment and a fear of making invalid professional judgements. This lack of individual confidence results in a reticence to provide recognition services. The data suggests that making clear the nature of evidence and its method of collection within the context of RPL may begin to redress the reticence of vocational education and training (VET) practitioners to engage in recognition practice.

Published abstract.

Available papers from the 11th Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA) Conference are indexed from TD/TNC 92.459 to TD/TNC 92.499 and from TD/TNC 92.701 to TD/TNC 92.716. Show less

'Training journal' provides current and practical information for those involved in workplace learning, training and development in the UK. This issue contains the following feature articles: 'Appraisal: how to make it achieve what you want it to' by Terry Gillen (p. 10-15) which identifies why appraisal training so often proves ineffective and provides a number of proven ideas to make managers more positive about appraisal training and to help turn appraisal into a key management tool; 'Assessment centre assessors: current issues and perspectives' by Nicola Cole (p. 18-21) which explores the various issues and decisions to consider when selecting and training assessors so that assessment centres are fulfilling their role as selection tools; 'Leadership and the military: how we can adapt service models to fit today's businesses' by Mike Levy (p. 22-25) which investigates military models of leadership and what can be learned from these models when examining leadership in the current business context. Also included in this issue is news on recent events, reviews of resource materials for trainers, and surveys and trends on the UK government's training initiatives and workplace reforms. Accompanying this issue of 'Training journal' is 'Focus', the 20 page quarterly supplement to the journal. This issue, 'Focus on qualifications', provides the latest news on qualifications reform, training and support skills, and skills strategies. It also looks at the importance of the Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA) within workplace learning, its partnerships and its vision. The cover article is 'Qualifications for training and development specialists: what's available and who they're for' by Judy Whittaker (p. 8-10) which provides an update from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) on the development routes available to trainers through the Institute. Other articles include: a case study of how a new National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) on Business Improvement Techniques (BIT) was implemented; an update on Scottish e-learning qualifications; and a note on the benefits of consistency and ongoing monitoring of training for training strategy makers. Show less

The article considers the introduction of Training Packages. The author raises concerns about the future of curriculum in the light of the changes being brought about by the introduction of Training Packages. Show less

The development of competence assessment covering both on- and off-the-job training requires fundamental changes to the way educators and trainers have traditionally done things. This report seeks to document how much progress has been made in the area of assessment, both on- and off-the-job, and how much still remains to be achieved. The report concludes with three major recommendations for action: to raise the assessment skills of both teachers and supervisors; to specify a greater role for industry in assessing on-the-job training; and to increase the quality of the assessment procedures. Show less