Promoting high quality interactions with learners

27th November 2009

Effective Questioning

- find out where the learner is
- check level of understanding and prior knowledge
- 'who is at what point?'
- challenge thinking

- encourage laughter
- encourage opinions
- encourage self assessment

- to review progress
- to plan for progress
- 'where to from here'
- to 'add more'
- to move forward
- to work out what needs to be done

- to provide feedback and motivation
- to develop relationships
- to encourage thinking
- to 'bridge' gaps
- to overcome fear; develop confidence

Why do we ask questions?
(in general: pattern 0f importance to this group - it was noted this will vary according to situation and context in which they are working; emphasis will be different; mixed range of ability, knowledge and experience)
eg:
- find out what learners want to know
- identify , diagnose difficulties or blocks to learning
- structure tasks to maximise learning
- stimulate interest
- to focus on an issue or topic
- promote thinking
- stimulate to ask questions
- manage and organise learning behaviour
- give opportunity to assess and learn through discussion

* focus on AQTF standards - depth and breadth of knowledge; rather than TP's!

Strategies

Do you really expect an answer or are you using questions as a prompt?

Think about use of questioning - frame questions where you want people to 'open up'
key messages: prepare, plan, work out what you want to achieve, sequence, open questions (talk and explore ideas)

Be confident to 'wait and put back to group' - don't always jump in b4 response...allow time for 'talking'; use and share wisdom of the group. Using group and giving space to stimulate responses from group.

have a framework of questions in 'our head'
*Dave Rumsey's framework for VET questioning
'stems' eg What would you do if...? What would you do instead...?

Link to dimensions of competency!
enabling us to gather evidence in different situations (transfer skills)

13th November Integrating Assessment for learning

6 key strategies for changing practice – unexpected outcomes

Student/Learners

Better depth of knowledge
Faster inclusion into the guild – respect earned
Ownership of learning
Possibly different from what they know now
‘Rebellion’
Feedback
Feed forward
Flexibility
Capacity
Self confident
Motivation
Confidence
Pathways
Engagement
Empowered
Ripple effect on life

Industry

Partnerships
Changes to association with industry
Job ready employees
Closer to what industry need

Govt

Develop workforce capacity
Licensing regulation and accreditation
Better outcomes for students
Meeting AQF
Embedding quality practices in audits
Auditing practices to change


Change Agent 'Me'

Keep up to date with who change agents are
Networks
How do CA support growth

Influence others
Change practice
Increase professional judgement
Change in organisation

RTO/staff

Resources
Facilities
staffing
Admin
Quality/comp
Changing ‘landscape’

Business plan
Changing direction

Performance development
Upskilling
Job satisfaction
Morale
Culture of organisation
Career aspirations

Possibly hard ax organisation
Efficiency/higher turnover

Sharing Learning Intentions

6 most effective strategies

recognition of what they know - knowledge, skills and behaviour/attitude
modelling demonstration
analysing work examples - examples of 'good and bad' practice (eg vice!) and explain why
engaging students in whole process - learning journey
real, authentic experiences and circumstances
expected outcomes in a language the learner understands

Capability Building - Assessment: E Learning

Blended learning, e-learning, managing learning, e-assessment: how can it assist your learning? How can you use it to draw on collective knowledge and learning?

Think about


· Ways you might use technology to support learning and assessment

- How will you connect with each other to keep relationship going?

· Think critically about what u are or will be using

· Learners are consumers and producers of digital media, ICT, internet

DVD: New Skills, new literacy’s…
- judgement
- reliable information
- how to enter into different spaces
- what are the norms
- ‘play’
- Experiement
- Problem solving
- Visualisation
- Multi tasking

Supporting clients assessment for learning
- ESL
- Resources
- Tools
- Log books
- Learning materials
- Mentors
- Work placements
- Activities
- Guest speakers
- Active involvement
- Moderation
- Case studies
- Reflection
- Interviews
- Access to human/material resources
- Environment

