assessment, accountability and our profession · 2007. 11. 17. · po box 2283, canberra act 2601...

Speaking in September at the AdultLearning Australia national seminar Alearning society, Phil Candy, Academic

Vice-Chancellor University of Ballarat, talked ofour ‘compartmentalised mentality—responsibili-ties are all over the place... We have a problemwith the language of power’ and an ‘inappropri-ate preoccupation with quantification, thoughwe do need to be accountable.’ (p 13)

In the ACAL View ‘Literacy and lifelong learn-ing: social justice for all?’ distributed withLiteracy Link this month, Rosie Wickert writes(p 7) it has been ACAL strategy to support thedevelopment of accountability mechanisms, butthat the existence of such instruments ‘hasenabled the extension of tendering which, manyargue, has divided, demoralised and casualisedthe field at the same time as putting up greaterbarriers to participation... And, as many havepassionately argued, these tools are manipulat-ed for purposes other than educational ones.’’

Geraldine Castleton in ‘Adult literacy a decadeafter the White Paper’ (p 3) writes about a lackof analysis regarding the accountability mea-sures our profession has to deal with: ‘We lackpublicly available information on the success orotherwise of accountability mechanisms alreadyin place. There has been little public debateover what might constitute ‘success’ in adultl iteracy pro-grams, beyonda simplistic,narrow focus onemployment-relatedoutcomes.’

In our lastissue RosemaryWood pointedout (p. 2) thatour professionhas had toadopt a ‘sub-missive posture’ because providers have to compete against their col-leagues for work’ and that literacy providers are‘frequently overwhelmed by the complexity ofassessment tasks needed to demonstrate NRSindicators of competence to the standardrequired by Verification Australia’ (a privatecompany appointed by DETYA to maintain amoderated assessment standard).

ACAL’s strategy has been to support the devel-opment of accountability mechanisms as longas they are theoretically sustainable, furtherdebate is needed now to tease out ways tomake them sustainable in practical terms.

Readers are invited to contribute their respons-es to the question of accountability mechanismsto Soapbox, and to debate current and futurestrategies ACAL might adopt in dealing withpolicy on this important issue.

literacy link

October 2001

NEWSLETTER OF THE AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL FOR ADULT LITERACY ISSN 0158-3026 Vol 21 No 5

Assessment, accountabi l i ty andour profession

A C A L

c o n t e n t s :ACAL national forum—literacy and

learning at work . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Adult literacy a decade

after the White Paper . . . . . . . . . .3

Adult & Community Education

supporting small business with

WELL training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

ANTA adult literacy national project

2001 innovative projects . . . . . . .6

National Reporting System

assessment exemplars . . . . . . . . .8

A learning society

the ALA national seminar . . . . . .12

I didn’t know I knew so much

RPL and aged care workers . . . .14

ACAL in collaboration with QCAL presents the

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

1—3 November 2001Park Royal,

Surfers Paradise, Queensland

s o a p b o x

2 Literacy Link October 2001

Literacy Link (ISSN 0158-3026) isthe newsletter of the AustralianCouncil for Adult Literacy, a volun-tary organisation set up in 1976 tosupport the development of adult lit-eracy, numeracy and basiceducation in Australia.

ACAL promotes co-operation amonginterested organisations andindividuals, both government andnon-government, by undertaking andencouraging appropriate study,research and action.

Literacy Link is distributed free toACAL members. Articles are available on-line on the ACALHomepage: http://www.acal.edu.auThe email address is:[email protected]

Contributions to Literacy Linkshould be sent to email: [email protected]

Editorial Committee:Jim Thompson (editor), Pat Hazell,Cinthia del Grosso, Liz Cooper, Tess

Were, Claire GardnerProduction by David Dickson

Correspondence for ACAL includingmembership should be addressed to:PO Box 2283, Canberra ACT 2601Ph: 03 9326 8369 Fx: 03 9326 8670Email: [email protected]

DisclaimerMaterial inserted with Literacy Linkshould not be viewed as being inany way endorsed by the AustralianCouncil for Adult Literacy.

ACAL National ForumLiteracy and learning at work:achievements and challenges

The workplace has long been recognised as an invaluable site of informal learning but in

recent times it has been increasingly acknowledged as an appropriate setting for more

formal forms of learning.

In Australia, the introduction of the Workplace English Language and Literacy (WELL)

Program has contributed significantly to the recognition of workplaces as important con-

texts for effective learning. Workplace literacy delivery has been further expanded by

increasing acknowledgment in Australian Industry of the need for good communication

skills in the workplace and of the importance of including communication skills in indus-

try training.

This ACAL Forum will focus on recognising the achievements of the WELL program and

other workplace-based learning programs as well as on identifying the challenges that

face policy makers, industry, practitioners and researchers in the years to come.

The forum will feature panel sessions by Australian and international speakers working

in the workplace literacy field as well as workshop and discussion sessions led by repre-

sentatives from industry and practitioners. The panel members will assist in focusing on

current issues and debates in workplace literacy and learning while the workshops and

discussions will enable participants to pursue their own interest in this area.

The closing session of the forum will explore topics addressed during the day as well as

identify issues to be taken up by ACAL for future action. Programs and registrations will

be soon be available.

Date: 1 November, 2001

Time: 8.45 a.m. - 4.00 p.m.

Venue: Parkroyal Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast Queensland

Cost: $82.50 (inc GST)$66.00 (inc GST) if included in ACAL conference

registration

Literacy Link October 2001 3

This article was originally written as AdultLearning Commentary Number 20, 18 July2001. It is one of Adult Learning Australia’sweekly adult learning commentaries which arearchived as a forum at http://www.ala.asn.au/commentaries/forum2001

This year is the 10th anniversary of therelease of Australia’s Language andLiteracy Policy (ALLP) by the Labor gov-

ernment in 1991. This was a landmarkdocument for a number of reasons, but signifi-cantly for adult literacy, it placed adult Englishlanguage and literacy concerns on the nationaleducation agenda while linking the languageand literacy competence of adult Australians tonational economic imperatives shaped by tech-nological advances and globalisation. It is anappropriate time to take stock, asking questionssuch as ‘what has been achieved?’ and ‘whatremains to be done?’

