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The TAFE National Centre for Research and Development conducted a comparative analysis of post-trade courses relevant to the oil industry in September 1985. This second project extends the work done in 1985 to include welders and it reviews some of the earlier rankings. It also proposes ways of dealing with the equivalence of other (overseas) qualifications at post-trade level. The objectives of the review were to: assess all welding courses and incorporate the results of the assessment into the Oil Companies' Schedule of Post-Trade Courses; to review several courses to re-determine their rankings within the Schedule; and recommend an approach to determining the equivalence of other qualifications, including those from overseas. Recommendations are set out under the following headings: fabrication and welding; industrial electronics; fluid power; mechanical; course options and combined evaluations; vertical ranking scale; future considerations and overseas qualifications. Show less

This paper illustrates two application of generalizability theory to evaluate construct-measurements of self-concept. The author emphasises two functions attributed to facets of indicators of the construct - the construct-representing function which points to the importance of representing the construct by its indicators in the domain of measurement, and the inferential function which pertains to their importance for estimating error variance associated with inferring or estimating the universe score. The representing function relates to issues of validity, while the inferential function relates to issues of reliability. He reports that illustrations were based on a sample of 2,114 twelfth grade students enrolled in vocational-technical high school programs provided by the NELS.88 data source (National Education Longitudinal Study: 1988-94, 1996).

Note: This research was supported by a grant from the Norwegian Research Council and carried out while the author was affiliated with the Department of Educational Psychology, University of Georgia in 1997. Show less

Essay-based examinations form a cornerstone of the public assessment system in the UK, but comparatively little research has been conducted into the processes involved in designing, answering and appraising essay-based questions/responses. This study explores the idea of examination validity through a qualitative review of these processes, based on materials sourced from the June 2002 [Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations] OCR Politics AS/A2 module 2596 (Politics of the UK). Through a detailed analysis of question papers and candidate scripts (informed by mark schemes, curricula and examiner reports), a model of current processes is advanced. Issues related to question design are highlighted, and a methodology for future quality assurance in essay-based examinations is derived from philosophical considerations such as 'fairness' and 'validity'. This paper resulted from research conducted as part of the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate's ongoing work to develop a system of procedural guidelines and example questions to facilitate robust question design.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

The transition from a post-industrial society to a knowledge-based economy is driving the integration of vocational education and training (VET) and human resource development (HRD), resulting in new systems for lifelong learning. In the perspective of lifelong learning, VET and HRD are no longer separate systems but part of a common developmental approach. This approach supports people in developing their employability and transferability and acknowledges that learning may take place anywhere and can take different forms. The challenge is to develop systems, models and learning arrangements in which VET and HRD are seen as parts of a common frame for lifelong learning. This volume presents perspectives on the policies, dynamics and effects of VET and HRD systems. The introductory chapter is: Emerging research approaches in the European VET and HRD arena / Loek F. M. Nieuwenhuis & Wim J. Nijhof. Section one, 'Analysing systems', contains the following chapters: The VET system between private demands and public interests: the Dutch challenge / Wim J. Nijhof; 101 initiatives but no strategy: policy on lifelong learning in England / Frank Coffield; The learning-oriented company and policy perspectives for VET and HRD / Lorenz Lassnigg; Continuity and change in pathways from education to work / David Raffe. Section two, 'Organising learning processes', contains the following chapters: Competencies in a post-industrial society: the imperative of bringing professions back in by integrating work and learning / Ben Hovels and Paul den Boer; Action-taking orientation of vocational education and training in Germany: a dynamic concept or rhetoric? / Gerald A. Straka; Work-related learning: elaborate, expand and externalise / P. Robert-Jan Simons & Manon C. P. Ruijters; Some hints on the success or failure of self-directed learning at the workplace / Frank Achtenhagen; Innovation and learning in small companies / Loek F. M. Nieuwenhuis. Section three, 'Assessment of output', contains the following chapters: Authentic assessment in vocational examinations: approaches within the German dual system / Klaus Breuer; Assessing institutional effects of colleges: the labour market success of their graduates / Roel J. Bosker, Rolf van der Velden and Peet van de Loo; Vocational education from an economic point of view / Hans Heijke.

