Mapping document of assessment resources – do you need one?

A question that has been asked over and over again is “do we need a mapping document”? We hope you will find this information relevant.

A mapping document is a detailed blueprint, required for all assessment tasks. It is used by the trainer and assessor when they are mapping the assessment with training package requirements. The mapping exercise enables RTOs to identify gaps in the assessments, which in turn helps the RTO administrators improve the delivery and assessment of training products.

What is assessment mapping and how does it work?

Assessing the effectiveness of an assessment against each component of a unit of competency is the basic concept behind assessment mapping. The goal and objective are to ensure that the assessment can effectively collect evidence from learners when they complete the unit of competency.

The assessment mapping process requires you to:

  • Understand and write down all the training package criteria that should be assessed
  • Include all the types of assessments required to assess learner’s knowledge, skills and ultimately competency
  • Assess the validity of the assessment against the assessment conditions

The assessment is mapped to the following aspects of the training package:

  • Assessment conditions
  • Elements and performance criteria
  • Performance evidence
  • Knowledge evidence
  • Foundation skills

An assessment mapping document should be able to answer questions such as:

  • What does the unit assess?
  • How long will the assessment take?
  • Are there any pre-assessment requirements?
  • What is the intended outcome of this assessment?
  • How many assessment activities and tasks are there to assess the student’s knowledge and skills in this unit of competency?
  • Has each of the criteria been assessed more than once (if once is not explicitly specified)?
  • What are the strategies to address any gaps where something is only assessed once?
  • How has the assessment been customised or which AQF level is the unit of competency used for?
  • Does the assessment address and operate under the assessment conditions?
  • What is the sequence in which these tasks are to be completed?

Mapping is the most effective way to assess the effectiveness of one assessment against each component of a unit of competency.

When mapping documents are used correctly, they can be an invaluable tool for development and review. Mapping documents provide a framework for understanding how assessments work, who will be using them, what skills are being assessed by each component of the assessment, and how those skills are grouped across disciplines and levels of difficulty.

Additionally, mapping documents provide an opportunity to show auditors how assessments work from start to finish. If done correctly this helps to demonstrate that all aspects have been covered in the assessment development and implementation processes.

Checking that your assessments cover the requirements of the unit and also that you are not over-assessing or under-assessing is an important step in completing your assessment.

Assessment mapping is an industry-standard practice for course developers, RTO administrators, trainers and assessors and auditors. It documents the assessment requirements for qualification and how unit requirements have been mapped against them. The assessment mapping is therefore used as a tool to show how assessment aligns with a set of skills or competencies as required according to training package criteria. It provides evidence that a unit meets regulatory requirements if it includes an appropriate number of skills from each category, which will vary according to AQF competence level, training package requirements and course types.

What are the regulatory guidelines about assessment mapping?

In order to meet the requirements of applicable standards, training packages, and approved courses, registered training organisations (RTOs) must employ a methodology to ensure assessments are complete and cover what is required, however, ASQA does not dictate or specify any particular template with its regulatory guidelines and practices.

While RTOs must demonstrate the validity of their assessment methods, they have a wide range of options for how they choose to accomplish this.

A mapping document can help you identify all the skills and knowledge that are needed for the training product. It can also help you identify the level of complexity of each skill, which is important for course planning, development revision, and implementation.

What are our views from our industry practices and experience?

One of the most important documents in the compliance process is a comprehensive and correct mapping document. We strongly believe that irrespective of what is the regulatory point of view we should always have and maintain a mapping document.

We at CAQA always create a mapping document first before planning the design and development of any assessment or learner resources. Please contact us via email at info@caqa.com.au if you require any additional information about our quality processes.

 

October 4, 2021 RTO Comments Off on Mapping document of assessment resources – do you need one?

Fact Sheet: Transition and teach out

Compliance requirements and guidelines:

This Fact Sheet has been developed and produced to assist Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) in understanding the transition and teach out arrangements stated in Clauses 1.26 and 1.27 of the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015.

Clause 1.26

Subject to clause 1.27 and unless otherwise approved by the VET Regulator, the RTO ensures that:

  • where a training product on its scope of registration is superseded, all learners’ training and assessment is completed and the relevant AQF certification documentation is issued or learners are transferred into its replacement, within a period of one year from the date the replacement training product was released on the national register
  • where an AQF qualification is no longer current and has not been superseded, all learners’ training and assessment is completed and the relevant AQF certification documentation issued within a period of two years from the date the AQF qualification was removed or deleted from the national register
  • where a skill set, unit of competency, accredited short course or module is no longer current and has not been superseded, all learners’ training and assessment is completed and the relevant AQF certification documentation issued within a period of one year from the date the skill set, unit of competency, accredited short course or module was removed or deleted from the national register
  • a new learner does not commence training and assessment in a training product that has been removed or deleted from the national register.

Clause 1.27

The requirements specified in clause 1.26 (a) do not apply where a training package requires the delivery of a superseded unit of competency.

Source: https://www.asqa.gov.au/standards/training-assessment/clauses-1.26-1.27

Interpretation of the regulatory requirements

This Fact Sheet outlines the options and responsibilities of registered training organisations (RTOs) in the event that training products advertised on training.gov.au have changed.

There are two types of modifications that could occur:

  • A training product is superseded by a new version of the training product, for example, a new version of qualification, skill set, or unit of competency that is more up to date and current. Or
  • A training product has been removed or deleted from the system, and it has not been replaced by another training product. Teaching out times for a qualification or approved course differ from those for a skill set, unit, or competency, and the rules for each are different.

Important bits of information

Criteria Explanation Comments
The time period to transition to a new training product if a training product (qualification, skill set, unit of competency, accredited short course or module) gets superseded One year period from the date the replacement training product was released on the national register If the training period is not extended by the regulatory body according to their discretion>
The time period to complete all training and assessment and issue AQF qualification certification or statement of attainment if a training product (qualification, skill set, unit of competency, accredited short course or module) gets deleted or removed from the national register Two years period from the date the replacement training product was released on the national register If the training period is not extended by the regulatory body according to their discretion
When the enrolment should terminate in a training product (qualification, skill set, unit of competency, accredited short course or module)? A new learner should not begin training and assessment in a training product that has been removed from or deleted from the national register.
Are these requirements applicable to the core or elective units of competency that is mentioned in the training package? No Clause 1.27 clearly states that the requirements specified in clause 1.26 (a) do not apply where a training package requires the delivery of a superseded unit of competency.
Do you need to apply to add on scope again if a course is deemed superseded and not equivalent? Yes
Can I market the superseded training product? Not recommended
Can I enrol students in qualifications that are superseded from the national training register Not recommended You are permitted to do so, but we do not recommend that you do so.
Can I enrol students in qualifications that are removed or deleted from the national training register? No If a training product has been removed or deleted from the National Training Register, you cannot enrol a student in that product.

Description:

Students should be given adequate opportunity to complete the course of study in which they are enrolled, and training organisations should be committed to ensuring that this occurs. However, there may be instances in which it is deemed necessary to discontinue a course and place students in a “transition and teach-out” mode as a result of the circumstances.

A clear and equitable strategy should be implemented when it is determined that a course needs to be discontinued and students are placed in a transition and teach-out mode by the training organisation. The overarching principle guiding the plan and its implementation should be to guarantee that students are not disadvantaged by the choice to terminate a course or to discontinue enrolment in it.

Transition and Teach-Out Planning should be included as a responsibility to all training managers and trainers and assessors.

It is an important task to understand and identify what is in the best interests of your learners.

To make sure that the transition or teach-out process is successful, training providers should plan it in advance.

What should you consider?

There are a number of things that you must consider when planning the transition and teach out periods, they are:

  • The responsibilities of who is accountable for what should be discussed in detail.
    • Awareness of when a training product gets superseded, deleted or removed and their implications
    • The transition period applicable to each training product
  • What actions do you need to take?
    • Have you considered the impact of superseded training products?
    • Have you conducted the industry consultation on revised/updated/new training and assessment strategy, training materials and practices, facilities, equipment and resources required or trainer and assessor competencies?
    • Have you updated the continuous improvement register with all these changes and who is responsible for what and when?
    • Do you need to RPL students or credit transfer their completed units of competency?
    • Prepared and lodged the application to get the new training product on your RTO’s scope of registration
  • Gap analysis exercises
    • Comprehensive analysis of what changed in the training product
    • Learners who are at risk of not finishing their training product within the transition period should be managed appropriately.
    • Learners who will be genuinely disadvantaged if transferred from the superseded training product.
    • What gap training and/or gap assessment is required?
    • How will this gap training and/or gap assessment be carried out?
  • Maintaining open lines of communication with all stakeholders, including your management team and students
    • Provided students options that either they can leave with a statement of attainments for the units successfully completed or transition to the new training product.
    • Informing the current and prospective learners about the changes implemented and their effects on them
  • Requirements for documentation
    • Subscription to information sources (from the National Register, training.gov.au and Australian Industry Skills Committee (AISC) (Skills for Australia or its successor) to keep you notified of any changes.
    • Learner details for those who have been impacted by a superseded or deleted and removed training product.
    • Evidence of mapping from the superseded training product to the current training product
    • When to cease enrolments in the superseded training products
    • When to commence enrolments in the new training products
    • What to update and who and when to update the marketing materials and all other RTO materials
    • All records of the transition process should be kept securely with a sample of student files affected by transition arrangements.
October 4, 2021 RTO Comments Off on Fact Sheet: Transition and teach out

CAQA FAQ Series – Validation and compliance requirements

What is the difference and commonality between Validation, Moderation and Pre-validation?