Undoubtedly, there have been significantachievements over the last ten years, but thereis still much to be done. At the time of theALLP’s release Australia was thought to be atthe vanguard of adult literacy policy and provi-sion internationally. Now, ten years down thetrack, we are falling behind efforts in othercountries. Some even say that adult literacy inAustralia is as badly served as it was beforeALLP, with a dying commitment from federaland state governments resulting in poorly coor-dinated action, fragmented, under-resourcedprovision and lack of appropriate accountabilitymeasures.

We have two federally funded and managedprograms: the Workplace English Language andLiteracy Program (WELL) and the Literacy andNumeracy Training (LANT) Program, part of thegovernment’s mutual obligation arrangements.States receive annual funding through theirtraining plans. We know little about the relation-ship between these programs and whathappens within the states where money is allo-cated to public providers through recurrentfunding agreements, or through direct grantsand competitive tendering arrangements. Weknow that good provision is happening across avariety of sites for many client groups throughappropriately resourced programs, but we alsoknow that good provision is happening in somesettings not because of funding and systemicsupport, but rather in its notable absence.

Among the many unknowns is any global sense

of what is and isn’t working, and for whom. Welack publicly available information on thesuccess or otherwise of programs, funding andaccountability mechanisms already in place.There has been little public debate over whatmight constitute ‘success’ in adult literacy pro-grams, beyond a simplistic, narrow focus onemployment-related outcomes. Related to this,there has not been enough critical debatearound the relationship between pedagogy, cur-riculum and assessment. There is still limitedrecognition in current education and social poli-cies of the relationship between literacy andhealth, social welfare, justice and labour marketparticipation. There has been no significantconsideration of the consequences of the‘digital divide’ and the push for online deliveryfor adults with literacy needs nor has it beenmade clear where adult literacy learners’ needsare accommodated within official discourses oflifelong learning.

OECD (2000) findings indicate that membercountries have somewhere between one-quarter to one-half of their adult populationsfailing to reach the threshold level of literacycompetence considered as minimum for copingwith the demands of everyday life. These issuesbecome too critical to ignore, particularly bycountries that profess, or aspire, to be a ‘knowl-edge’ nation or society.

So what should be done at this particular pointin time? Federal and state governments mustrecommit to addressing the human rights ofadults with limited literacy skills and to provid-ing education that meets their needs. In the firstinstance this requires a mapping and rigorousevaluation of existing provision. Where and howis appropriate provision taking place? Moreimportantly, what significant gaps in provisionexist within the community? On the basis of thisevaluation and following wide consultation, thefederal government needs to develop a compre-hensive, suitably resourced strategy that takesa whole-of-government approach to addressingsocial exclusion more broadly, through recog-nising the interrelatedness of l iteracy toindividual and group social and economic well-being. Included in this strategy must betransparent evaluation and accountability mech-anisms for all stakeholders to ensure thatprogress towards achieving goals can be moni-tored and reviewed.

Geraldine Castleton is President of theAustralian Council for Adult Literacy

Adult literacy a decade after theWhite Paper

by Geraldine Castleton

The article was first published in theManufacturing Learning Victoria newsletter inJuly.

Manufacturing Learning Victoria (MLV)has been working with small businessesaround Victoria over the past twelve

months for the specific purposes of:(i) encouraging small businesses to accessfunding for language and literacy training tosupport the development of skills and (ii) to identify training providers who can deliverthis training to small markets.

It has been a considerable challenge to identifytraining providers that are able to deliver at asustainable cost to small businesses when thenumbers to be trained are small, particularly inrural areas.

ACE to the rescue! Local community providersare found to be the key to assisting small busi-nesses in non metropolitan locations. Oneexample of a positive and effective response tothe challenge is the partnership developedbetween the Bacchus Marsh Adult CommunityEducation Centre (BMAEC) and DarleyRefractories in Bacchus Marsh.

Darley Refractories employ six operators whoproduce fire bricks, tiles and refractory con-crete. MLV arranged for the assessment ofworkers against the competencies of therecently endorsed Manufactured MineralProducts Training Package in late 2000.Through this process it became evident that theoperators would benefit greatly from trainingthat focused on improving communicationbetween workers and between workers andmanagement, developing plant documentationand increasing the level of teamwork.

The company was successful in achievingWorkplace English Language and Literacy(WELL) funding from DETYA and the search foran appropriate provider began. In a semi-rurallocation like Bacchus Marsh, it became evidentthat an industry training provider would need totravel from Melbourne or Ballarat to delivertraining. This would add a high delivery cost to

what was already a tight budget. In the search,we passed BMAEC on numerous occasions,until it dawned us that we had the most appro-priate training provider right under our nosewithin five minutes drive from the worksite. Indiscussing the program with Coral Arnold,Manager at BMAEC, it became increasinglyobvious of that ACE providers have a wealth ofexperience and skill to contribute to industrytraining.

The partnership between BMAEC and DarleyRefractories was developed and Barry Sproullwas appointed to deliver the training. It was notthat easy at first and we have learnt a lot aboutworking with industry over the course of theproject.

Firstly, for BMAEC to deliver accredited trainingto industry they were required to increase theirscope of registration to include theManufactured Mineral Products TrainingPackage. (This process will be simplified withthe introduction of the Australian QualityTraining Framework, which will enable the reg-istration of single units of competency.)

Secondly, Barry expected the guys would becoming into the BMAEC for training, but theDarley management required the training tooccur at the worksite. This was a challenge ina company where the training facilities arelimited.

The initial training plan was developed to focuson skill development through a number of activ-ities such as writing instructions for simple workprocedures, writing descriptions of pho-tographed procedures and basic wordprocessing activities. The final eight weeks ofthe plan was to be devoted to team writing ofstandard operating procedures. When Barrypresented the training plan to the guys, itbecame obvious that they were uncomfortablewith the ‘back to school’ approach of theprogram. Barry picked up on the attitudes andworked with the guys to develop a program thatwas comfortable for the group. The guys put itto Barry ‘Tell us what you want us to achievemate, and we will tell you how we can work withyou to achieve it, but don’t send us back toschool!’

