Lesson 8 - Risk Management and nominal hours

What is Risk?

A probability or threat of damage, injury, liability, loss, or any other negative occurrence that is caused by external or internal vulnerabilities, and that may be avoided through preemptive action.

Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/risk.html

How does risk relate to training?

The Risk Management process is the same regardless of the activity you are assessing.

1. Identify

The first step in any Risk Management is to identify the risks. A risk doesn't have to end in injury or death. As defined above, a risk is any negative occurrence that happens during the activity you are assessing.

Activity 1

What are the potential risks of running a training program? Think about the programs that you have selected for your assessments.

2. Analyse

Once you have identified your risks, the second stage is to analyse the risks. What is the negative outcome and what impact will it have? What are the chances of the risk occurring? The Analysis part is where you consider the likelihood of the risk occurring and the extent of the "damage" that might occur. I usually give them a ranking. You can use a number, such as a ranking from 1 to 5, or descriptive words such as unlikely, possible, probable, likely. The same for the "damage" or effect. You can use numbers from 1 to 5 or again, use descriptive words such as Minimal,medium, high and catastrophic.

Activity 2

What is the likelihood of each of your potential risks occurring? What damage will be done if the risk occurs?

3. Evaluate

This is where you look at the information from your Analyse stage. Compare the likelihood of a risk occurring and with the outcomes and decide whether any action needs to take place. If there is a very low chance of a risk occurring and very minimal damage if it does, is it worth doing something about?

Activity 3

Evaluate your risks (from activity 1) and determine whether there is a need to take action.

4. Action

This is where you decide what action will take place if the risk occurs. It should include who is responsible for the action as well as the details.

Activity 4

Create a plan of action for the risks evaluated in activity 3 as needing action

5. Monitor and review

Like any plan, a risk management plan is not a set and forget deal.You should always assess to see if there are other risks that could occur and decide if there are other strategies that would work better to manage those risks.

How many Hours?

The document that contains the number of hours is called a "purchasing guide".

There is a Victorian Purchasing Guide for each training package. The Guides list the qualifications that are part of the training package along with the minimum and maximum hours for each qualification. While you can go over the maximum qualification hours, in Victoria, you only get funding for the maximum hours.

As well as hours for the qualifications, the purchasing guides also list the number of hours for each unit in the training package. The guides use "nominal hours", which may or may not be the actual hours that are covered by classes, but are the hours used to determine course fees.

Nominal hours can give an indication on how detailed or complex a unit is and can be used as a guide to create a schedule for the unit.

You will find all of the purchasing guides here:
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/training/providers/rto/Pages/purchasingguides.aspx

The hours represent how much training and assessment is involved in a unit. The hours are set by a various curriculum maintenance groups located at RTOs. Just an FYI, Chisholm curriculum maintenance group actually did the purchasing guide for the Library courses!

Schedule

Now that you have your assessments worked out, you need to break the learning down into sessions or lessons.

What do the students/participants need to learn to be able to successfully complete the assessment tasks?

In your schedule, you need to cover the elements and performance criteria, skills and knowledge - all with the view to participants successfully completing the assessments. In the schedule section on the Learner Guide, you need to include the topics you will be covering, the performance requirements and whether there is an assessment during that session.

You are now ready to complete this section in your learner and assessment guides.

Learning Management Systems

You all know about Moodle - Moodle is the LMS that Chisholm uses for distributing course material and keeping track of assessments and student communication.

While you are only designing your courses, it is worthwhile to think about how you will distribute the course content. The advantage of using an LMS is that you can deliver "paperless" courses, saving on paper and printing costs and therefore being more environmentally friendly and sustainable.

Read the following articles on LMS options

Selecting a LMS
https://www.learnupon.com/blog/get-best-lms/

Free/Open Source LMS options
https://elearningindustry.com/open-source-learning-management-systems

Top 20 overall LMS options
https://financesonline.com/top-20-lms-software-solutions/

Activity 5

If you were to choose a LMS for your courses, which would you select and why?