Pre-Validation (verification) is the practice of validation that occurs before using the assessment tools. This validation happens after either development of the assessment tool or purchase from a resource provider. The objective of pre-validation (verification) is to ensure that the materials meet the requirements of the training package.

Moderation is a quality control process that should be conducted before the assessment is finalised. Moderation is no longer a mandatory regulatory requirement in the current regulatory framework under the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA).

Validation is a quality review process that confirms your RTO’s assessment system can consistently produce valid assessment judgements. It is conducted after the assessment tool is implemented and students’ assessments are completed and marked. It is a mandatory regulatory requirement in the SRTOs (the Standards for Registered Training Organisations).

The commonality is that all of them play an essential role to ensure the best industry practices related to assessment practice and judgment and continuous improvement.

If moderation is not mandatory, why do I need to conduct moderation before the assessment practice?

Though moderation is not mandatory, we strongly advise you to conduct moderation as it ensures best practice of effective assessment, mainly assessment practice and judgment. Moderation also takes your training and assessment strategy to the next level of excellence.

Do I need to validate a unit that I have already validated if it is superseded but is equivalent?

Yes, you must validate the unit. If a qualification is superseded or discontinued, this is a clear indication that industry needs have changed and the previous qualification is no longer the most suitable. Accordingly, it is a good practice to take that opportunity and check every part of the assessment whenever there is any change, even if it is equivalent.

The SRTO 2015 stipulates validation schedule is a five-year plan; each training product must be reviewed at least once in that five-year period, and only 50 per cent of the training products must be validated in the first three years of the schedule. Where does the five-year cycle start?

Before explaining the cycle, we would like to make one point very clear. The SRTO has put the minimum requirement, and as the name indicates, minimum means the least benchmark (not necessarily ideal for your requirements).

Your validation schedule is influenced by many factors, such as high volume of complaints against one of your trainers, high-risk training products, if there are too many non-competent results in the assessments, if students not understanding the instructions, or students dispute the outcome of their assessments. Any of these can be triggering points that should spark validation. The advice is to validate your training and assessment tools more often.

The five-year cycle starts from the day you are registered as an RTO or if you have been around for quite a time the cycle starts from 2015 (when the current RTO standards were implemented).

Why is validation important, and why are people talking about it extensively?

Validation has a valued place in the education system. It is one of the few compliance requirements that influence and is accountable for more than a dozen standards within the Standards for RTO 2015. As such, validation has become very important.

Validation needs to be clarified because there seems to be a lot of misunderstanding and inconsistency of interpretation and practice of validation. This, in turn, is resulting in malpractice, including awarding certification documentation to learners whom they have NOT assessed as meeting the training product’s requirements specified in the relevant training package. To avoid such major non-compliance RTOs need to have a clear understanding of validation and its practice.

What do I do if the validation team finding is that the assessment practice and judgment have significant issues and has not been done correctly?

In such circumstances, you need to follow the following steps.

Put another team to verify the finding. If the team affirms the outcome;

a) see if the students have been assessed in another unit or qualification and the learning outcome and tasks are covered there.

b) if not, conduct gap training and reassessment for the current students

c) if students have been awarded their certificate, recall all students who have been assessed as per the finding and conduct gap training and assessment

d) if students decline to participate, revoke the qualification as per the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011. Australian qualification must be awarded only to learners you have assessed to meet the training product’s requirements specified in the relevant training package.

If multiple qualifications share a unit, do I need to validate the unit in both qualifications?

Yes. Even though the unit’s code and name are the same, the context and industry requirements are different. For example, CHCDIV001 – Work with diverse people will have different contexts, tasks, assessment conditions and simulated environments in Child Care, Aged Care, Audiometry, Ambulance Communications (Dispatch), and Animal Care and Management.

I have a qualified compliance manager who understands the RTO standards like the palms of their hand; why do I need a validation team?

Forming your team with people who hold collective vocational competency, vocational teaching and learning, subject matter expertise with current skills, knowledge and experience is vital.

The advice is to include at least one subject matter expert with ‘industry relevance’ because, without their participation, your RTO can not ensure that the training and assessment practices are relevant to the needs of the industry. Industry experts can see areas that your compliance manager or trainers and assessors (even with industry currency) cannot see, such as:

  • regulations or laws governing the industry and standard operating procedures, equipment and machinery used at enterprise level
  • aspects of the work environment (for example, shifts or seasonal changes to schedules) that will affect delivery and assessment

Also, when validation is done by one person internally, there is a chance of non-compliance either through complacency, assumptions or familiarity.

Moreover, as the old adage proves, three heads are better than one.

What is the benefit of conducting pre-validation if I have to validate my assessment practice and judgment? Does the 50% rule apply to the pre-validation too?

Pre-validation (Verification) helps you to check your new assessment tool prior to their implementation, whether developed in-house or purchased; you need to ensure they are a valid tool that will ascertain that the assessment will be conducted according to the principles of assessment and rules of evidence. This will ensure that your future students can be accurately and consistently assessed and your assessment system meets the compliance obligations in clause 1.8 of the Standards.

No, the ‘50% in three years’ does not apply. You have to validate all assessment tools 100%; hence the 50% validation does not apply to the pre-validation (verification) phase.

Can I do my validation with another RTO? For example, I do their validation, and they do mine.

Yes, you can do that, but the bottom line is that the panel or team need to collectively hold the required skills, knowledge and industry competencies and currency. You might also want to make sure you sign a copyright agreement to avoid any complications.

One of the reasons that I do not do validation is it involves a lot of paperwork. Any tips to avoid the paperwork?

The best suggestion we can give you is this. You need to have

  • A proper schedule that is distributed over a period of time,
  • Have a risk matrix to identify and prioritise your validation,
  • Be proactive. The more you do it frequently and on time, the more it allows you to identify any gap and early delivery that ensures it is filled before affecting future students.

I have validation policies and procedures and plans; however, I am deemed non-compliant repetitively; am I missing something?

Yes, almost all RTOs have validation policies and procedures. However, the method does not articulate and demonstrate in detail what they must do, how they will do it, when they will do it, who is responsible for doing what, the mechanism for monitoring, and the evidence they can provide.

If there is a considerable gap in the interaction between your policies and the actual practice, systems and continuous improvement, you will likely be deemed non-compliant.

What are the documents that I need to demonstrate compliance with in my validation?

There is no prescribed list required as per the SRTO 2015; however, as per the recently much promoted ASQA’s approach on self-assurance and ASQA’s newly released approach to assessing performance (March 2021), you have to demonstrate the following:

How you systematically monitor your training and assessment strategies and practices to ensure ongoing compliance and how you systematically evaluate and use the validation outcomes, client trainer and assessor feedback and complaints and appeals.

Accordingly, as part of your evidence to demonstrate your system for ensuring ongoing compliance with the standard 1.9 – 1.11, and 1.25 (TAE) you must demonstrate

  • The validation schedule and how it is implemented
  • How you identified your validation team, including the industry experts
  • The validation outcomes and recommendations for improvement
  • The rectification plan developed, and how it was incorporated in the assessment tool and practice
  • Sample size and the randomly selected files

By demonstrating the above, you will demonstrate your commitment and capability to proactively check your assessment practices and address issues as they arise and remain compliant in the future.

For more information, please call CAQA or email us at info@caqa.com.au.

October 4, 2021 CAQA Resources Comments Off on CAQA FAQ Series – Validation and compliance requirements

The websites that will help you become much more productive and efficient.

The internet has a lot of resources that you can use to simplify your life. Websites like Google, Wikipedia, YouTube, and Amazon are among the most visited websites today. These sites make it easy to surf the web and all the information you need is at your fingertips.

With the world becoming more and more digitised, we need to rely on the internet as a tool. Unfortunately, the web is not as simple as it seems. This is why we need to find websites that can provide us with information and make our lives easier.

We all know that the internet is full of amazing websites that will make your life easier and more simple but where are they and why should we use them? In this article, we will explore some of the most useful websites that you can use in your daily life.

Autodraw https://www.autodraw.com/

AutoDraw.com is the first of these websites. You can use the Auto Draw website to create a decent drawing, many people will assume that we can do the same thing with Microsoft Paint as well. However, when you create a drawing in Microsoft Paint, it does not convert to a nice and clear image that can be used in any project or anywhere else.

In order to get rid of this difficulty, you can go to the Auto Draw website. This website was developed and published by Google. Google is experimenting with artificial intelligence through this experiment. This means that you can put your trust in this website.

If you make a design on this website, the artificial intelligence (AI) of this website will attempt to match that design with the format that is currently accessible in its database. Once the design is matched, the artificial intelligence (AI) of this website begins to show you the structure that is similar to the design. If you select one of those designs, the newly developed format will be displayed in lieu of the previously made design.

Before you can begin using this website, you must first open the autodraw.com website on your computer or laptop using any web browser of your choice.

It is necessary to click on “Start Drawing” after opening this website in order for the editor page of this website to be displayed. Here on the editor page, you will have to create some designs that you want to make perfect, after you have finished creating the design, release your mouse button, and in a few seconds, you will see various designs on the top bar of this website; select the design that you want to use in your drawing.

Pixabay https://pixabay.com/

Sites like as Shutterstock are extremely pricey for the majority of average consumers; Pixabay is a considerably more affordable alternative. It provides access to more than two million royalty-free pictures, drawings, videos, and vector graphics, all of which can be downloaded for free.

