How to use these websites

 

The default training approach in these websites is on-job training that leads to on-job assessment. This is reflected in two main ways:

  • Websites include an orientation to on-job learning, normally at the beginning of the course.
  • Assessment is presumed to be done practically on the job.

 

Access

Students can easily access all assessment information, so staff don't need to write or even reproduce it.

Lecturers can give enrolled students direct access to student pages by giving them the student page URL of their course. E.g.

        The Cert IV in Community Services Work is at www.acas.edu.au/cert_3-4_comm_serv_work_chc08/
        The Diploma of Youth Work is at www.acas.edu.au/dip_youth_work_chc08

Please keep these URLs confidential from other people.

 

The Student Websites

We sometimes need multiple versions in place for different student populations, and also for providing alternative pathways to particular qualifications.

So far, most of these websites have any of the following that are relevant or required:

  1. A welcome note from the virtual staff member
  2. Induction with an explanation of:
    • the units taken
    • how to get them
    • the course's purpose
    • who it's for
  3. Other assessment information e.g. dimensions of competency, workplace general requirements, consistent performance, handling contingencies.
  4. Links to resources, for example:
    • On-job learning
    • OHS
    • Library
    • How to work with a tutor
    • Self-study guidelines
    • Essay writer

 

Units

Each unit is usually written up in one page of fairly simple English, and provided to students in a downloadable file. They contain all requirements that were mentioned in the original unit. However, they vary a little as to how explanatory they are. In some cases, they include a training component, while others only cover assessments.

If for some reason you find parts of the website are not working for you, please suggest improvements.

 

About the assessments

The students' assessment tasks, are described simply and briefly in each unit:

  1. They are designed to provide you with sufficient evidence.
  2. In some cases, the competencies specify or directly imply the evidence and assessment activities. In other cases, the competencies are very general, and I wrote specialized, concrete activities. (Although they are intended to suit a wide variety of situations, they might not suit your exact circumstances.)
  3. As much as possible, tasks are normal workplace activities where the student demonstrates competency (Nearly all units require this anyway.)
  4. Tasks facilitate holistic assessment, rather than assessment that is done by treating performance criteria as self-contained educational objectives.
  5. There are normally at least two kinds of evidence for all skills. Part of the purpose is to cover a variety of circumstances and a period of time.
  6. As much as possible, assessments are based on practical performance on the job. E.g. on-job observation, debrief, workplace documents, on-job walkaround and interview, supervisor reference.
  7. The "required knowledge" component has usually been translated into a set of questions. It is preferable to use them as an interview, but you can instead give them as assignments. When items are large and complex, they are normally given as assignments.
  8. The staff page of each website has link to a general set of "how to" assessment instructions, which are intended to be as useful as possible to you.
  9. We also have a full-blown project framework, so it's fairly easy to adapt it for any other field of study for which projects are well-suited.

 

About the instructor/assessor pages

These pages normally contain any of the following that are relevant or required:

  1. Link to student home page
  2. Assessment forms
  3. Mapping narrative (mentioned below)
  4. Instructions for assessment interview (mentioned above).
  5. Packaging of units for the qualification (e.g. how the unit selection complies with the packaging rules in the training package). The newer websites have an explanation of how I selected and combined electives. This is usually given as a particular job description for which the qualification is designed.

 

Forms

The current assessment forms are an assessor's record and refer to the requirements listed in the website. In some cases, the staff page has a link to recommended generic forms, and you only need to fill them in. Increasingly, however, ACAS provides a fully-prepared form.

We no longer encourage the use of long pages of tick-box forms, which are usually bureaucratic and inefficient. They are only preferred in a few units.

 

Compliance

When ACAS has suitable web-based assessments, ACAS programs are increasingly required to use them for compliance purposes.

The advantage of web-based materials are that they can be improved more systematically and only need to be audited once for the whole RTO. They cover:

  • Training and assessment plans
  • Task-based assessment tools (mentioned above)
  • Assessment forms (mentioned above)
  • Mapping and validation. Mapping uses the narrative format because it is briefer and is a set procedure that is easily reproducible.