The program was restructured and the teamdecided to proceed directly to the developmentof operating procedures and introducing thelearning of required skills as the needs arose.


Adult and Community Education (ACE)supporting small business WELL training

by John Molenaar

Tell us what you want us to achievemate, and we will tell you how we canwork with you to achieve it, but don tsend us back to school!

This meant that the operators were involved indescribing, discussing, editing and testing 20standard operating procedures. OH&S andcomputing sessions were included whererequired. A good outcome was achievedbecause the guys felt that they owned theprogram and therefore were committed toachieving the negotiated outcomes.

‘Lifelong Learning’ became a part the processwhen the guys agreed to undertake computertraining and the guys became aware of thescope of training offered by BMAEC. Access tothe computers stimulated an interest in furthercomputer training for the purposes of keepingup with ‘our kids’ (or at least understandingwhat they are doing on computers!). A sign on‘safe lifting techniques’ also sparked an interestin training that would develop these skills.

The project has now progressed to a secondsuccessful application for WELL projectfunding. This will focus on the language and lit-eracy skil ls needed to develop relevantworkplace signage to facilitate efficient move-ment of loads and awareness of sound OH&Spractices.

We are aware that this is but one example ofACE working closely with industry. It is impor-tant that we promote these examples to changethe image that industry sectors have of ACEtraining as only offering hobby or recreationalcourses.

John MolenaarManufacturing Learning Victoria


ANTA adult literacy national project—summary of 2001 innovative projects

• Redesigning social features: supportingwomen from domestic violence situationswith literacy needs

This project aims to develop a collaborativeprocess between community health agencies,community groups and adult literacy providersto address the literacy needs of women whohave experienced violence at home.

Adelaide Central Community Health Service:SA

Contact: Jane Gunn (08) 8440 2417

• Step Into Voluntary WorkThis project will develop the English literacyskills of Khmer, Somali and Afghan women withthe express purpose of encouraging and sup-porting their active involvement in thecommunity, through participation in voluntarywork. The project will also extend and developtheir knowledge and experience of theAustralian voluntary sector and will provide theopportunity to pursue further training pathways.

Australian Multicultural Foundation: VICContact: Judith Miralles (03) 9387 8106

• Family Literacy Programs for Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander Families in Logan

This project aims to empower Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander families living in theLogan, Beaudesert and North Gold CoastRegion through raising literacy and numeracylevels within the family and community context.The project also involves documenting theprocess and establishing a model for communi-ty based family l iteracy training for otherAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.

Combined Housing Organisation: QLDContact: Dr Karen Thurecht (07) 3808 9957

• Real Life LiteracyThis project will establish networks, pathwaysand empowerment processes for local caravanpark residents to access and participate in thedevelopment of their own literacy skills. Thiswill be done through peer mentoring, functionalliteracy workshops, story circles and an every-day literacy library. Models of practice will bedeveloped and piloted which could then beadopted by other caravan parks or high densityhousing.

Kruger State School: QLDContact: Penny Creamer (07) 3814 1822

• From the Known to the UnknownThis project aims to use an integrated, visualhealth document ‘Health Icons’ which presents


health knowledge using the ‘known’ visualprocess of sand painting forms. The project willpresent this information to a group ofIndigenous people in the ‘known’ local indige-nous language of the community. Adults canthen proceed to learning written and spokenEnglish covering the same material. Sectionsof the ‘Certificate 3 Aboriginal Primary HealthCare Work Course’ will be piloted using thesame techniques.

Ngaanyatjarra Health Service (AboriginalCorporation): NT

Contact: Douglas Josif (08) 8950 1730

• Financial Numeracy for Members of NonprofitBoards

This project will develop and trial innovativestrategies and resources for enhancing thefinancial numeracy skills of people who are vol-unteer members of boards of management fornonprofit community organisations.

Nonprofit Governance and ManagementCentre: NSW

Contact: Maureen Cleary (02) 9879 6674

• A resource and teaching module for thedevelopment of literacy for adults with intel-lectual disabilities

This project will develop a resource and trainingmodule for the development of literacy foryoung adults with intellectual disabilities. It willemploy a more comprehensive view of literacyand an expanded notion of engagement withtexts, including multi-media texts.

Fred and Eleanor Schonell Special EducationResearch Centre, The University of

Queensland: QLDContact: Dr Christa van Kraayenoord (07)

3365 6472

• Learning-In-CirclesThis project focuses on young people betweenthe ages of fourteen and twenty-five who haveincomplete and negative experiences of learn-ing. It aims to develop skills in reading, writingand oral communication in a participative learn-ing environment that encourages socialinteraction and direct engagement in the learn-ing process. The main objective will be topromote the growth of self-esteem, feelings ofempowerment and community linkages throughparticipation in a Learning Circle.

SkillsPlus Peninsula Inc: VICContact: Kristine Helisma (03) 9781 3388

• Networking and Support for Australian YouthLiteracy Providers

This project will further develop the InnovativeCGEA Youth Curriculum Project - 2000 andaims to establish a referral base for other YouthLiteracy providers. The project will have twostages involving the creation of a YouthLiteracy Providers Web Page and the conduct

of Youth Literacy workshops.Swinburne University of Technology - TAFE:

VICContact: Cate Thompson (03) 9214 5577

• Peer Tutor Literacy Training VideoThis project will produce a professionally madevideo to support modules and learning guidesused in the implementation of State andNational adult literacy tutor training courses.The Learning Guides have been rewritten withan indigenous community focus and the video isneeded to supplement the written materials inthe peer tutor training courses so that studentswho are geographically remote can observebest practice in literacy tutoring strategies.

Tropical North Queensland Institute of TAFE:Contact: Darcel Moyle (07) 4042 2480

• Teaching to Learn: exploring alternativeteaching strategies for oral/aural learners

This project aims to:i) explore and document innovative learningand teaching strategies that complement thelearning styles of learners from a predominant-ly oral/aural society;ii) identify teaching strategies, activities andtext types that are conceptually difficult forthese learners; andiii) provide information for VET staff to raiseawareness of the problems these studentsexperience with traditional print based teachingmaterials.

