Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 12:5:39
To: voced-coord@rite.ed.qut.edu.au
From: "John Gilders" <jgilders@helensvashs.qld.edu.au>
Subject: Re: Assessment issues

Issue of assessment as feedback to students?

Shelly and others,

As with all aspects of VET, there have been many changes that have occurred at my school over the past twelve months. When you visited Helensvale State High School while researching for your assessment report, we were still learning. The school had 5 boat building apprentices and was conducting training and assessment (underpinning theory with self paced materials) at the school, while TAFE and the workplace provided skill development. These five students have just graduated from school and will continue with their apprenticeship full time.

The school has also introduced 25 more school based apprentices/trainees this year, in eight different industry areas, including five more boat builders. Log books are used in all cases, however I agree with your comment that log books are useful for outlining competencies but they are not sufficient assessment materials in and of themselves. I think that the key is strong communication links with the RTO, apprentice and work supervisor. Good RTOs make regular workplace visits and keep all parties informed of the apprentices progress. They also negotiate in a training plan where the assessment is to take place (work, school or RTO) and are flexible with changes to this plan.

Multiple assessments should occur. A new code appeared on a recent Result of Assessment certificate that now makes multiple assessments more important. The code is "K" which equates to competent in the underpinning theory, but the apprentice hasn't applied this knowledge in the workplace. To become competent the apprentice must be assessed in the workplace as well.as in the classroom.

Strong relationships with employers has allowed for confidence in the employers assessment techniques to be established. At Warner Bros. Movie World this year there have been 13 students involved in a hospitality training program. This employer has a strong training culture (they have recently gained RTO status) and each year they develop internal training and assessment instuments based on the schools' log book. They are comfortable with training and assessment and they do form a holistic impression of the competencies held by the student. The hospitality students are assessed at school and by an RTO as well as at work and this works well. The RTO conducts a major assessment at a RSL club on Melbourne Cup Day function where the students provide food and beverage service. This certainly tests the students.

John Gilders
Industry Liaison Officer
Helensvale State High School

 

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First published December 12. Last modified January 31, 2000.