Using technology to support these approaches

- E diaries; scheduling meetings
- Wiki; e learning mentors; course content; record what u r doing in program; post messages; resources; case studies
- MP3; video; capturing information
- Learning Management System: moodle, janison; support for students, information, pwr points; recording and managing (on line staffroom)
- Vod or Pod Casting: knowledge management
- Smart pens: to note and recall; recording (sign release forms); meetings, RPL
- Flip Camera; mobile phones; Flicker – upload photos, send for assessment
- Video ‘point of view glasses’ – narrating; live streaming; workplace recording; trades/worksite
- Webcam/Skype/MSN – conversations, ‘f2f’ from distance/region

Strategies to collaborate/network with others

- blogging: share progress; comments
- RSS feeders – for blogs/subscribe for reading; eg training packages; on line spaces
- Social bookmarking: areas of interest; new ideas – tagging, bank of resources, sharing; feed into different locations (delicious.com)
- Twitter: microblogging; asking questions, gathering information, seeking and sharing information; on line messaging (http://suewaters.wikispaces.com)
- Skype: text, access beyond times set up; conference calling; communication
*make choice for work/life balance

Project Team connecting with you to support your learning:

- Skype
- Centra – web based
- On line forum

E learning support – Australian Flexible Learning Framework

E learning innovations funding
Getting started with e learning
Workshops
Regular updates and newsletters

Support you require

- list of names and contact details
- feedback on the right track (forum review)
- Let others know (marketing)…INSIDE DFEEST
- 1:1 conversations
- Mentoring: On line; community of practice, forums, phone, email
- Links to networks
- Assistance with E learning
- Assistance with ‘admin’ resources

At the end of orientation I am thinking, I am feeling:

- trying to frame a question; scheduled a meeting to deliver information
- feeling excited about the weekend
- composing ‘sales’ email/pitch; expression of interest for participation
- more open to e learning
- strategies to market proposal
- have to be organised
- good that I’ll be able to use methodologies
- ‘get your hands dirty’
- Time to get manager and ‘people’ together to structure time for staff so that everybody gets to hear…
- Challenged
- Commit to learning one new piece of technology
- Reasonably supported
- A lot of information overload
- Meet with manager; staff meeting
- Levels of targeting; breadth of project
- Confident but overloaded with ideas
- A lot of ideas; pull together for cohesive plan
- Bit nervous; excited about opportunity
- Organising, time; immediate feedback
- ‘energised’
- Reasonably clear; time to get on with it!
- All things to do next week to get ball rolling
- Brain ‘dead’
- Need safe clear space to ‘filter’
- ‘humbled’ to be in a room with such ‘fantastic’ people
- Idea down on paper; seek support b4 I move on
- Learn a lot about myself
- Get started; get going!
- Experienced group with so much in common
- Not all smooth sailing; but will learn from experiences

Capability Building Assessment Program Day 2

*notes to support planning from conversations and activities

Day 2
23rd October, 2009

Information, insights, ideas, issues from Day 1

• Inspiring day
• Context of work and how information can be applied
• Principles of formative assessment
• What does it mean to be competent?
• Visualising competency and how to share picture
• Assessment – accomplishment
• Sharing
• Quality
• Feedback is important “feed forward”
• Range of approaches to assessment for learning
• Learners understanding criteria
• Asking the right questions
• Looking forward to increasing repertoire of techniques
• Need to incorporate feedback into all learning programs and ‘more’
• How do you get buy in from assessors
• Working towards best practise
• Formative collection is organic
• Time!
• Engaging next ‘generation’ of educators
• Having ‘indicators’ to measure progress
  
  Implications of the Somme for research in VET
  Seeking feedback is key to understand client and encourage learning
  Assessment should be developed by active educators to ensure flexibility and feedback
  Keep system flexible to allow for variables
  Provide structure as well as allowing people to be flexible
  Open minded, reflective, listening, flexible, effective communicators, talk to the ‘troops, team player, your judgment
  Go in with a plan, willing to adapt depending on feedback and evidence, reflect on outcomes
  Not going in with a ‘locked’ view; willing to accept others ideas; unanticipated outcomes; different outcomes, improvement on outcomes
  Better educational practice
  