For anyone who wants to dabble with basic design or needs a freely available stock image for a project, this is a useful resource to have at their disposal.

Dictation.io https://dictation.io/

Dictation.io allows you to dictate your emails and documents directly into Google Chrome in whatever language you know how to speak. It accurately transcribes speech to text in real-time, and it recognises smileys, paragraphs, and even punctuation when voice commands are used to create text.

It’s a useful site to have as a backup if you can speak faster than you can type.

PDF Escape https://www.pdfescape.com/

This online PDF editor allows you to effortlessly make changes to a PDF without the need for additional software. Annotating a PDF file and filling out fields in a PDF form are two of the alternatives that are available.

It is compatible with all major browsers and is completely free to use unless you wish to utilise the desktop version or work with large file sizes.

Infogram https://infogram.com/

With the help of this website, you can generate visually appealing infographics, as well as charts, reports, and social media images. You may use it to show information in an engaging manner because it is current and elegant.

AlternativeTo https://alternativeto.net/

Have you ever come across an app that you really want to use, but it’s either too pricey or doesn’t operate on your prefered platform? Alternatively, you may be wanting to replace one of your favourite programmes that have lately been discontinued by another. AlternativeTo can be of assistance in these situations.

Simply enter the name of an app or programme, and the site will provide suggestions for similar alternative apps or programmes. There are both free and paid choices available.

I2ocr Free Online OCR https://www.i2ocr.com/

Intuitive i2OCR is a free online Optical Character Recognition (OCR) service that extracts text from photos and scanned documents, allowing it to be edited, formatted, indexed, searched, or translated.

Lumosity https://www.lumosity.com/en/

A straightforward online tool that enables anyone to unlock the full power of their brain. Any person, regardless of their age or socioeconomic status, can benefit from feeling wiser, sharper, and brighter.

Photopea https://www.photopea.com/

Image editing website platforms such as Photopea are available on the web and may be used with both raster and vector graphics. It may be used for a variety of tasks such as picture editing, illustration, web design, and converting between various image formats. Photopea is a free piece of software that is financed by advertisements.

Brain.fm https://www.brain.fm/

Music that will assist you in concentrating and focussing. The website makes use of specific sound frequencies that help you concentrate, feel less tired, and maintain your concentration.

What websites do you know that have been really beneficial to you and would like us to consider including them in our future edition of helpful websites? Please contact us via email at info@caqa.com.au.

 

 

October 4, 2021 News Comments Off on The websites that will help you become much more productive and efficient.

Different types of disruptions in training and education businesses: What are they and how can they impact You?

In a world where disruption is happening at a lightning speed, the question of how to thrive in this fast-paced environment is increasingly important. There are many who have been disrupted out of business and there are many more who would be disrupted in the near future.

Disruption occurs when someone or something does something that causes your business model to no longer function as effectively as it once did. Let’s take a closer look at what we just stated. Your business model is the mechanism by which you generate revenue. In exchange for money, you provide clients with an excellent value offering. The most typical forms of disruption imply that you will receive significantly less money or nothing at all for the value you provide. Customers, in other words, have stopped appreciating what you have to provide or supply to them. It’s possible that all of your clients are affected at the same time. At other times, it may be specific client groups that are targeted. As a result, things no longer function in the same way they did previously. You reached a conclusion that you must make a difference.

Disruption in the education industry is imminent. With low enrolment rates, colleges are facing a recruitment crisis. The world’s economy is increasingly digitised and has gone from a linear to a circular economy. The boundaries between work and life have become blurred. In this world, it becomes important for education and training organisations to find their way in the changing environment or they will get disrupted out of business.

The pandemic and other unforeseen events

As the truth of the situation begins to sink in, As a result of months of dealing with COVID-19-related disruptions, business executives are beginning to recognise that the new normal is disruption after disruption. The answer is a state of ambiguity. No one has a game plan in place to manage all the uncertainties and disruptions an event such as a pandemic can produce. New business methods are being implemented slowly but steadily by companies. The pandemic has demonstrated that substantial, unforeseen business disruptions are not only possible but also probable; sales and business development teams must be built on strong and agile foundations that can adapt to these shifts in business conditions.

The computer viruses and opportunistic attacks

Malicious software, sometimes known as ‘malware,’ is a type of computer virus that impacts businesses on a daily basis. It causes disruptions in information technology and computer systems, and in extreme circumstances, it has the capability of deleting, stealing, or holding for ransom sensitive company and personal data. When a computer virus is attached to a file and the file is accessed, the virus infects parts of or the entire machine. When you access or open any email or attachment, you must exercise extreme caution if you are not certain of its origin or if you have legitimate concerns such as that it is not from the proper source, that it has spelling errors, or that it contains emails that you did not expect.

The regulatory standards and practices

The regulatory environment is getting more and more complicated every day. But with a good understanding of these regulations, you can manage the risk better. Failure to comprehend or appropriately interpret the standards could result in very serious consequences very quickly for you and your organisation. In order to avoid any serious consequences that can result from not complying with them, it is important to understand these regulations and standards properly and clearly. Having compliance consultants can help you tremendously to understand your obligations and responsibilities and also these standards, guidelines and protocols.

Trainers and assessors

Trainers and assessors are crucial for any organisation, however, it is not possible to rely on one trainer or assessor for your organization. It is important to always have a Plan B in case something happens to your main person. It is, therefore, important to have more than one trainer and assessor so that you can rely on them when the other one is unavailable.

Marketing practices

We are living in an era where organizations are looking for training programs that are economical, time-saving, and most importantly, scalable. Marketing practices are not new. However, with the rise of new technologies that help develop better marketing strategies, businesses can now reach out to their target audience in a faster and more efficient way. There are many ways that marketing practices have changed with technology, but there are also many ways that they haven’t. The most important thing is to see the difference between old-school techniques and new ones so you can use them in your business to your advantage.

These days, there are more and more digital marketing practices that can be used for marketing purposes. These new marketing practices should be used to reach and communicate to your students and learner cohorts. They will make them a lot easier to reach out to. For example, a good way is through social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram where they can easily see who created the content and what it has been posted about. This way, you will know if the students have seen your content or not, so you can easily figure out if their strategy is working or not.

Personal and professional development

Personal and professional development is the main factor of success for any person or business. So, we should always invest time and money in improving ourselves and our business practices. We have to be observant of what is happening around us, both in personal life and at work, so that we can take advantage of opportunities that come our way. You must know all about yourself, what are gaps in your skills and knowledge and be ready to fill them with professional development and personal development opportunities.

Not having a risk management strategy

In the event that your organisation has not produced or maintained a risk management strategy, this may be extremely problematic for you. Make sure you also participate in a full risk audit, which will allow you to identify any gaps in your system, policies, procedures and practices, and then target and eliminate them in a methodical fashion. Risk management consultants are qualified professionals who are skilled in the field of risk management. They offer advice, consultation and audit services to help businesses, corporations or individuals reduce their exposure to various types of risk.

The pace of change

Education and training organizations are responsible for the future of millions of learners. They cannot afford to be left behind, but it is no easy task to keep up with the pace of change. The ever-evolving nature of new technologies has changed the way that we work and live. The way that learners interact with content is also changing all the time, necessitating a shift in teaching styles to meet their needs. For example, mobile device usage has increased massively in recent years. A significant number of mobile users say they “never” use desktops or laptops anymore. This relatively sudden shift in technology will have an effect on how educators deliver learning material. With the fast pace of change, it is important for an education and training organization to keep up with the changes and offer solutions such as e-learning, m-learning according to the client’s expectations and the requirements dictated by the time and technologies.

New entrants into markets and new services

The need for a better product or service is what will drive new entrants to the market. In order to ensure you are ready to face them, you must conduct business analysis to analyze what your competitors offer and how you can improve on it. One of the best ways of doing this would be by looking at their digital footprint and studying social conversations about them on social media.

In order to make sure that you are successful in your new endeavor, you should:

  • Create an all-encompassing value proposition statement for your product and services,
  • Establish credibility with customers through testimonials and case studies,
  • Use the right marketing channels and tools such as ad networks or search engines

How to manage the disruptions?

Business upheavals and disruptions are continuously questioning the effectiveness of risk management policies and procedures. Risk management policies and procedures should consider these factors and evolve to keep up with these changes. This will ensure that businesses are at an advantage during such times of business upheavals and disruptions.

Why use CAQA services for risk assessment and risk management

The CAQA team can guide you to make well informed decisions about your organisation’s current and future needs. We consult businesses on how to manage their operations and increase profits. We do this by providing high quality, independent and impartial advice tailored to suit your situation. We are committed to the success of our clients, and we approach each task with care and attention. When you come to CAQA for help, you can be confident that we will listen carefully and work with you in your best interests.

You may be asking as to how we might assist you with business development, business analysis, risk management, auditing and regulatory compliance consulting. Please contact us by email at info@caqa.com.au.

 

 

October 4, 2021 Education, News Comments Off on Different types of disruptions in training and education businesses: What are they and how can they impact You?

Quality Learner Guides from CAQA Resources

What are Learner Guides?

Learner Guides are an effective teaching tool, which allows learners to focus on their learning objectives. They are often given through online portals (learning management systems) or in-person training sessions and can include informative text, videos, quizzes, images and interactive activities.

The need for a learner guide is to provide an overview of the course and to answer questions about what students should have learned from the course.

A learner guide is a written document that provides an overview of a course and its objectives. It’s also a good place for students to find answers to questions about the content they’ve learned in the course.