West Coast College of TAFE - Adult MigrantEducation Service: WA

Contact: Nita Johnson (08) 9229 3651

• Jump on the cyber bandwagon! Young andyoung at heart strengthen the virtual bridgeof language, numeracy and computer literacyof migrants in cyber age Australia

This project will build a model of a self-sustain-ing three-way relationship between adultnon-English speaking migrants and Englishspeaking background residents, senior volun-teers and computer savvy youth. This will bedone through: • enhancing the language, numeracy and com-puter literacy of adult migrants, as well as theirjob prospects;• enhancing and refreshing the computer litera-cy of senior volunteers and assisting them incommunicating better with the younger comput-er savvy generation; and• preparing the young people for a possiblefuture contribution in the use of online technol-ogy in adult l iteracy and providing anopportunity for them to interact with adultmigrants and senior residents.

West Coast College of TAFE - QRDConsulting: WA

Contact: Lindsay Nicholson (08) 9233 1194


by Chris Lake, Rosemary Wood, Chris Campbell and Paul Mulroney

' 2000 University of South AustraliaFor more information about the project and reporting exemplars described here please contact ALNARC (SA). Email:[email protected]

The work described in this report was assisted by a grant from the Spencer Foundation (USA). Acknowledgment of this support would beappreciated in any further development of the projects. The data presented, the statements made, and the views expressed are solely theresponsibility of the authors.

INTRODUCTIONFrom July to December 2000 a group of South Australian literacy practitioners worked together to devise aset of numeracy assessment materials, to be used in pre-training assessments for DETYA-funded LANTprograms. These materials were designed to demonstrate NRS indicators of competence for numeracy fromlevels 1 to 4.

What follows in this package is the product of many hours of voluntary work by ourselves and others. The

materials have been looked at by colleagues from Verification Australia and Communication in Education.

They have also been informally trialled by literacy assessors working in LANT programs. We have already

revised the materials in response to some of the feedback we have received, but this package is a work in

progress , and will change as we use it.

We do not have any particular authority for the NRS indicators ascribed to the tasks, except our best

efforts to get it right. Nor do we think the tasks are ideal. We can already see how they could be improved.

Nevertheless, we hope the package will be useful to you.

Please read the advice to assessors that follows this introduction, and also read the Educator Information

at the top of the answer sheets. The advice is crucial.

We acknowledge the support of the Spencer Foundation for providing a small grant to help with the desk-

topping, publishing and distribution of the materials, and thank you to Sue Shore (University of South

Australia) for advice about this grant and other support. We also acknowledge that through the monthly

LANT meetings, begun by Kevin Crathern and continued by Fran Edwards from DETYA SA, the LANT

providers formed links which assisted in carrying out this co-operative venture. Thank you to Status

Employment Services for some clerical assistance.

ADVICE TO ASSESSORSThe way you deliver the assessment, how you explain tasks and, in particular, the degree of assistance

given, are crucial to the validity of the levels ascribed. Therefore it is absolutely essential that comments

are added to each assessment. Write plenty of notes on the applicant s work (after the assessment),or on a

cover sheet. These notes should indicate:

¥ how much help the applicant needed

¥ any comments or discussions about processes, especially if working out has not been shown

¥ any questions they may have asked

¥ discussions about method and reasonableness of answers to help in assessing the third strand (see pp

6, 7 of NRS for discussion of strands )

Comments could include things like independent , needed help with the English , very slow , worked out

in head & then explained in the following way ... and so on. It is not intended that an applicant will neces-

sarily start at the beginning and work through every task. You will be able to work out a likely starting

point from prior discussion.

The applicant should not be simply left to tackle the assessment alone. For one thing, in that situation, the

applicant s literacy could interfere with the numeracy assessment. Furthermore, for strands 3 and 4 (see pp

6, 7 of the NRS) oral discussion is required.

We wish you all the best in your LANT assessments and hope that the materials we have produced will be

of some use.

National Reporting SystemAssessment Exemplars


Worksheet3

NAME:.........................................

DATE:..........................

PLEASEDOYOURÒworkingoutÓIN

THESPACESPROVID

EDORONTHEBACKOFTHESHEETIF

YOU

NEEDMOREROOM

UsetheÒDONÕT

MISSABARGAIN

Ópageandanswerthefollowingquestion.

1)

FindtheadvertisementfortheCOMPLETECORNINGWARESET.

a)Howmuchdoesitcost?

Answer__________________________________

b)Howmuchdoesitcostwith$35.00off?

Answer__________________________________

c)Howmuchdoesitcostwith25%

off?

Answer__________________________________

d)Whichwouldbethebetterbuy,25%

offor$35.00off?

Answer__________________________________

2)

Write35%

asafractionandasadecim

al.

Answer__________________________________

UsetheSaucyStirFryNoodlesrecipeandanswerthefollowingquestion.

3)

Howmuchofthefollowingthreeingredientswouldyouneedtofeed10people:

a)SoyFillets

Answer__________________________________

b)BabyBokChoy

Answ

er_________________________________

c)

HoisinSauce

Answ

er_________________________________

4)

Akitchenbenchtopmeasuring2200mmby750mmneedstobereplaced.

a)

Convertthemeasurements(above)tometres.

Answ

er__________________________________

b)Work

outtheareaofthebenchtop.

Answ

er__________________________________

5)

Ifyouhavealreadycompletedthegra

phin

worksh

eet2,leavethis

questionout.

Drawagraphintheareaprovidedtoillustratethefollowingdelivery

ofshopping

catalogues:Monday200,Tuesday175,Wednesday325,Thursday400,andFriday

50.

National Reporting System Assessment Exemplars


Worksheet4

NAME:..........................................

DATE:...........................

PLEASEDOYOURÒworkingoutÓIN

THESPACESPROVIDEDORONTHEBACKOFTHESHEETIF

YOU

NEEDMOREROOM

1)

Mariaisafitnessinstructorwithafitnesscentre.Sheispaidaretainerof$350.00

plus15%

ofallweeklysalesover$250.00.Howmuchdoessheearnifhersalesfor

theweektotal$700.00?

Answer_________________________________

2)

Anexercisebicycleisboughtfor$180andsoldfor$210.

Findthesimplestratioof:

a)

Purchasepricetosellingprice.