  
  Improving Performance ‘drawing activity’
  
  Messages:
  - Importance of feedback
  - Knowing background of person
  - being on ‘same page’
  - framing questions
  - face 2 face: ‘getting into mind of others’
  - listening, clearly describing (phone, on line)
  - communicating effectively
  - ‘rating’ quality of work – providing feedback,
  - Identifying strengths; positive; constructive
  
  
  Action Learning
  
  Cooperative venture – working with others
  What can you do to help others? (eg time and space)
  Realise limitations (self and others)
  Focus on improvement
  Better learning outcomes
  (Eg introducing new strategies, changing resources)
  Action = ‘just do it’; learn from it, share what you find
  Research = problem to be addressed; pose some solutions, test them out, share
  Focus on where the action is: the world of work or training environments
  Focus on practical everyday problems in the organisation – not too concerned about ‘theory’
  
  Approaches
  
  Focus around practice (individual, team, work unit, others / organisation)
  Which level/scale are you interested in working at?
  Where are you comfortable pitching your project?
  Focus around ‘you’; your students – not necessarily systemic (spin off)
  
  Plan
  
  Focus around something easy to communicate
  Based around learning outcomes (eg retention, diversity); enhancing learning experience
  What form of information is useful to ‘me’? What are you interested in?
  ‘collection’ of stories – make decisions about type of information
  What can we do now? What can be achieved? Timeframes (eg events, festivities)
  Who will be working you? What will they do? How will they help? What will their involvement be?
  Develop a framework within which to work – use planning tools (flexibly)
  
  *examples of projects (include website)
  
  Act!
  
  People inside organisation need to know what u r doing
  Keep others and self informed
  
  Observing
  
  Be as open as you can to see what’s occurring around your program
  How are people feeling about it?
  
  Reflection
  
  Professional Judgment
  Focus on the positives – messages to sell
  ‘Don’t keep sending the troops to the front’
  Support from Managers and Supervisors
  Teams managing the project
  What support do you need?
  Email to Rob
  On line forums
  Plan for ‘future’
  Maybe some unresolved issues – identify them; continue to explore
  
  Research questions
  
  ‘Researchable’ (time, money, capability and capacity)
  Is problem ethical? (privacy, safety, legislative, language, behaviour, needs, emotions, morals)
  Interest (to researcher and collectively)
  Clear problem or issue
  Jargon free
  Relevant to group involved
  Collaborative
  Manageable in terms of time frames and resources
  What you already know about the situation
  
  *Strategies for encouraging and sharing ideas, interest, passion, drive
  *establishing new/novel(?) findings – or revisiting, reframing, rediscovering, exploring
  
  Background work
  
  Perception and reality
  Gut feelings
  Assessment practices/barriers
  What choices do people have/want?
  Conversations
  feedback
  
  Initial Planning
  
  People
  Time
  Resources
  WIFM
  Benefits
  Structuring
  Preliminary questions/planning
  
  More Tips
  
  Refine
  Keep managers engaged
  Listen to others
  Keep reasonable scope – within resource range
  Keep track of small victories
  Framework for action
  ‘be a bit tough on yourself’ (time, planning, action)
  Look at literature, talk to others, consult with others
  Initial impressions
  Use ‘jottings’ – keep a record
  ‘play’; reward, recognise and acknowledge others
  Build bridges; don’t be too fixated
  Take risks
  What doesn’t quite work this time might ‘lay the foundation’ for next time
  
  What is:
  Interesting? exciting? challenging?
  