Learner guides are often used as a supplement to traditional teaching methods, such as lectures or seminars, where they provide information that learners need in order to be successful in class. Learner guides can also include references and resources for further reading on topics related to concepts presented in the course, as well as discussion prompts that students can use when reflecting on their learning experience.

Learner guides can help students understand what they need to learn, how they need to learn it, why they need to learn it, and how it connects with other areas of their studies.

As technology evolves, more people are starting to use learner guides as an educational resource. The benefits of learner guides are that it is concise and easy-to-understand for first-time learners or those who have never studied the subject before.

How are we changing our learner guides?

We continuously update our learner and assessment resources to ensure we stay up to date and current with all the changes happening in the VET industry and RTO sector. Therefore, we have recently updated a number of our ICT learner guides to include the following:

  • A new user-friendly template that is comprehensively redesigned
  • Did you know section
  • Classroom and group discussions
  • Learn more sections for students to do self-study
  • Comprehensive mapping document how each the training package criteria has been addressed

We have systematically and compressively updated all our Learner Guides and learner resources.

Information on CAQA Resources

CAQA Resources delivers high-quality solutions in the form of compliant RTO resources that are comprehensive and totally adaptable to meet your specific requirements as well as the needs and requirements of students.

When it comes to providing high-quality learning and assessment for your learners, CAQA Resources is your go-to place for staying compliant. In our RTO resources, training and learning materials, assessment tools, as well as learning kits, we provide a comprehensive selection of resources for a wide range of qualifications in each industry sector.

CAQA Resources takes pride in supplying the greatest range of RTO Resources and Assessment materials available in Australia from a variety of training packages.

Visit our website and look through our comprehensive list of qualifications for each industry area. RTO training resources for a wide variety of training packages are available from a comprehensive selection.

Please contact us at 1800 266 160 or info@caqa.com.au for more information on how to obtain the best training resources for your RTO. We can also assist you with developing quality assessment and learner resources as well.

Training Packages: CAQA Resources can deliver resources from the following training packages:

List of all training packages available

AHC – Agriculture, Horticulture and Conservation and Land Management Training Package
AUR – Automotive Retail, Service and Repair Training Package
BSB – Business Services Training Package
CHC – Community Services Training Package
CPC – Construction, Plumbing and Services Training Package
CUA – Creative Arts and Culture Training Package
EAL – English as an Additional Language Training Package
FBP – Food, Beverage and Pharmaceutical Training Package
FNS – Financial Services Training Package
FSK – Foundation Skills Training Package
FWP – Forest and Wood Products Training Package
HLT – Health Training Package
ICP – Printing and Graphic Arts Training Package
ICT – Information and Communications Technology Training Package
MEM – Manufacturing and Engineering Training Package
MSF – Furnishing Training Package
MSM – Manufacturing Training Package
MSS – Sustainability Training Package
NUR – Nursing Training Package
PMA – Chemical, Hydrocarbons and Refining Training Package
PSP – Public Sector Training Package
RII – Resources and Infrastructure Industry Training Package
SHB – Hairdressing and Beauty Services Training Package
SIR – Retail Services Training Package
SIS – Sport, Fitness and Recreation Training Package
SIT – Tourism, Travel and Hospitality Training Package
TAE – Training and Education Training Package

October 4, 2021 CAQA Resources Comments Off on Quality Learner Guides from CAQA Resources

Validation Demystified – Part I

Validation is arguably the central pillar of the VET practice and has a valued place in the education system. It is one of the few compliance requirements that influence and is accountable for more than a dozen standards within the Standards for RTO 2015. As such, validation is the much-studied, crammed and piloted concept of educational practice in Australia and globally.

Yet, there is much misunderstanding, interchangeability of meaning and objective with other concepts and inconsistency of interpretation and practice of validation. Most often than not, there is confusion in the understanding of Pre-validation (now termed by ASQA as Verification), Moderation, and Validation. 

The confusion goes beyond the terminologies. There is a wide range of inconsistency in the implementation of the requirements of the Standards for RTO 2015, figuring out the objectives of validation, choosing the methods of its best practice, prioritising its role in the governance and continuous improvement etc. Despite the big appetite of RTOs to appreciate and use it, validation remains the most bewildering standard of SRTO 2015.

This article will try to clarify the misperceptions and debunk the myths and mysteries

Why does validation remain challenging to understand and implemented inconsistently across RTO practice? The puzzling questions include:

  • What are the areas that RTOs misunderstand?
  • What are the frequent mistakes made by practitioners?
  • Which part is found non-compliant during audits?
  • What are the darkest areas of validation that are leading to obscurity and process inefficiency?
  • What is blurring is the distinction between validation, moderation and pre-validation, and why do they become intertwined in current practice.
  • What does independent validator mean, independent from what is considered as independent? Why only in 1.25 and not in 1.9 – 1.11.
  • Why is moderation not mandatory but essential?

Problem 1. The problem starts in the foundation of the concept of validation, its definition and denotation.

Many RTOs use Moderation, Pre validation and Validation interchangeably. The Standards for RTO 2015 mention validation in different sections with different requirements which sometimes invokes different connotations to different people. Due to this and other reasons some people find it difficult to understand what standards are relevant to which part of the Validation, Pre-Validation or Moderation.

Many RTOs have the impression that Pre-validation and Moderation are not as important as Validation and think they do not have intra-relation as they are very different from each other.

Let’s start with the basic definitions.

Pre-Validation (Verification) is the practice of validation that occurs before using the assessment tools. This validation happens after either developing the assessment tool or purchasing it from providers, and you want to validate them. The objective of pre-validation (Verification) is to ensure that the devices meet the requirements of the training package and ensure they are a valid tool that ascertains the assessment will be conducted according to the principles of assessment and rules of evidence. Whether you develop your own tool or purchase them from providers, RTOs are required to verify they are fit for purpose and valid assessments.

Validation is the quality review of the assessment process and is generally conducted after the assessment is complete. Validation involves checking that your assessment tools have produced valid, reliable, sufficient, current and authentic evidence, enabling your RTO to make reasonable judgements about whether training package (or VET accredited course) requirements have been met.

Moderation is a quality control process aimed at bringing assessment judgements into alignment. Moderation is generally conducted before the finalisation of student results as it ensures the same decisions are applied to all assessment results within the same unit of competency.

How are they aligned to SRTO 2015, and what are their commonalities?

The standards that affect each concept are different. The below table will give you a clear understanding of the representation of standards per each concept.

 

Concept Objectives When takes place Relevant Standards
Pre-Validation (verification) Ensure they are a valid tool that ascertains the assessment will be conducted according to the principles of assessment and rule of evidence Prior to using the tools. 1.5, 1.6, 1.8
Moderation Bringing assessment judgements into alignment Before the finalisation of student results 1.8 and 3.1
Validation A quality review process that confirms your RTO’s assessment system can consistently produce valid assessment judgements. After the assessment tool is implemented and student assessments are completed and marked. 1.5, 1.6, 2.2, 3.1, 1.13, 1.1.8, 1.9, 1.10, 1.11, and 1.25

Though their definition and purpose are diverse, Pre validation, Moderation, and Validation have one shared goal. They are destined to ensure the best practice of effective assessment, mainly assessment practice and judgment.

Problem 2. The ‘two units 50% in three years and five years cycle’ syndrome and compliance mentality.

Many RTOs believe that the validation must be conducted at 50%, and this is done because of compliance requirements. For this reason, the RTOs wait until the last day and are not able to identify the problem at an early stage. These results in finding themselves in the unfortunate position of non-compliance with standard 3.1. They have to revoke the certificates and redo all assessments again because they have awarded certification documentation to learners whom they have NOT assessed as meeting the training product requirements specified in the relevant training package.

RTOs must see the Standards as a document that describe what outcomes an RTO must achieve, not how they must be achieved (policed).

‘50% three years and five years cycle’ is the minimum but risky requirement.

Scheduling and adhering to 50% of qualifications in three years is equivalent to planning for failure and non-compliance. The best time to validate your resources is today, not tomorrow.

RTOs need to develop a validation schedule the day they receive their registration to validate each training product (AQF qualification, skill set, unit of competency, accredited short course and module) on its scope of registration. The validation clock starts to tick from that day, and the quality requirements increase with each clock tick.

Problem 3. Many RTOs believe they have conducted their validation; however, they are deemed to be non-compliant with Standards 1.10 – 1.11 and 1.25.

Several RTOs do the validation but are not followed by any rectification plan, and that makes their validation part of a problem instead of part of a solution.

Many RTOs opt to cut corners—by developing a generic validation tool strategy from a template and asking validators to ‘sign off’, which most often than not, results in a yes ticks and flicks.

Some RTOs also conduct the validation by one person, usually a compliance officer/manager, without considering the requirements of the validation team. Many RTOs make mistakes in sampling and choosing their assessment to be validated. Because they use a sample of their best students or trainers who have been deemed competent, their validation produces a bad validation outcome.

For many RTOs, the main reason can be described as “validation conducted for the sake of conducting’ not for an effective outcome and meaning full action. The absence of systemic, documented process and assessment tools and guides is customary in many RTOs.

Most RTOs have validation policies and procedures. However, the method does not articulate and demonstrate in detail what they must do, how they will do it, when they will do it, who is responsible for doing what, the mechanism for monitoring them, and the evidence they can provide.