Some fun stuff

I will include some FREE tools that you can use to deliver some of your training content under this heading. While it is not necessary for your design document, you should consider options to make your content more interactive and interesting. PowerPoint is awesome, but can be boring if it is the only tool that you are using. 

This week's "fun stuff" is H5P https://h5p.org/

Have a look at the examples, join up, and have a play. 

Lesson 7 - Icebreakers

A good icebreaker can be a fun and stimulating way for you to get to know your students and for them to mix with each other.

What is an Icebreaker?

The Cambridge English Dictionary defines an icebreaker as
"a game or activity that is used to introduce people to each other so that they feel more relaxed together" - https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/ice-breaker

Read the following articles on Icebreakers

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/what-is-an-ice-breaker-1918156

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_76.htm


Here are some other links to get ideas for an icebreaker.

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/top-ice-breakers-1918426

https://icebreakerideas.com/quick-icebreakers/

https://insight.typepad.co.uk/40_icebreakers_for_small_groups.pdf

https://www.icebreakers.ws/classroom-icebreakers

https://www.mentimeter.com/blog/audience-energizers/ready-to-use-icebreaker-templates-for-every-occasion

Class Activity

Think about one of the units that you are designing (VET or non-accredited)

Find an appropriate Icebreaker activity for your first lesson for each of the following cohorts:

• A group of mature age students (similar to the class demographic)
• A group of teenagers
• Students who are EAL (English as an additional language)

Explain the Icebreaker(s) selected and try one out on the class!

Assessments

Completing your Assessment Guide for Portfolio 1

If you need more information on Assessments, refer to the notes from Lesson 5. Here is a reminder of the types of assessments that you can use.

Generally, if it is a hands on task, Observation would be the most obvious method of assessment. For the theory component you could use a report (product based method) or Questioning. Look for the key words from the Assessment Requirements document.

Assessment Guide Template

Assessment # - Assessment Title
UNIT/S OF COMPETENCY – Code		UNIT CODE		Title	UNIT TITLE
Description of the Assessment task: Describe what the assessment is - if you are using a simulated workplace, give details. If it is a scenario, Give details. If you want students to answer questions, provide a summary and list the questions in the assessment details section. Example 1: You are to use your knowledge and research skills to respond to the following questions. Please make sure that you include references and/or links to back up your responses. Example 2: You are the WHS representative for Mysty River Regional Library Service (MRRLS). As part of your role, you need to consult with staff and conduct regular safety audits.
During the activity, the student is required to satisfactorily demonstrate required skills though completion of the observable task/s.
Assessment Details			Assessment Criteria					MR	FER
1. This will be used to provide exact details of the assessment. .			This is used to provide the specific areas that the students need to cover
If it is questions, use this section to write your questions			If the assessment is questions, you can just put here: Write your answer here (200 words) Include references
If it is a report, include the topics that need to be covered.
Example Q1 What is the AQF? What is its purpose?			Answer to be around 200 words
			Include any references or links
Example 2. Explain the requirements for consultation based on the WHS legislation?			Include relevant Legislation Details
			Include relevant Regulation Details
			Include specific Code of practice information
Assessor note: Please ensure all above criteria have been met to a satisfactory standard. Where not, additional evidence must be obtained and recorded to meet assessment criteria.  All additional evidence must be clearly documented.
Assessor Name
Assessor Signature						Date
Assessment Task Result (Please tick appropriate Assessment Result)						MR ☐                FER ☐

N.B. The Assessment Guide is handed out to students - it needs to be written in plain English so that students can very clearly understand what they need to do to successfully complete the assessment task. You do not want to give them the answers - just topics or areas that they need to concentrate on. Getting the balance between providing instructions and giving away too much information can be challenging. Use the guides that have been provided by your teachers for other units if you need to get ideas or inspiration!

Lesson 6 - Instructional Design principles

What is Instructional Design?