Answer_________________________________

b)Profittopurchaseprice.

Answer_________________________________

3)

Acircularrunningtrackhasadiameterof100m.

a)

Howlongisonelapofthetrackiftherunnerrunsontheouteredgeofthetrack?

Answer_________________________________

b)Thetrackis10m

wideandneedsresurfacing.Whatisitsarea?

Answer_________________________________

4)

Ahumanheartisbeating70timesperminuteandpumpsabout70mlofbloodwith

eachbeat.Howmanylitresofbloodarepumpedeachhour?

Answer_________________________________

5)

Inajettyfishingcompetitionthefish

ofonecontestantweighed11/ 4kg,3.4kgand

25/ 6kg.Calculate

thetotalweightofthefish.

Answ

er_________________________________

6)

Inafish

throwingcompetition,pointswere

determ

inedbymultiplyingtheweightof

thefish

inkilogramsbythedistancetheywere

thrownin

metres.How

manypoints

did

eachcontestantscore

ifBriantossedthe25/ 8kgfish

adistanceof71/ 3metresand

Renetossedthe21/ 4kgfish

adistanceof71/ 4metres?

Whowonthecompetition?

Answ

er_________________________________


EDUCATORINFORMATIO

N&ANSWERS

Worksheet3

Itisim

portanttoaddyourcommentsto

theapplicantÕswork,asthese

are

essentialto

supportyourdecisionsforallocatingNRSindicators.

Theindicatorsinbracketscanbeachievedandiftheassessorconfirm

sandnotesthatthe

applicantÒreflectsonandchecksreasonableness

andappropriateness

ofthepurpose,process

andoutcomesofamathematicalactivityÓ.

Theindicatorslistedare

achievedifthetask

iscompletedsuccessfully.

Indicator3.11:Ifmosttasksatthislevelare

successfullycompleted,theapplicanthas

demonstratedÒarangeofmathematicalstrategiesto

solveproblemsin

anumberofcontexts,

whichare

familiarandmaybeinterrelatedÓ.

1)a)FindtheadvertisementfortheCOMPLETECORNINGWARESET.

Howmuchdoesitcost?

Answer

$179

1.10

b)Howmuchdoesitcostwith$35.00off?

Answer

$144

3.13(3.12)

179

-35

144

c)Howmuchdoesitcostwith25%

off

Answer

$134.25

2.9

2.102.12(2.11)

179

or_of$179

x.25

25%

is$44.75

179.00

-44.75

134.25

d)Whichwould

bethebetterbuy,25%

offor$35.00off?

Answer

25%

off

3.10

2)Write35%

asafractionandas

adecim

al.

Answ

er

35/ 1

00or

7/ 2

0and0.35

3.10

3.13

(3.12)

3)UsingtherecipeforSaucy

StirFry

Noodleswork

outhowmuch

ofthefollowingthree

ingredientsyouwouldneedtofeed

10people?

a)SoyFillets

312.5g

(125gdoubled=250g+halfof125g=62.5g)

b)

BabyBokChoy

1,000g

c)HoisinSauce.

5/ 8cup

3.10(3.12)3.13

4)Akitchen

bench

topmeasuring2200mmby750mmneedstobereplaced.

a)Convertthesemeasurements(above)tometres.

Answ

er

2.2m

x0.75m

2.9

2.10

(2.11)2.12

b)Work

outthearea

ofthebench

top.

Answ

er

1.65m

23.10

(3.12)3.13

5)Drawagraphinthearea

provided

toillustratethefollowingdeliveryofshopping

catalogues:Monday

200,Tuesday

175,Wednesday

325,Thursday

400,andFriday

50.

IFYOUHAVEALREADYCOMPLETEDTHEGRAPHIN

WORKSHEET2,LEAVETHIS

QUESTIONOUT.

0

100

200

300

400

500

Mon

Tues

Wed

Thurs

Frid 3.10(3.12)3.13

National Reporting System Assessment Exemplars


EDUCATORINFORMATIO

N&ANSWERS

Worksheet4

Itisim

portanttoaddyourcommentsto

theapplicantÕswork,asthese

are

essentialto

supportyourdecisionsforallocatingNRSindicators.

Theindicatorsinbracketscanbeachievedwhentheassessorconfirm

sandnotesthatthe

applicantÒexaminesandquestionstheappropriateness,possibleinterpretationsand

implicationsofaspectsofamathematicalactivity.Ó

Theindicatorslistedare

achievedifthetask

issuccessfullycompleted.

Indicator4.11:Ifmosttasksatthislevelare

successfullycompleted,thisdemonstratesÒa

rangeofmathematicalstrategiesto

solveproblemsin

anumberofcontexts,whichare

familiarandmaybeinterrelatedÓ

1)Mariaisafitness

instructorwithafitness

centre.Sheispaid

aretainerof$350.00plus

15%

ofallweekly

salesover$250.00.Howmuchdoessheearn

ifhersalesfortheweek

total$700.00?

Answer

$417.50

3.11(3.12)3.13

2)Anexercisebicycleisboughtfor$180andsold

for$210.

Findthesimplestratioof

a)Purchase

priceto

sellingprice.

Answer

6:7

(4.12)4.13

b)Profitto

purchase

price.

Answer

1:6

(4.12)4.13

3)Acircularrunningtrackhasadiameterof100m.

a)Whatisthelength

ofonelapofthetrackiftherunnerrunsontheouteredgeofthe

track? Answer

314m

C=pD

4.10(4.12)4.13

b)Thetrackis10m

wideandneedsresurfacing.Whatisitsarea?

Answ

er

1,491.5m

24.10

(4.12)4.13

Outsidearea

=7,850m

2minusinsidearea

=6,358.5m

2equals1,491.5m

2

Area=pr2

4)Ahuman

heartisbeating70times

per

minuteandpumpsabout70mlofblood

witheach

beat.Howmanylitres

ofbloodarepumped

each

hour?

Answ

er

294litresperhour

(4.12)4.13

5)In

ajettyfishingcompetitionthefish

ofonecontestantweighed

11/4kg,3.4kgand

25/6kg.Calculatethetotalweightofthefish.