Individual chapters are indexed from TD/TNC 71.215 to TD/TNC 71.226. Show less

Assessments are tools that sample a person's knowledge in order to develop a pathway for the planning of learning. Many factors affect the outcomes of assessment, some pertaining to the tool itself and others to the context in which the tool is used. This report focuses on the second set of components, those that go beyond the actual tool itself. In particular, it focuses on common or centralised assessments in the literacy field, defined as assessments administered by a trained assessor who has a neutral interest in a client's potential pathways. Using the Educational Essential Skills Assessment (EESA) as a case study, it examines the strengths and weaknesses of common assessment in Ontario. EESA is an assessment tool developed by the Adult Basic Education Association of Hamilton-Wentworth (ABEA). The assessment is individualised, indicates both the literacy and basic skills (LBS) and the essential skills (ES) levels the client requires to achieve their goal, and provides an Educational Action Plan to move a client from a current level of skill to a required level of skill for their training and employment goal. In 2009, the EESA was piloted in several regions of Ontario to explore the concept of centralised assessment, and to expand an already identified process and practice to a broader region. The target audience was clients accessing Second Career (SC) and Ontario Skills Development (OSD).

Excerpt from publication. 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

A study conducted by the Group Training Association of Victoria (GTAVic) into the information required by employers from vocational and education and training (VET) students reports on results when recruiting applicants. GTAVic conducted a survey of employers across a range of industries. The key messages from the report include: (1) employers' information needs from certification and student results are pragmatic; they scan certification and results reporting to see the highest level of schooling achieved, whether any subjects or units are relevant to the job and if there have been any practical elements to the learning, for example, a work placement; (2) information in VET certificates and related student reporting is only one element, and often a minor one, in a comprehensive range of the information needed by employers; and (3) overwhelmingly, the employers responding to this survey confirm that certification is not accepted as a stand alone indicator of a candidate's ability. It is regarded as a signal of the potential for further learning and skill development, but not usually as a signal of immediate competence. Show less

A long-held ambition for many educators and assessment experts has been to integrate summative and formative assessments so that data from external assessments used for system monitoring may also be used to shape teaching and learning in classrooms. In turn, classroom-based assessments may provide valuable data for decision makers at school and system levels. Currently there are important technical barriers to this kind of seamless integration. Nevertheless there are a number of promising developments in the field. Ongoing research and development aims at improving testing and measurement technologies, as well strengthening classroom-based formative assessment practices. Improved integration of formative and summative assessment will require investments in new testing technologies, teacher training and professional development, and further research and development.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

The current situation of prior learning assessment in New Zealand will be presented from a survey of polytechnics, industry training organisations, private training establishments, and colleges of education. The frequency of prior learning assessments with respect to vocational / subject areas, unit standards and NQF levels will be examined. Key aspects arising from the survey are support services for applicants, education of facilitators and assessors, and implementation issues. The paper will also explore critical issues likely to be significant in relation to the successful practice of the assessment of prior learning. Show less

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an initiative of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It was implemented for the OECD by an international consortium led by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). ACER also conducted the PISA survey within Australia. PISA is a new survey of the knowledge and skills of 15-year-olds mainly in industrialised countries. The survey seeks to determine: how well students are prepared for future challenges; which skills they have to help them to adapt to change in their lives, e.g. the ability to analyse, reason and communicate their arguments and ideas to others; whether some ways of organising schools and learning within them are more effective than others; if the quality of school resources has an influence on students' learning; and the extent to which student performance is dependent on their home backgrounds and ways to improve learning opportunities for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. PISA assesses the learning domains of reading, mathematical and scientific literacy along with some other areas such as students' familiarity with computers, their learning strategies, and their attitudes towards their schools. The first of a planned three-yearly cycle of assessments was undertaken in 32 countries (28 OECD member countries and four non-member countries that chose to participate) during the year 2000 in randomly selected samples of schools and students. This pamphlet summarises the Australian national report, providing results of student performance and insights into factors that influence the development of their reading, mathematical and scientific skills at home and at school, and discussing the implications of the results for policy development.

The full Australian report is indexed at TD/TNC 69.532 and the international report is indexed at TD/TNC 67.328. Show less