  
• starting!
• Synergies with other projects
• timing
  or job roles
• gaining support
• group activities
• finding 1 qu
• formulating plan

Capability Building – Assessment

Chifley Hotel
South Australia
22nd October, 2009

Rob Stowell: gave examples of Qld Program eg:
*John Tucker developed on line materials for RPL to make decisions

*Serina Russo – Commercial Cookery: An image of competency – clarifying learning intentions improving performance

Introduction: John Mitchell

Being involved is showing respect for profession – seeking clarification; new definitions; keep learning…

Advanced Practice

Research: Aust Chamber of Commerce and Industry: employer practice - research employment re Mature Age Apprenticeships

SWISI – ‘mini’ RFF

Major changes impacting on T&L in VET
- ‘endless’ change
- changes in TAA (TED)
- contestability and funding – instability
- intellectual; emotional challenges
- new TP’s
- tertiary system
- in road of Private Providers
- clients better informed; demand driven
- element of competition
- higher qualifications – university pathways
- articulation arrangements
- industry driven
- collaboration in market place: working together
- attitudes and assumptions
- generational ‘me’ factor
- technology; ICT; blended delivery
- clientele adults; school
- economic factors
- employer expectations
- relationship btwn DFEEST; RTOs
- govt expectations (govt); staff members
- content of training packages
- environment around accountability; funding (influencing method of delivery and assessment)
- to have more qualifications; higher level skills
- contextualised training (detailed level)
- solving ‘problems’- innovative
- tension btwn commodity and quality
- politics of sector

What’s not changing?
- RPL – employer views
- Industry driven
- Quality occurs btwn interaction and learner
- Passion of educator never dies continue to soldier on
- Always be variation between quality
- Change is constant
- Need for quality TAA
- To keep up with industry – vice versa
- Manager involvement
- Need for employer ‘buy in’
- Compliance
- Assessor PD
- Expectations of facilitators (should be changing)
- Continuous improvement
- Need for a ‘Frame work’
- Some TAFE training

Publications: Teachers who change lives’ (…Andrew Metcalfe and Anne Gain)
- expertise and values of the teacher; the art of teaching is not changing; heart of practice

‘Advanced VET Practitioner’ (John Mitchell) www.ibsa.org.au/jma

Eg characteristics
- Experience
- Idea how to respond to a new situation
- ‘drivers’; motivation; commitment
- Leadership; overtly influence
- Knowledge worker
- Changing mindset
- Mentor and support others
- Keep up to date industry, technology and VET
- Never stops learning
- Communication and people skills
- Ability to change and adapt to different contexts
- High level of delivery and assessment
- Strategies for meeting client needs
- Partner with industry
- Innovative models and approaches



What would you talk about to help someone understand being a VET practice?
- meeting client needs
- relationships with clients
- enabling others
- focus on others
- help develop people; workforce
- ‘how can we support you?’; understanding different needs
- Sharing knowledge and skills
- Outcomes for clients – ‘whole person’; needs
- Customer service
- Partnerships; collaborative approach
- Service and delivery
- Professional basis
- History, context, environment
- Values and philosophy; humility

After a.m. tea ** copy of ppnt from Rob

Managers (check MP3 player and ppnt for John session)

Rob Stowell – value for your organisation will be taking assessment agenda forward;

Role of Managers
Time and space
Input
Work effectively with participant
Support through application of project ‘critical friend’
Engage with participant
Involved in communicating project in organisation
Critical ‘eye’ on what participant does and provide feedback to DFEEST

Focus
What makes good assessment?
How do you get assessment ‘right’?
What have we learnt about quality assessment?
Introduce quality assessment principles

Aims
Build capability of assessors to work within organisation and systemically

Be exposed to new ideas and thinking with opportunity to try out; review; improve (applied learning)

Establish network of practitioners; spreading skills widely…

Quality Assessment ‘What does it mean?’