RTOs must develop and implement a system with evidence (that can be seen, touched and heard) to ensure assessment judgements are consistently made on a sound basis and validation of assessment judgements is carried out regularly.

Next is the validation tools, far from a ‘sign me up’ checklist with close-ended yes and no answers that lead validators to say yes. For example, asking validators to tick ‘the principles of assessments are good’ will not be effective and does not demonstrate that the assessment practice and judgment was informed by validators.

Though there is no specific method or approach that you must follow, you must demonstrate that:

  • You have developed a schedule to validate each training product (AQF qualification, skill set, unit of competency, accredited short course and module) on your scope.
  • You adjusted the validation schedule when adding a new training product. When making adjustments, ensure your plan continues to meet the timeframe and completion requirements discussed above.
  • The training products must be validated as per the schedule; putting a validation schedule without implementing it is worse than not having a plan.
  • Select your validators and ensure at least one subject matter expert ‘industry relevance’ requirements.
  • The assessment tool must contain an open-ended and meaningful questions that can check the assessment practice and judgment from different angles

The ‘two units from qualification’ pattern.

Part of the validation failure is when RTOs stick into the ‘two units per qualification’ approach. The number of units and the selection criteria must not insist on the minimum requirement as one size does not fit all.

Statistically, valid sampling is essential in the process of validation.

A statistically valid sample is:

· large enough that the validation outcomes of the model can be applied to the entire set of judgements, and
· taken randomly from the collection of assessment judgements being considered.

Calculating sample size

You must validate enough assessments to ensure that the results of your validation are accurate and are representative of the total completed assessments for the training product.
To determine appropriate sample sizes, you can use ASQA’s validation sample size calculator.

Whatever model or method you use, you must ensure your sampling will provide you with a very low error level and high confidence in assessment practices and judgements.

Random selection

Many RTOs use the sample of their best students or trainers who have been deemed competent, which produces a lousy validation outcome.

Randomly selecting your sample will ensure adequate coverage of varying levels of learner performance. You may also supplement the random selection by adding additional completed assessments (for example, to include both competent and not competent assessments, or to include multiple assessors’ decisions, various delivery modes and locations) to ensure the validation process is representative of all assessment judgements.

(Reference, ASQA and NCVER)

October 4, 2021 Education, RTO, VET Sector Comments Off on Validation Demystified – Part I

Contextualisation – Why you must contextualise the training and assessment resources.

Understanding contextualisation

Contextualising assessments and learner materials is one of the most thought-provoking tasks that RTOs face. Many RTOs are deemed non-compliant due to their contextualisation ‘methods’.

What is contextualisation, what is the right way to do it, how is it done, why do RTOs conduct it incorrectly?

Before explaining what is contextualisation, let’s first clarify what is NOT contextualisation as that is one of the main reasons RTOs face enormous challenges.

What is not contextualisation?

Contextualisation is not a free ride process to change at whim the training product requirements specified in the relevant training package. Contextualisation is not a green light to cross compliance boundaries and jeopardise the quality of Australian education. Contextualisation is not an exercise that focuses only on the assessment tool. Contextualisation is not a process that can be done without limits set by guidelines.

A competency’s breadth of application should not be reduced in order to reduce its portability, nor should the competency outcomes be narrowed in order to limit its use, nor should the content of any element and performance criteria related to the unit involved be removed as a result of contextualisation.

Now, to the definition:

What is contextualisation in the context of training resources?

Contextualisation is the process of modifying your RTO’s training and assessment materials to make learning more meaningful for your students and their employers, and the industry at large. It is a way of making learning and assessing relevant to a person’s workplace experience. It involves adjusting the training products such as units of competency, or packaging certain units into a qualification, to suit the specific needs of the enterprise or learner.

Generic resources that you have purchased from an RTO resources provider should be changed or adapted to satisfy the special requirements of a specific industry, as well as the social, cultural, and business requirements of that industry, as well as the needs of a particular work environment as applicable.

For example, the assessment and learner resources should be modified to suit learners from different industries without compromising the quality of the resources. That means, the training and assessment resources for a unit of competency that you use in the community sector will be different in terms of type of work performed, type of industry or enterprise, terminology used, industry sector requirements, legislation and regulations compared to resources for information technology sector.

When it comes to assessments, it is the process of adapting language and assessment tasks (terminology, assessment context and scope etc.) in order to suit specific work circumstances present in an actual workplace that is referred to as contextualisation in the context of assessments. Candidates and employers will benefit from this adjustment because the assessment resources will be more relevant and beneficial to them. For learner resources, wording, industry regulations etc. should be customised to ensure learners understand terminology and expectations to effectively work in the industry.

Contextualisation must take into account organisational policies, standard operating procedures, workplace architecture, as well as organisational and legal requirements particular to the local context in order to be compliant with Training Package regulations. It is necessary for the assessments to be considered valid in order for it to not have a negative impact on the standards specified in either the units of competency or the Training Package.

Why is contextualisation important?

Contextualisation is critical to ensure high-quality training and assessment and graduate students who are well equipped for employment or further study. It plays a significant role to enhance the qualifications. It also plays a vital role in preparing students with credible certification as holding the skills and competencies specified in their qualification when they enter the job market.

Contextualisation is essential for RTOs to develop learning resources and assessment methods tailored to their learner’s needs and aligned to the work context in which they operate. If you don’t contextualise your resources, you risk alienating your learners, losing clients and being found non-compliant at your next ASQA audit.

What is the best starting point to conduct contextualisation?

The best starting point of contextualisation of resources is to understand why you are doing it and specify your ultimate goal. The second point of departure is to be aware of the ‘rules of don’t’ regarding contextualisation.

This must be followed by identifying who would be included in the panel that is responsible for contextualising assessments. In the process of selecting your team, you are required to be inclusive, especially the industry experts who can see areas that your trainers and assessors (even with industry currency) cannot see as adequately and authentically as the subject matter experts could.

When is the best time to contextualise your resources?

The best time to conduct your contextualisation is today. To ensure quality training is delivered on time and any content that does not align with the cohort’s requirement is captured and rectified at the earliest stage, the best practice is to contextualise as soon as possible and as finest as possible.

Timely contextualisation will help you to ensure:

  • High quality and better outcomes for your students, hence better reputation for your RTO
  • Better relationship and engagement with the industry
  • Continuous improvement that provides assessment system and practice is performing at their best
  • Conduct routine improvement activities
  • Introduce a more efficient and effective process and system that monitors your practice
  • Early intervention to check any gap and early rectification to fill the gap before affecting future students

What learning resources are included in the process of contextualisation?

One of the mistakes that surface repetitively in the RTOs landscape is the practice of contextualising focus on assessment tools only. This leaves students dealing with different resources that do not talk to each other, and at times provide inappropriate or conflicting content.

So, as a minimum requirement, RTOs must contextualise the following resources;

  • Training and Assessment Strategy
  • Assessment tools including RPL kits
  • Learner Guide
  • PowerPoint
  • Session and delivery plan
  • Facilities and equipments
  • Self study guides and manuals
  • Workplace logbooks/vocational placement kits
  • Facilitate delivery and assessment of learners

What are the factors that can influence your contextualisation process?

For a comprehensive understanding and best experience, we advise you to consult with industry experts, check your current status, and make a situational analysis.

As a general principle of contextualisation, the following questions must be raised and appropriately addressed before embarking on the process of Contextualisation.

1. Learners.

The characteristics of the target group. The study should include information about the knowledge and skill, learning needs, learning style preferences, literacy, language and numeracy skills, and support needs.

This section can also include the learners’ level of motivation for engaging in the learning, any specific goals of the group, and any particular abilities that the group may have.

2. Mode of Delivery

This study must focus on how the training and assessment are to be delivered. This might include face-to-face, online, through workplace training or a mixture of different modes. The information provided in this section should be consistent with and supportive of the information in the remainder of the TAS document. For example, if your delivery is online, but the assessment tool has workplace tasks, your Contexualisation must consider how to provide a virtual simulated workplace environment to ensure they can practice their new skills.

3. Workplace and Industry.

This section must analyse what does the workplace environment look like? (e.g., equipment, facilities, policies, procedures, etc.)

  • What types of evidence can be collected in the work role to meet the unit of competency evidence requirements? What are the typical tasks performed in the work role and industry context?
  • What are the typical and current workplace conditions for the work role and industry context?
  • What is the relevant legislation, codes of practices, and regulations for the work role and industry context?

4. The Resources

This section will probe what specific resources are required to deliver and assess the Training Product. This might include an assessment, a session plan, or a detailed list of resources for a unit of competency or cluster of units. This may also include information about the resources the learner might be required to provide or have access to. An example would be if the delivery were online, there would be a requirement to access a computer and potentially stable internet connection. You can address the requirements by raising valid question such as:

  • Do the learning resources provide enough depth in the instruction, including industry-relevant practical examples, to meet the needs of learners with little or no previous experience?
  • Is the learning content appropriate for learners with physical and learning disabilities, language, and cultural sensitivities?
  • Is the learning resource content aligned to the industry context, work role tasks, and work environment? Examples also include access to:
    • Job role and workplace relevant policies and procedures
    • Workplace appropriate equipment and facilities etc.
    • Work role and workplace relevant conditions and environment.
    • Actual workplace or Simulated Workplace (were allowed in the training package)
  • Do the learning resources align with the qualification and/or training package context where it is being used?
  • Do your learning resources align with your Training and Assessment Strategy and Delivery Method?