"instructional design is the systematic process by which instructional materials are designed, developed, and delivered."

From: https://www.instructionaldesigncentral.com/whatisinstructionaldesign

Instructional design models

There are lots of different models that relate to instructional design. The main ones are:

• ADDE
• Bloom
• Gagne
• Merrill
• Assure

https://www.mindtools.com/blog/corporate/intro_instructional_design/

https://educationaltechnology.net/instructional-design-models-and-theories/

https://www.shiftelearning.com/blog/top-instructional-design-models-explained

https://www.dashe.com/blog/instructional-design-models-comparing-addie-bloom-gagne-merrill

Class Activity 1

Explain the different Instructional Design Models

Are there any similarities between them?

Are there any instances where one model would be more useful than the others?

Do you think any of these will be useful in helping you design your courses? How?

Finding and evaluating Learning Resources

What learner resources are you going to need for your training program? Learning resources can include:

• a prescribed text book
• a specific website
• Notes written by trainer
• online course/course materials eg. Cisco
• online courses from Lynda.com (LinkedIn learning) or similar
• YouTube videos
• Articles from a variety websites

Class Activity 2

Find an example of some (5) of the above learner resource types that could be used during the delivery of the following units:

• ICTICT209
• BSBHRM509
• CHCDIV003

How do you evaluate whether the resource is suitable for the unit/topic? What criteria would you use?

Tools and apps for trainers

There are lots of free or freemium apps and tools that trainers can use to deliver content, check learner comprehension, and/or explain concepts.

https://www.toptools4learning.com/home/

https://teamings.com/blog/8-free-on-line-tools-trainers-can-use-to-make-amazing-visual-aids/

https://elearningindustry.com/digital-education-tools-teachers-students

https://www.teachthought.com/technology/43-great-free-tools-for-teachers-from-edshelf/

Class Activity 3

Review the lists of tools above and evaluate one that you think would be useful in the delivery of your unit. How might you use the tool? How would it add value to your course? Are there any others that you use or know of?

There is no class next week as we have a student free day and I will be attending PD sessions. 

Lesson 5 - Assessments and Assessment Guidelines and Conditions

The Principles of Assessment

Clause 1.8 from the RTO standards states:

The RTO implements an assessment system that ensures that assessment (including recognition of prior learning):

a) complies with the assessment requirements of the relevant training package or VET accredited course
b) is conducted in accordance with the Principles of Assessment contained in Table 1.8-1 and the Rules of Evidence contained in Table 1.8-2.

The 4 principles of assessment are:

• Fairness 
• Flexibility
• Validity
• Reliability

Fairness

The individual learner’s needs are considered in the assessment process.

Where appropriate, reasonable adjustments are applied by the RTO to take into account the individual learner’s needs.

The RTO informs the learner about the assessment process, and provides the learner with the opportunity to challenge the result of the assessment and be reassessed if necessary.

Flexibility

Assessment is flexible to the individual learner by:

• reflecting the learner’s needs
• assessing competencies held by the learner no matter how or where they have been acquired
• drawing from a range of assessment methods and using those that are appropriate to the context, the unit of competency and associated assessment requirements, and the individual.

Validity

Any assessment decision of the RTO is justified, based on the evidence of performance of the individual learner.

Validity requires:

• assessment against the unit/s of competency and the associated assessment requirements covers the broad range of skills and knowledge that are essential to competent performance
• assessment of knowledge and skills is integrated with their practical application
• assessment to be based on evidence that demonstrates that a learner could demonstrate these skills and knowledge in other similar situations
• judgement of competence is based on evidence of learner performance that is aligned to the unit/s of competency and associated assessment requirements.

Reliability

Evidence presented for assessment is consistently interpreted and assessment results are comparable irrespective of the assessor conducting the assessment.

The Rules of Evidence are:

• Validity
• Sufficiency
• Authenticity
• Currency

Validity

The assessor is assured that the learner has the skills, knowledge and attributes as described in the module or unit of competency and associated assessment requirements.