Answ

er

729/ 6

0kg

(449/ 60)

(4.12)4.13

1_+34/ 10+25/ 6=75+204+170=449

60

60

6)In

afish

throwingcompetition,pointsweredetermined

bymultiplyingtheweightofthe

fish

inkilogramsbythedistance

they

werethrownin

metres.Howmanypointsdid

each

contestantscore

ifBrian

tossed

the25/8kgfish

adistance

of71/3metresandRenetossed

the21/4kgfish

adistance

of71/4metres?

Whowonthecompetition?

Answ

er

Brian18.375points

(4.12)4.13

Brian

25/ 8x71/ 3=

21/ 8x

21/ 3=

441/ 24=18.375points

Rene

2_x7_=

9/ 4x

29/ 4Ð

216/ 16=16.312points


The title for the recent Adult LearningAustralia (ALA) seminar was A learningsociety: What will it be like? How can we

make it happen? Tony Brown, ExecutiveDirector of Adult Learning Australia welcomeddelegates by suggesting that a key ingredient toa learning society is missing—the lack of a boldvision for the near future. He posed the ques-tion ‘Do we need to seek new opportunitiesrather than continue to spend on things the waythey are?’ The theme of doing things in newways was a recurrent one through the day.

Who will make lifelong learning happen?Three speakers addressed the first session.First was Jenny Morawska-Ahearn, GeneralManager, People and Performance, Westpac.Jenny shared her view that lifelong learning isabout linking a community for good learningoutcomes. She noted that organisations, includ-ing banks, are communities. But they need toshift from valuing content to valuing input. SoWestpac has shifted its focus. One example isa change of language, eg from ‘lender’ to ‘bor-rower’. She pointed out that an initiator ofchange is the enemy of those who profit by theold ways, but only has lukewarm support fromthose who will benefit by the change.

She identified levels of reorganisation andchange. We have been through stages - react,restructure, redesign, reframe with the currentstage being regenerate. She questionedwhether the changes were sustainable. Jennyconcluded by offering some advice, quotingGhandi ‘be the change you wish to see’ andNike ‘Just do it!’—don’t take too long planning.

Next speaker was Robert Fitzgerald,Community Services Commissioner, NSW. Hebegan by pointing out Australia’s ability to talk‘inclusion’ and act ‘exclusion’, as exemplified inthe ongoing Tampa crisis. He noted that in life-long learning those who’d benefit most arethose who are excluded, and stressed that life-long learning shouldn’t reinforce existingpatterns of access and privilege.

Robert sees schools as the most sustainablepart of our community, as other communityorganisations have diminished. They offer anentry point for lifelong learning. Other commu-nity organisations can also become bodiesinvolved in the learning experience, using theirexisting structures. He pointed out that from aneconomic view, we are not providing the learn-ing we need, for example Australia has a highnumber of people with post graduate qualifica-tions employed in jobs that require no

qualifications at all. Lifelong learning is neededat critical points of change, and it needs tomatch the economic requirements of society aswell community and personal needs.

The final speaker of the first session was ElaineHenry, Chief Executive of The Smith Family.She outlined the Smith Family’s Learning forLife program with a vision of a more caring andcohesive community. The Smith Family hasshifted the basis of support from crisis assis-tance to one of prevention and earlyintervention. This program has now expanded,linking with other learning organisations. Itcommences with early childhood, which reallymeans working with parents and bringing theminto lifelong learning. Elaine discussed themerging of formal and informal learningsystems. She says that we need an educationsystem that is joined up, shifting from ‘educa-tion’ being a separate sector.

What will a learning society look like? What will ittake for lifelong learning to become normal: a facili-tated discussionThis session was hosted by Geraldine Doogue,of ABC TV and Radio National fame, whooffered some provocative challenges:

• There is a problem with definition. Without adefinition lifelong learning is obtuse, and howcan government engage with this?

• The language she was hearing didn’t res-onate with the world of power, which is aworry. We need to go to governments withsolutions, not with problems. We need toknow what we want. (She cautioned againstusing schools as the hub, because schoolscan also be seen as part of the problem).

• We who are thriving need to be as interestedin the solutions as the recipients—the insti-gators need to be involved.

Some of the discussion points that followed:

• A framework of thinking would be useful forgovernments

• We have to have measurements, but whose?It matters which measurements we choose.

• In Australia if something goes across a rangeof portfolios nothing happens because nosingle career rests on it.

• You can’t sell social justice in Australia

A learning society: What will it be like?Adult Learners Week national seminar

by Pat Hazell


today, but you have to value it.

• Falling participation in learning by young menis a measurable issue that points to a way in.

• Schools give an entry point to learning foradults.

• Australia is currently anti-intellectual.

• We need a specific proposal such as aMinister for Adult Skills.

Lifelong learning in the UK: A progress reportBill Lucas is Chief Executive, UK Campaign forLearning. He outlined the lifelong learning inia-tives that have taken place in UK since theLabor Government came to power, following theissuing of a green paper ‘The Learning Age’ in1997. He spoke about the formation of aLearning Skills Council which developed amyriad of ideas, some of which have led to thesuccess that is being experienced.

He says that if we present the government withissues, they can go with vote winning ideas andsee them funded. We need to involve key stakeholders and have big policy and big people.

Lucas put particular emphasis on the impor-tance of learning to learn. He says we put littleof what we know about the mind into learning -and introduced the term ‘learnacy’, going handin hand with literacy and numeracy. He provid-ed a concept for learning (fully developed in hisbook Power Up Your Mind). He has identifiedfive keys to the operating systems of the brain:the brain loves to explore and make sense,loves to makes connections, thrives on pat-terns, loves to imitate and does not perform wellunder too much stress.

He divides learning into three agendas: school,workplace and family. In schools the aim is toachieve a love of learning and confidence inbeing able to learn. But for many, school is partof the problem. In workplaces, there needs tobe a culture of learning. Families are an unde-veloped area of lifelong learning, and it needsnot just promotion, but policy too.

Organisational change and learning: a view from theUSA.Wesley McClendon Jr, Manager, Deloitte andTouche Consulting Group, Change LeadershipPractice, told how a recent report on USschools system has shown great failure. Heexplained the US funding system for education,via property tax, so that wealthy areas havewealthy schools, and vice versa. This meansthat if schools are not wealthy they have to be

very creative. Partnerships with business arethe only way US can get around solutions foreducation. But it’s hard to get partners if educa-tors are unsure what their part of the deal is.