In line with the COVID related requirements and the online delivery necessitated by it, please see also ASQA’s distance learning guide by clicking this link. https://www.asqa.gov.au/distance-learning

5. Training in the Workplace

  • What are the training and assessments that must be conducted in the workplace?
  • Do they align the learning activities with the organisation’s objectives and overall culture?
  • Do they contain activities and tasks that are relevant and are users of the business itself?
  • Are the learners’ tasks valuable to all parties? Are the activities advantageous to provide opportunities for students to learn problem-solving skills?
  • Are there workplace mentor-mentee scenarios that may also be suitable for this training delivery method?

How does contextualisation ensure candidates can apply their skills and knowledge in a work setting.

The primary objective of contextualisation is to make the training and assessment strategy more meaningful for your students and their employers. RTOs need to develop learning resources and assessment methods that are custom-made to their learner’s needs and aligned to the work context in which they operate.

Contextualising ensures best practice and high-quality training and assessment strategy and practice. In turn, high-quality training and assessment mean that employers can have confidence that vocational education and training (VET) graduates in the workplace will safely and productively apply the skills described by their qualifications.

Does contextualisation serve the principle of assessment and rule of evidence?

Contextualisation is mainly conducted to accommodate the learners’ needs and ensure the content is adjusted to be appropriate to the learner cohort’s skill, knowledge and experience levels. Accordingly, the task of contextualisation must primarily serve the principle of fairness framed on the individual learner’s needs and the principle of flexibility underpinned by the reflection of the individual learner’s circumstance.

To promote fairness and flexibility contextualisation must start from the below questions.

  1. Can the assessment gather Valid, Sufficient, Authentic, Current evidence.
  2. Is the assessment appropriate for the target audience/ or client group for whom the use of the training and assessment resources will be relevant?
  3. Does the assessment contain a range of different assessment methods: Knowledge assessment: Workplace projects – advanced practice, Projects – analysis, design and development
  4. Does the assessment tool provide enough depth in the instruction, including industry-relevant practical examples, to meet the needs of learners with little or no previous experience?
  5. Is the assessment content appropriate for learners with physical and learning disabilities, language, and cultural sensitivities.
  6. Does the assessment consider the work performed and the environment in which it would be completed. Do the tasks suit particular work conditions that apply in an actual workplace?
  7. Does the assessment include policies, standard procedures, workplace infrastructure and organisational and regulatory requirements of the local context

If candidates/learners/students are of high importance in the process of contextualisation, what do you need to consider about them?

There are several questions that you might want to ask, including:

  • What are the likely characteristics of the learner group?
  • What would look like their work environment, industry, and work role when they graduated.
  • What level is their existing skills and knowledge? Do they have RPL/Credit?
  • Are they self-motivated?
  • Can learners complete group activities?
  • Do they need to be adapted to suit individual learners?
  • How much time will they have to complete tasks?
  • What will their access to resources, facilities and equipment be like?

Is there any manual that guides how contextualisation must be conducted?

There is no prescribed and strict manual that can fit all sizes. Each contextualisation’s objective, qualification, learning outcome or cohorts’ need has its own peculiarity; hence contextualisation is adapted accordingly.

However, there is a general guide that can help your contextualisation process.

Let’s start with the legislative guidelines.

The National Skills Standards Council (NSSC) identified three steps involved in contextualising assessment resources:

  1. Clarify the assessment context.
  2. Review and contextualise the assessment resources.
  3. Trial the Contextualised assessment resources.

The Standards for RTO 2015 Clause 1.8 to 1.12 stipulates:

“When developing assessment materials, use the information from the unit or module elements, performance criteria and assessment requirements to determine what competence looks like. Ensure that assessment tools are contextualised (or can be contextualised) to the student cohort to produce valid skills that are relevant to the student’s industry or work context.”

In addition to these two guidelines, the below best practices are helpful to conduct effective Contextualisation:

Phase 1: Understand what you are required to do

This includes conducting thorough research of the legislative requirements and guidelines, knowing your boundaries and the areas that should not be compromised in the process of Contextualisation.

Phase 2: Unpack the training and assessment resources

Unpacking the resources, including all documents related to the qualification, is a good sequence during your Contextualisation process. This must incorporate the industry requirements, the work placement time, the mode of delivery, the duration etc.

All the resources and assessment will be studied in relation to the cohort and their requirements. As repeatedly noted, the central objective of contextualisation is to ensure the learning resources are appropriate to the cohort’s needs.

Phase 3: Review your training and assessment resources.

When reviewing your training resources, make sure that you make the principle of assessments and rule of evidence your road map. Assessment resources should be identified or developed and reviewed to determine their appropriateness for the context.

In this stage, one of the ‘must-dos’ is to ensure the context-specific criteria can be substituted or added to complement the requirements in the resources and associated units of competence. You must check if the learning resource content is aligned to the industry context.

You must ascertain the assessment tools and guidance materials that can include organisation-focused performance checklists, question banks and sample responses, case study materials, assessment projects, reference documents, job cards.

Note: Please always remember that your contextualisation must not jeoperdise the learning outcome. You are not allowed to remove anything from the elements and performance criteria, distort or limit the competency outcomes and use, and reduce the breadth of application of the competency and lessen its portability.

Phase 4. Trial before implementation

The trial of the contextualised assessment resources, associated strategies, assessment tools and related guidance materials is best practice to avoid any unseen potential problems.

The trial will help you identify and monitor the status/success of your contextualised resources and improvement opportunities and initiate any required quality improvements.

In addition to the trial, a risk management matrix for the contextualised assessment strategy should be prepared. This includes.

  • A listing of the Principles of Assessment and Rules of Evidence
  • The potential risks to the achievement of these quality criteria
  • The risk management measures embedded in the assessment strategy to overcome or minimise these risks

Phase 5: Recording: remember to record all the changes and update the version control. You must make sure you record any changes you make to present them at audit as evidence.

How can contextualisation be explained using an actual method and example?

Contextualisation is a process that is not necessarily guided by a uniformed method; however, whatever practices the RTO engages, the above points must be taken into account.

Start with this: The central theme of any contextualisation is to design/redesign the learning and the assessment strategies and practices to meet the learners’ needs and make the learning relevant to a person’s workplace experience – current or anticipated.

More importantly, RTOs are required to know what should/could not be done in the name of contextualisation.

The below example is one way of conducting your contextualisation correctly.

Sometimes you will find units that are shared by two or more qualifications. Even though the unit’s code and name are the same, the context and industry requirements are different. For example, CHCDIV001 – Work with diverse people is shared by Early Childhood, Individual Support, Nursing, Audiometry, Ambulance Communications (Dispatch), and Animal Care and Management etc. However, it is applied in different contexts, tasks, assessment conditions and simulated environments.

For the sake of our article, let’s look at ECEC, Nursing and Individual Support (all share CHCDIV001).

If we take one Element, for example, Element 3: ‘Communicate with people from diverse backgrounds and situations and PC: 3.1 Show respect for diversity in communication with all people, concerning a) ECEC, b) Individual Support and c) Nursing the task, the work environment, and job role are entirely different. Accordingly, the context, the tasks, the marking guide, condition of assessment, work placement simulation, the resources required must be contextualised in the context of the workplace and simulated role-play.

CHC50113 – Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care

CHCDIV001 – Work with diverse people

 HLT54121 – Diploma of Nursing

CHCDIV001 – Work with diverse people

 CHC33015 – Certificate III in Individual Support

CHCDIV001 – Work with diverse people
Role Play

Ms. Annu, a Malaysian mother who cannot speak English, came to the Child Care Centre to discuss her daughter’s allergies.

Simulation:

Regulated Child CareHuman resource: Interpreter   

 Role Play

Mr. Ahmed, a Muslim patient in hospital who can barely speak English, is agitated because he was not provided a place to pray. 

Simulation: Hospital 

Human resource: Cultural interpreter, patients room  

 Role Play

Christine, a ‘transgender’ person, fluent in English, who lives in a residential care, is outraged because the fellow residents attacked her with a series of derogatory comments.

Simulation: Regulated Aged Care 

Human resource: Social worker
The Element is ‘Communicate with people from diverse backgrounds and situations and PC: 3.1 Show respect for diversity in communication with all people.

As can be seen below, the Element above is the same; however, the industry and context of the role play are different; hence you cannot use one of them in the three role-play scenarios; thus, Contextualisation is required. 
Observation Checklist 
Did the student demonstrates the following communication skills Did, the student, demonstrate the following communication skills Did, the student, demonstrate the following communication skills
  • Speak through an interpreter.
  • Clarify information with the interpreter and request that they give an accurate translation
  • Request that the interpreter inform you of any potential communication differences that could arise (to be self-aware)
  • Give the interpreter time to restructure the translation in their mind (to be socially-aware)
  • Patiently wait for a response via the interpreter, regarding Mr Wong’s feelings about the task
  • When the interpreter is translating, maintain non-verbal communication directly with Ms Annu to provide her a sense of trust and comfort.
  • Greet Ahmed respectfully (to be socially-aware) and patiently wait for a response
  • Use short and simple sentences.
  • Use different words to express the same idea
  • Clearly state you respect his practice and will assist him in providing him prayer place (to be socially-aware)
  • Ask Ahmed if there are any other religious requirements that you should be aware of (to be socially-aware)
  • Resolve communication differences by using cultural interpretation:
  • Politely ask Ahmed to repeat what he said for clarification
  • Ask Ahmed how he is feeling now that the issue is resolved.