Sufficiency

The assessor is assured that the quality, quantity and relevance of the assessment evidence enables a judgement to be made of a learner’s competency.

Authenticity

The assessor is assured that the evidence presented for assessment is the learner’s own work.

Currency

The assessor is assured that the assessment evidence demonstrates current competency. This requires the assessment evidence to be from the present or the very recent past.

Assessment requirements

Each unit of competency contains assessment requirements grouped into three areas:

• performance evidence
• knowledge evidence
• assessment conditions.

Performance evidence and knowledge evidence describe what a student must demonstrate in order to be considered competent.

Assessment conditions describe the conditions under which a student must demonstrate this, including any specific requirements for resources, trainers and assessors and the context for assessment.

The above information has been taken from: 
https://www.asqa.gov.au/standards/chapter-4/clauses-1.8-1.12

Creating Assessments

Read the unit details a few times and decide how you can break the performance criteria, performance evidence and knowledge evidence into smaller tasks. Determine which of these are theory and those that are more practical oriented and do a rough draft of the assessments required.

Example - ICTICT209 Interact with ICT Clients

https://training.gov.au/Training/Details/ICTICT209

Performance Evidence

Evidence of the ability to:

• provide routine information and communications technology (ICT) client support in a professional manner
• refer client concerns to support person if required, according to escalation procedures
• resolve client complaints
• document and record client concerns and solutions according to organisational guidelines.

Note: If a specific volume or frequency is not stated, then evidence must be provided at least once.

Knowledge Evidence

To complete the unit requirements safely and effectively, the individual must:

• list current industry accepted hardware and software products, and describe their general features and capabilities
• describe the ICT client business domain and business critical functions
• discuss the organisational systems and working environment
• outline organisational policies for external and internal client contact.

Assessment Conditions

Gather evidence to demonstrate consistent performance in conditions that are safe and replicate the workplace. Noise levels, production flow, interruptions and time variances must be typical of those experienced in the general ICT industry, and include access to:

• a personal computer
• relevant organisational guidelines
• relevant documentation
• a site where routine ICT client support may be demonstrated.

Designing Assessments

In the above example, start by looking at some of the key words. Under performance evidence you have provide routine information; refer client concerns; resolve client complaints; document and record client concerns. How can these actions be assessed? Is it appropriate to have students write a report? Is written questioning appropriate? What about a role play?

Class Activity 1

Read the following guideline on developing assessments
https://www.asqa.gov.au/sites/g/files/net3521/f/Guide_to_developing_assessment_tools.pdf

On page 5 is a table of types of assessment methods

In small groups, determine what method of assessments might be applicable to the unit ICTICT209. How many assessments would be needed to cover all of the performance criteria, performance evidence and knowledge evidence. Generally, the performance evidence and performance criteria  will roughly match up.

Mapping

Mapping is where you match each of the performance criteria, performance evidence, knowledge evidence, and Foundation Skills against your assessments. Once you have done your first round of mapping, look for any gaps, adjust your assessments accordingly, and try the mapping again. Keep doing this until you can determine that you are assessing EVERY aspect of the unit.

Class Activity 2

Using the assessments from activity 1, map the performance criteria, performance evidence, knowledge evidence, and Foundation Skills against your assessments. Were there any gaps? What adjustments need to be made to fill those gaps?

Class Activity 3

Using the same unit from Activity 1 in our last class 3 weeks ago, design assessments that will meet the requirements of the unit.

I'm sure you will all agree that it is not as easy as it looks. It can be difficult to create an environment and assessments that reflect industry practices in a classroom or workshop, but as much as possible, assessments need to reflect the type of work that may be done in industry.

Your Portfolio

You should now start to design Assessments for the units you have chosen for your portfolio. Start by creating a draft and continue to refine it until everything is covered. In the Vet environment, you should ALWAYS define the assessments first.