Wesley said that we need to be able to clearlyarticulate values—how has this changed me,the company, the community? We have to solveproblems locally—there is no one best fit.

Bringing it all back home: Future learning policy inAustraliaKaye Schofield, Chair, NSW Board of Adult andCommunity Education; Executive Director, UTSResearch Centre for Vocational Education andTraining, said the real game is not policy orplans—the real game is strategy. She suggeststhat we have no shortage of policies, but no onefunds them. We need to find the commonground between the economic/sociologic andpolitical accounts of lifelong learning.

What did we learn?Phil Candy, Academic Vice-Chancellor,University of Ballarat, drew together the follow-ing common threads from the day:

• Anti-intellectualism is entrenched.

• Possibility—we want to achieve a culturewhere learning is normal.

• Platforms—We need to hitch lifelong learningto existing imperatives, smuggle it into every-day situations and partnerships.

• Problems—we have a compartmentalisedmentality,—responsibilities are all over theplace. We have a problem with the languageof power. We have an inappropriate preoccu-pation with quantification, though we do needto be accountable.

• Plans—make a start, work with stakeholdersthat exist, connect with other groups. Bebold, have a vision. Identify champions (thepolicy entrepreneurs). Keep the number ofpriorities limited. Have a good look at learn-ing credits. We need something exciting oruplifting to do with learning that will galvanisesociety.

Bill Lucas (UK) said we put little ofwhat we know about the mind intolearning - and introduced the termlearnacy , going hand in hand with literacy and numeracy.


While employed as a Workplace EnglishLiteracy and Language ProjectManager for West Coast College of

TAFE I was asked to recognise the prior learn-ing of staff employed in an aged care hostel inPerth, Western Australia, in November 2000.The assessments took place soon after theworkplace had been accredited by the AgedCare Accreditation Board. In Australia, manychanges have been occurring in this industryover the past few years. More changes areanticipated and the assessments were seen asnecessary to equip staff for future changes.

R P L Assessment of Aged CareW orkersIt was clear from interviews conducted withassessees that their knowledge was notthe result of knowledge provided by education-al institutions. It was largely the result ofinformal learning. Mostly, assessees hadworked in the industry for periods of timevarying from four to fifteen years. They hadacquired their skills and knowledge on the jobor through attending training sessions aimed atspecific areas such as working with residentswith dementia. Learners, however, did experi-ence problems ‘proving’ their competence.

Some of the issues for learners included:1. obtaining information and support from train-

ing providers they approached about RPL. 2. finding the time to gather sufficient evidence3. wondering if their competencies reached the

standard required to meet the learningoutcomes

4. finding evidence of prior learning whichspecifically related to the learning outcomes

5. understanding the language of somemodules/units

6. knowing their prior learning was solid butbased on experience, not theory, and notknowing if this was sufficient to meet thelearning outcomes/elements.

7. thinking they may have missed the chance tolearn from others in a group.

I decided to conduct an initial orientationsession, designed to inform potential applicantsof the process and provide them with the oppor-tunity to ask questions before they decidedwhether or not to proceed with the RPL assess-ments. The questions asked by potentialapplicants indicated that the third and fifthareas identified above by Crothers (1996) weremajor areas of concern.

A portfolio development workshop was conduct-ed with a focus on the creation of a CurriculumVitae that clearly described the work history,current skills and competencies of candidates.This process encouraged candidates to evalu-ate their own skills and knowledge. Checklistswere presented so that candidates coulddevelop their own profiles. This provided candi-dates with the opportunity to compare their ownprofile with the performance criteria outlined inthe core and elective units comprising theCertificate. The candidates were able to formpeer-support groups that then met informally tohelp one another in the development of theirportfolios. I visited the work-site before assess-ments were scheduled to commence and staffwere advised that I would be available toanswer questions that they might have regard-ing the assessments. Many of the candidateswho talked with me prior to the interviewsdemonstrated fears of being assessed andwere worried that they might not meet therequirements of the assessments.

Issues in the RPL processFirstly, I often found that assessees could notsee the relationship between the text languageused in the competency standards in theTraining Package and the workplace competen-cies that they had displayed over the years.

Secondly, the way the elements and perfor-mance criteria in the Training Package arewritten meant that it was often difficult to under-stand exactly what was meant and required ofthe assessees. The assessees were discour-aged by the intimidating language embedded inthe competency standards. The text languagewas very different to the language used in theworkplace.

Thirdly, the coordinators and I spent a lot oftime trying to understand exactly what wasrequired of the assessee and how the compe-tency could be demonstrated.

To overcome some of these problems, a check-list of evidence was compiled by myself andcoordinators whose usual work duties involvedsupervising the staff who were candidates. Thecoordinators were familiar with the types ofworkplace documentation that would be suit-able as evidence, so we discussed theelements of competency in detail to jointly con-struct the types of evidence that wouldsatisfactorily meet the performance criteria.

I Didn’t Know I Knew So Much: Recognising Prior Learning of Aged CareWorkers

by Christine Duckham


The four criteria used to select the evidencewere based on the principles of validity, suffi-ciency, currency and authenticity. Dailyhand-over files, hazard report forms, and docu-mentation required in the applicants’ dailyduties such as residents’ progress notes wereidentified as being suitable pieces of evidencefor the portfolios.

All candidates were asked the same questionsfor each core unit and each elective unitchosen. Because the certificate comprises 13units, log-books were purchased to record theresults of assessment interviews. This enabledme to record judgements and decisions, andcreate an ongoing assessment plan that assist-ed candidates to collect or generate thenecessary additional evidence for completion ofthe assessment. It was decided beforehand notto give credit for part units.

Coordinators agreed that staff could bereleased during work hours to participate ininterviews so that the burden of time con-straints was not an obstacle. The interviewswere conducted on site. This offered someadvantages as candidates had access to work-place records that could be used as evidence.