 
  • Ask Christine what their preferred gender pronoun is (e.g., she, he, they) (to be socially-aware)
  • Clearly state you respect the gender preference
  • Avoid the words’ real man’ ‘real woman’ or transgender
  • Remember to keep the focus on care rather than indulging in questions about their gender of curiosity
  • Display transgender-positive body language and nonverbal communication and cues in your office.
  • Avoid ‘dead naming; do not use the former name.

 

 

Call us on 1800 266 160 or email info@caqa.com.au to find out more. Let us bring CAQAs Validation professional team to you – don’t wait until your next audit is due.

October 4, 2021 Education, Training and Assessment Comments Off on Contextualisation – Why you must contextualise the training and assessment resources.

The Australian Government supports eligible employers who hire an Australian Apprentice with a new Australian Apprenticeship Program

Boosting Apprenticeships Commencement (BAC) wage subsidy is a new wage subsidy announced by the federal government to assist apprentices and trainees who are eligible for the wage subsidy to complete their qualifications. The Completing Apprenticeship Commencements (CAC) scheme, worth $716 million, would give qualifying employers with a subsidy of up to 10 percent of an Australian Apprentice or trainee’s gross pay in their second year of work, and 5 percent in their third year, depending on their business needs.

These subsidies are limited to a total of $1,500 per quarter (paid in arrears) per apprentice or trainee in their second year, and $750 per quarter in their third year, per apprentice or trainee. Employers of apprentices or trainees who are registered with and entitled to receive the BAC wage subsidy are the only ones who can benefit from the subsidies. Registration for the BAC expires on March 31, 2022.

Under the new changes from October 2021, eligible employers will receive a 10 per cent wage subsidy in the second year of an eligible apprenticeship, and five per cent in the third year. The Morrison Government’s investment is expected to continue to support the 270,000 anticipated commencements under the Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements program from October 2020 to March 2022.

Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business, Stuart Robert, said the new Completing Apprenticeship Commencements program will help maintain a pipeline of skilled workers right across the economy with 348,200 Australians training as at June 2021, 30 per cent more than the previous 12 months.

‘The Morrison Government has supported a generation of Australian apprentices in the face of the biggest shock to our economy since World War Two,’ Minister Robert said.

‘While other countries shed their apprentice workforces, our highly successful Boosting Apprenticeship Commencement program saw new apprenticeships increase 141.5 per cent year on year.

‘The Morrison Government is now protecting the pipeline of apprentices today so they become the skilled workforce of tomorrow through the Completing Apprenticeship Commencements program, giving employers the confidence to retain an apprentice in their second and third years of training right through to completion.

‘Securing the skilled workforce of tomorrow through the Completing Apprenticeship Commencements program is in addition to a record $6.4 billion investment in skills this financial year, including a $500 million expansion of the JobTrainer Fund, which recently hit more than 230,000 course enrolments.’

Find more information, click here and ministers.dese.gov.au

October 4, 2021 News Comments Off on The Australian Government supports eligible employers who hire an Australian Apprentice with a new Australian Apprenticeship Program

Live webinar with CAQA – Your questions and answer series – Trainers and assessors competency and compliance requirements

The CAQA Live webinar series will be a great opportunity to learn from the experts who have been in this field for a long time.

What makes this event so special is that the CAQA team has personally selected the topics and speakers for this Webinar Series. They have also designed it to be specifically catered to anyone in the industry looking to advance their knowledge, skills, and abilities.

This month we are launching our “Your questions and our answers series”, a free webinar series that will occur on Friday the 29th of October, 2021 between 12 to 1 PM. If you have questions do not hesitate to send them to us and we will try to answer them during the live sessions.

The first topic we have selected is competency and compliance requirements for trainers and assessors.

In this series, you will learn about:

  • What are trainers and assessors?
  • The role of trainer and assessor in the workplace
  • How to become a qualified trainer or assessor?
  • What do the legislation, regulation and guidelines mention related to trainers and assessors?
  • What are the competencies that must be met for trainers and assessors?
  • What is the difference between training and assessment?

These webinars will provide you with the opportunity to ask questions and get answers from experts in the field.

If you are interested to attend this free webinar, and also receive a certificate of attendance and participation, please click here.

October 4, 2021 News Comments Off on Live webinar with CAQA – Your questions and answer series – Trainers and assessors competency and compliance requirements

The strategies for achieving personal and professional success.

There are many strategies to success you can use in your life.

Some people are successful because they work hard. Other people are successful because they have a great opportunity that came their way. Some people are successful because they have the right connections, but most people are successful because they have good timing.

These strategies may not be easy to implement, but if you follow them and find ways to make them work for you, the chances of achieving your personal and professional success will increase.

Here are some of the best strategies that you can use in your personal and professional career.

Being responsive

It is critical to respond quickly and effectively to all stakeholders. For example, you’ve received an email from your manager. The options you have are to choose between reading and doing nothing or reading and checking how well you comprehended the instructions and information supplied.

Self-motivated learning

If you are interested in knowing more about a particular topic then you should conduct your own research and study the subject. If you are a learner, the curriculum, or the job description, are only the starting points of one’s learning journey. Self-motivated learning allows you to accomplish far more.

Enhance your research skills

You must understand how to conduct effective information research on the internet and through other offline mediums. For example, having the following abilities is required when searching for information:

  • Pay close attention to the details
  • Take note
  • Management of one’s time
  • Problem-solving
  • Good communication and reporting skills

Have a positive, can-do attitude

The vast majority of the work takes place in your head, regardless of the job task or activity you are performing; if you are clear about what you want, you will quickly figure out how to get it. Whatever your belief about your ability or inability to perform a job activity, you will find that the outcomes of you performing the job tasks will be pretty similar to your thinking. You must maintain a positive attitude, be self-assured, and be willing to deal with challenges or new duties that may arise in your life.

Embrace the change

When you embrace change, it means that you don’t perceive it as difficulty, but rather as an opportunity to grow yourself or experience amazing adventures. You must remain optimistic towards your current circumstances, your strengths, and your ability to adjust to change. Change forces you to grow as a person and become more evolved. You learn how to adapt to different situations, come up with creative solutions, and focus on accepting yourself. All of these adventures work together to help you grow as a person.

In partnership with Edu Learning and CAQA Skills, CAQA provides a variety of professional and personal development opportunities. We may also tailor the training to meet your specific requirements and skill level as well. For additional details, please contact us at info@caqa.com.au.

October 4, 2021 News, Training and Assessment Comments Off on The strategies for achieving personal and professional success.

What to do if you think someone is infringing on your copyright? – Margaret Ryan (lawyer and trademarks attorney)

The short answer is to speak to a lawyer. But make sure that they are the right lawyer. Copyright law (or, more generally, intellectual property law) is a specialisation. The law is complex, and your lawyer needs to be familiar with it.

A copyright lawyer will guide you through the process, but it typically involves:

  1. Gathering evidence of the infringement. You may have done this already. Keep any photos or screenshots of websites or purchases of the infringing product that you have made (with the receipt). If anyone has told you that they saw what they thought was your material somewhere else, keep a note of who said this to you, what they said and when. Show it all to your lawyer.
  2. Trap purchase – Your lawyer may want to obtain further evidence, such as a trap purchase, although this is usually not necessary if the copying can be seen on a website. A trap purchase involves, usually, a private investigator buying a copy of the allegedly infringing material. This can show the identity of the business that sold the material and the date of purchase and, if it becomes necessary, the investigator can give evidence in a Court case.
  3. Is there an infringement? – Your lawyer can then advise you whether or not there is an infringement in Australia. Reasons, why there may not be an infringement, include:
    • If the alleged infringer has permission to use the copyrighted material – you may need to check within your organisation to see whether there has been a grant of permission.
    • Is the material sufficiently close to be a copy? It is not necessary that the whole of your material has been taken, but it is necessary that the part taken is similar to your material.
    • Is there a possible defence to copyright infringement? There are quite a number of defences in Australian copyright law, but these usually do not allow copying for commercial use.
  4. Do you own the copyright? – The only persons who can threaten copyright infringement in Australia are the owner or the exclusive licensee of the copyright. Normally the copyright owner of written and artistic works is the author, or, if the work was created in the course of their employment, the employer. If you commissioned written resources or artwork and the contract says nothing about copyright, normally the author (or their employer) will own the copyright – not you. You need to work out who the author or authors of your material were (if it was not you) and check whether or not you own the copyright. Your lawyer may suggest that you seek an assignment of copyright, to transfer outstanding rights to you. It is possible that you cannot find the author, or they may wish to charge for assigning the rights to you. This is why it is best to get a copyright assignment at the time you engage the author.
  5. Letter to alleged infringer – This can either be from your organisation or on your lawyer’s letterhead. Some businesses may send a letter first and only consult a lawyer if these overtures are rejected. However, DIY enforcement is risky, in part because, if it turns out that there was no copyright infringement, or you did not own the copyright, you or your organisation may be liable for your “unjustified threats” of infringement to anyone who suffers loss because of your letter.
    A copyright lawyer can “ghost write” a letter to the infringer that is sent on your organisation’s letterhead which may be softer than a legal “letter of demand” (also called a “cease and desist” letter). Alternatively, the lawyer can write a stern letter of demand, requiring the infringement to stop, infringing materials be handed over and may ask for information designed to uncover the amount of profits made by the alleged infringer from its copyright infringement.
  6. After the letter of demand – hopefully the alleged infringer is willing to compromise, and there will usually be settlement negotiations and an agreement signed. Some parties may be prepared to stop but not pay any money. Others may deny infringement altogether. In these last two cases, if after further correspondence from your lawyer, they will not budge, you may consider suing them.
  7. Litigation (or going to Court) – This can be a very expensive undertaking and you will need to weigh up the pros and cons of litigation with your lawyer. Factors to consider are how much loss you have suffered e.g. from lost sales, has there been damage to your reputation or the exclusivity of your copyright material, how strong is your case legally and how reasonable is any offer from the alleged infringer.

The main remedy that is sought in copyright cases is a Court order to stop the infringement. Most cases settle along the way, but if the case goes to trial and you win, your legal costs may be greater than any compensation that you may receive. If you are successful, the Court will usually order the other side to pay a proportion of your legal costs – but the flipside is that, if you are unsuccessful, you may well have to pay the alleged infringer’s costs. This means that you need to think carefully before you press the litigation button. But, if the stakes are high enough, litigation may be recommended.

Margaret Ryan is a lawyer and trade marks attorney with over 30 years’ experience in intellectual property, including copyright, and consumer protection law, working with organisations to find solutions, maximise the value of their IP and protect their business. IP by Margaret® – www.ipbymargaret.com.au

October 4, 2021 News, RTO Comments Off on What to do if you think someone is infringing on your copyright? – Margaret Ryan (lawyer and trademarks attorney)

Strategies to complete the Financial Viability Risk Assessment tool

When you apply to become an RTO or your financial condition is a source of concern, or when you are in the process of a post-initial audit scenario, ASQA may require you to submit the Financial Viability Risk Assessment tool to demonstrate your financial viability. The fact that this obligation only applies in specific circumstances has already been discussed.

The Financial Viability Risk Assessment tool helps organisations to assess the risks associated with their current financial situation. It is also a tool that is used to evaluate the viability of a business in the present and in the future. The purpose of this tool is to help managers understand whether a training organisation can continue operating in an environment that will return enough revenue.

The financial viability risk assessment pack should be completed by an accountant who is registered with ASIC for your training organisation.

The financial viability of your organisation, including your financial history and projections, must be provided in order for you to be able to demonstrate compliance with these requirements.

This article discusses some of the strategies to ensure that you complete the financial viability risk assessment in a competent manner.

Find a qualified and experienced RTO accountant

Accounting professionals with prior experience performing financial viability risk assessments and those who do not have such prior experience and knowledge have a significant gap in their knowledge and skills. Always choose accountants who have a lot of experience in order to have these tasks professionally and competently completed.

Consider all the information you will need

One of the most important steps is to establish what information, data, records are required from you in order for an accountant to complete your financial viability risk assessment and what information is not required. So take some time to understand what information an accountant will require from you in order to complete the financial viability risk assessment and how you should supply this information e.g format, medium, process and so on.

Important information includes the following:

  • Name and code of each course
  • Duration of the course
  • Frequency of intakes
  • Expected student numbers
  • Course fee details
  • And other direct and indirect costs to run the courses

Make sure your accountant has prepared the profit and loss statements, balance sheet, cash flow for the two years projections and the student numbers and course information for the submission to the regulatory body.

Plan everything logically, systematically and comprehensively

Whatever you do, be sure it is thought out logically, systematically, and thoroughly. For example, how many trainers and assessors will you require in relation to your student numbers, how many admin support people will you expect according to your student numbers, how many intakes you can run in a logical manner, what should be your fees, how do these fees and charges compare to your competitors, and so on, all of these things must be carefully considered and planned out in advance.

All information should align with your business plans, timetable and capacity calculations

All information, including student numbers, frequency of sessions, trainers and assessors, fees, and any other information you have included, must be consistent with all documents, including but not limited to your business plans, timetables, and capacity calculations.

Ensuring the organisation has resources to cover short term cash flow gaps

Organisations should consider the implications of cash-flow shortages in advance to avoid risks. The first step is to take a look at the company’s cash flow. This includes looking at the company’s assets, liabilities, and short-term assets. The next step is to examine the organisation’s ability to generate revenue. For example, are there any projects that are likely to generate revenue sooner than expected? Organisations should be aware that if they have too much debt then their business will be more vulnerable to shocks in cash flow that could happen in the short term. The organisation should ensure that it has enough liquidity to cover short term cash flow gaps.

Identifying potential risks such as unfavourable economic conditions or changes in consumer preferences

The major risks that need to be identified are economic conditions and changes in consumer preferences. These two factors are the most important because they affect the company’s performance, profitability and sustainability.

Economic conditions refer to the macroeconomic environment that affects the company’s financial performance. This includes inflation, unemployment rates, interest rates, exchange rates, etc. If these conditions are unfavourable to the company then this will have a negative impact on their financial performance. Changes in consumer preferences refer to changes in what consumers buy or want to buy which can have a great effect on sales revenue for example if there is a change in technology that could replace the current product being sold then sales could be adversely affected. In order to avoid the risks, a company needs to identify them in detail and decide whether it is worth it to take them on.

Successful RTO launches and expansions of existing training products are usually the results of taking into account potential risks, including changes in consumer preferences or economic conditions.

October 4, 2021 RTO Comments Off on Strategies to complete the Financial Viability Risk Assessment tool

Message from the CEO (4 October 2021)

Message from the CEO

Our professional development event related to Skills First Funding was a huge success, with hundreds of people in attendance. We have made the video available online on our websites so that you can check out the material.

We are a team of quality and compliance experts who have been in the business for decades. We have been answering your questions since the early 2000’s and we thank you for sticking with us.
This month we are launching our “Your questions and our answers series”, a free webinar series that will occur on Friday the 29th of October between 12 to 1 PM. If you have questions do not hesitate to send them to us and we will try to answer them during the live sessions.

You can read more information in the “Your questions and our answers series” article. Join us for an hour of free compliance education! All attendees will receive certificates of attendance from us.
As always, if you require assistance in any way, please contact us via email at info@caqa.com.au.

Sukh Sandhu
CEO

October 4, 2021 News, VET Sector Comments Off on Message from the CEO (4 October 2021)

Influence of COVID-19 on future plans

Training providers indicated a strong interest in incorporating more online training in the future, with 61.8% of those who moved some training online in response to the pandemic confirming that they were likely to use more blended learning in the future.

In addition, other plans to expand online learning in the future included:

  • likely to permanently shift more units/parts of qualifications online (22.1%)
  • likely to permanently shift more full qualifications online (10.6%)

Influence of COVID-19 on future online training delivery plans (%)

All content from The online delivery of VET during COVID-19: Research Report by Sheila Hume & Tabatha Griffin. National Centre for Vocational Education Research

October 4, 2021 News, VET Industry News Comments Off on Influence of COVID-19 on future plans

Delivery of training before and during COVID-19

Although there was a substantial transition (75.2%) to partial or full online delivery in response to COVID-19 (see the below table), more than half (52.5%) of the RTOs who did not (or could not) move any face-to-face training or assessment online had to suspend either full programs or certain subjects/units.

This issue raises the question of the immediate and longer-term impacts of these suspensions on students and, potentially, on RTO viability. Among those who did not move any training online, the main barriers preventing a transition were identified as unsuitable subject matter (47.5%) and the unsuitability of online delivery for students (44.4%). The next stage of this project will explore these issues in more depth through interviews with RTO staff

Incidence of shifting face-to-face training online in response to COVID-19, and barriers to shifting among those who did not move any training or assessment online (%)

October 4, 2021 News, VET Industry News Comments Off on Delivery of training before and during COVID-19

Overview of training provider response.

COVID-19 has had an undeniable impact on the VET sector, with the significant and rapid transition to online learning early in the pandemic establishing the groundwork for and influencing the likelihood of RTOs using more blended learning in the future, as outlined in the below figure.

October 4, 2021 News, VET Industry News Comments Off on Overview of training provider response.

Who pays and the relationship to online delivery?

The overall increase of online training has coincided with a substantial rise in the number of governments funded online-only subject enrolments, with these enrolments increasing by almost 362 600 in 2020 (an increase of 40.4%; table 3).

October 4, 2021 News, VET Industry News Comments Off on Who pays and the relationship to online delivery?

Now and into the future

Approximately 12 months after the commencement of COVID-19 restrictions in Australia, only about one quarter (25.1%) of the surveyed RTOs who had transferred some face-to-face training online had reverted fully to their pre-COVID-19 approach to training.

The survey findings demonstrate a strong pattern of RTOs continuing to offer online training in areas where it was not available prior to COVID-19. More than one-third (35.5%) of respondents had only partially returned to their pre-COVID-19 approach to training delivery, while 23.3% were expanding online delivery, with a further 11.9% continuing to operate at the same level as their initial shift online.

More than 61% of RTOs who transitioned to at least some training online in response to COVID-19 indicated they would be more likely to use blended learning in the future

The ongoing and increased level of online delivery identified through the survey is reflected in the plans held by many survey respondents.

October 4, 2021 News, VET Industry News Comments Off on Now and into the future

Is blended delivery the future of Australian VET education?

A research by Sheila Hume and Tabatha Griffin, NCVER demonstrate that there was a strong response from the VET sector to COVID-19 restrictions, with the number of subjects delivered online increasing by about 24% between 2019 and 2020. The research reported that the shift to online training delivery was more pronounced for government-funded subject enrolments than for those funded via domestic fee-for-service arrangements (increases of 40.4% and 15.7%, respectively).

October 4, 2021 News, VET Industry News Comments Off on Is blended delivery the future of Australian VET education?
Recent Posts
Archives
Categories