Another advantage was that staff did not haveto travel to another venue. In addition, thework-site was familiar to all candidates and pro-vided a venue where candidates felt relativelyat ease and comfortable. It also meant that ifstaff were needed for an emergency, they couldbe available. However, one significant disad-vantage was that it was difficult to find a venuewhere staff would not be interrupted during theinterviews.

The total time needed for individual assess-ments varied due to a number of factors. One ofthe most significant factors was how well organ-ised the candidate presenting for assessmentwas. The range and quality of the evidence pre-sented by candidates varied considerably. Thismeant that more time was spent with candi-dates whose evidence was insufficient orlacked the quality necessary to meet perfor-mance criteria.

Candidates also differed in their ability torespond succinctly to questions. Some candi-dates required more prompting to reply toquestions. Some candidates needed questionsparaphrased more often than others. In addi-tion, some candidates were more likely to offerlengthy explanations in response to questionswhereas others employed a more direct verbalcommunication style. During the assessments,many candidates offered anecdotes relating tospecific incidents they recalled when discussingactions taken in the workplace. For example,

anecdotes related to a hazard encountered or aresponse to a resident with dementia. Onaverage, each interview took a minimum of twohours and each candidate presented aminimum of three times.

Most candidates who participated in theassessments reported increased confidence inthemselves and the process after the first inter-view session. Most reported that they had helda preconception that the assessment was likelyto be more ‘difficult’ than it proved to be. Manycandidates were surprised by their own abilityto respond to questions appropriately. One can-didate commented: ‘I didn’t realise I knew somuch’. The experience of being able to answerquestions seemed to have a positive effect onthe morale of participants. Coordinators report-ed that assessees were demonstrating greaterlevels of self-esteem and belief in their ownability to perform the job satisfactorily after theassessments were carried out.

Candidates who had been interviewed reportedto other candidates that they had not beenasked ‘difficult’ questions. Candidates encour-aged other candidates with comments like: ‘Youonly have to talk about what you do everyday’,and ‘You know it all, you just need to answerthe questions, and if you don’t understand aquestion, just get her to ask you the questionagain using different words’.

One of the factors that contributed to candi-dates’ success in answering questions was theamount of recent training staff had participatedin prior to the accreditation process.Candidates had been exposed to current ‘bestpractice’ in many aspects of their day to dayduties

During the assessments, candidates oftenreflected on their experiences and it appearedthat they were able to make generalisationsabout these experiences. Thus, learningoccurred during the assessment procedure. All14 staff proved competent in all 13 of the unitsassessed. Five of the 14 staff who achievedCertificate III in Aged Care as a result of theRPL assessments that were carried out in 2000have enrolled in Certificate IV of Aged Care.

In conclusion, the problems experienced imple-menting the process are issues that must beconsidered when an assessor undertakes RPL.The time involved in the process is one of thefactors that will determine if an RPL assess-ment is feasible. In addition, adequate supportmechanisms must be provided for assessees.

Christine DuckhamWELL Lecturer

West Coast Training Solutions


AUSTRALIAN COUNCILFOR ADULT LITERACY

President: Geraldine CastletonGriffith UniversityCentre of Literacy and LanguageEducation ResearchNathan QLD 4111Ph: 07 3875 [email protected]

Vice Pres: Judy HarwoodAust Student Traineeship Found’nlevel 9, 76-80 Clarence StSydney NSW 2000Ph: 02 9299 [email protected]

Immediate Past Pres: Rosa McKenna65 James St, Northcote VIC 3070Ph: 03 9326 8369Ph: (a.h) 03 9481 [email protected]

Secretary: Erica Daymond18 Waraker Way, Leeming WA 6149Ph: 08 9458 9644 [email protected]

Treas: Suzanne Bozorth BainesPO Box 137, Belmont VIC 3216Ph: 03 5229 0663 [email protected]

VIC Rep: Philippa McLeanCAE, 256 Flinders StreetMelbourne VIC 3000Ph: 03 9652 0719 Fx: 03 9650 [email protected]

NSW Rep: Pat HazellPetersham TAFE27 Crystal St, Petersham 2049Ph: (02) 9335 [email protected]

ACT Rep: Christine O'Callaghan16 Brunswick St, Kaleen ACT 2617Ph: 02 6207 4054christine.o'[email protected]

TAS Rep: Liz CooperAdult Literacy TAFEGPO Box 1477 Hobart TAS 7001Ph: 03 6233 6676 [email protected]

NT Rep: Rae FlanaganNTU, Casuarina NT 0810

Ph: 08 8946 [email protected]

QLD Rep: Jean SearleSchool of Vocational, Technology &Arts Education, Griffith UniversityNathan QLD 4111Ph: 07 3875 5712 [email protected]

WA Rep: Jim ThompsonChallenger TAFE15 Grosvenor Street Beaconsfield WA 6160Ph: 08 9239 8271 [email protected]

SA Rep: Tess WereLiteracy and Numeracy ProfessionalDevelopment ProgrammesPO Box 1872 Adelaide SA 5001Ph: 08 8207 [email protected]

ACAL Executive Support: Alex TsakmakisPO Box 2283, Canberra ACT 2601Ph: 03 9326 8369 Fx: 03 9326 8670Mob: 0411 283 [email protected]

ACAL Co-opted Member:Cinthia del GrossoLevel 1, 351 William StreetWest Melbourne VIC 3003Ph: 03 9320 [email protected]

• • •

State affiliated councilsACTCALPO Box 778 Jamison ACT [email protected]

NSWALNCc/o Leslie [email protected]

NTCALPh 08 89 [email protected]

QCALPO Box 301 Red Hill Qld 4059Ph: 07 3369 8422www.slq.qld.gov.au/cwpp/qcal/

SACALPO Box 610, Magill SA [email protected]/sacal/

TCALGPO Box 1477 Hobart Tas. 7001

VALBECPO Box 861, Springvale Sth VIC 3172Ph: 03 9546 [email protected]/~valbec

WAALC19 Brittain St Como WA [email protected]

l i teracy contact l ists

Back issues of Literacy Link and ACALView, and ACAL-commissioned literacy

research papers can all be obtainedfrom the ACAL web site —

www.acal.edu.au

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assessment, accountability and our profession · 2007. 11. 17. · po box 2283, canberra act 2601...

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