- To have clear and well understood benchmarks
- Underpinned by principles
- Decisions based on evidence (rules)
- Quality assurance
- Quality judgments
- Informed by research
- Integral part of learning and training process
- Link btwn assessment and learning (re engage relationship = better student learning; more relevant…)

‘Assessment for Learning’ UK Kings College…
Focuses on gap btwn where they are and where they need to be…to enable student to move to desired level of performance. Identify competency to be achieved; strategies to put into place

Publication: ‘Inside the Black Box; Raising Standards through Classroom Assessment (Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam, 1998)
- Formative assessment integral to learning and teaching (Davies and Eccleston)
- Outcomes of assessment are used in planning next stage of students learning and meeting needs to achieve
- Assessment evidence is used to plan, modify and meet the needs of learning; boost learning and improve performance
-
Type of assessment practices help students move fwd:
- Effective feedback
- Active involvement of learner – personal engagement
- Teaching to take in results of assessment (collecting info about performance)
- Good assessment practice recognises profound impact of assessment on students motivation (emotional experience)
- Self and peer assessment strategies

*Policy and practice driven by motivation, inclusion, engagement…instead of ‘improving performance’

Action Learning (knowledge base) for Participants
- Introduce participants to literature
- Equip with strategies to apply
- Building image of competent performance
- Developing learners capacity for self assessment; manage own development; peer assessment strategies
- Helping learners to develop guild knowledge (what constitutes good practice…)

Principles of Assessment for Learning
- building assessment strategies into planning
- how learners learn
- inform the design of learning; through scaffolding; naturalistic; work place ‘assessment’
- assessment is central to delivery –diagnose strengths and weaknesses…promoting learner achievement
- using assessment evidence to work out where the person is; gaps and moving forward
- high level quality interactions
- questioning skills
- assessment is a key professional skill
- assumes they understand what it means to be competent
- ‘picture of competent performance’
- Receiving constructive feedback (developmental)
- Reflective thinking
- Recognise full range of achievements of learners…some form of ‘recognition’

5 Strategies
- sharing learner expectations: clarify and share what criteria for successful performance is
- questioning: boost quality of teacher skills; range of strategies…to cause thinking…
- feedback: moving learners forward; stimulate thinking; guidance; opportunities planned as part of learning process
- self assessment: activating learners thinking to analyse their performance…recognise success
- +peer assessment: instructional resources for one another

*Using assessment to adapt and modify

Managers to:
Think about principles and key strategies; how can we apply it to our organisation and improve student performance

Assist participants with meeting demands; facilitate their involvement; create ‘space’; active particpation

Focus on a defined problem ie in a particular strategy eg students understanding of what competent performance looks like (bringing in examples of good quality work:
- identify problem
- strategies to use
- action
- impact on student performance

Expectations of Participants

- Commitment
- Attendance
- Centred around an organisation ‘issue’ (addressed to assessment for learning principles)
- ‘small project is a good project’
- ‘learn by doing’
- Plan, implement and review project
- Form a network

Key things to do:
- Provide time/quality time/availability/thinking time *find synergies in persons job role
- Support; practical and ‘listening’
- Personal support – respect; embedded in culture
- Keep them focused
- Keep project in line with organisation need
- Keep projected within ‘scoping’
- Communicate project to peers and ‘management’ ie ‘what’s in it for others’
- Define project and plan with ‘outcomes’; benefits

Problems
- Supervisors’ time
- Isolation
- Completing tasks ‘at hand’
- Not becoming derailed…
- Degree of flexibility
- Not having desired outcomes
- Finding backfill with expertise
- Own pressures and needs


Strategies to minimise problems
- Negotiate work loads; backfill (time commitment may be influenced by nature of task and organisation)
- Regular meetings/discussions/conversations
- Identifying needs
- Brainstorm possible solutions
- Plan early; communicate early
- Start introductions
- Report regularly – keep up to date
- Monthly report of what’s been achieved; what needs to be done; what is being achieved; what’s working and what’s not…


- Discuss profile of the organisation…business planning framework; present to business management; feedback to managers…

After lunch

Rob Stowell

Quality Assessment
If we build quality assessment; quality and compliance, AQTF outcomes will come…

VET sector needs good educational minds

What works; what do we know intuitively

Shift in power play – challenge for VET Practitioner to use practical skills using ‘assessment principles’

Shifting Responsibility to enable learners to make decisions in the workplace

Helping make connections for learner between ‘milestones’

Assessment principles Activity: encouraged conversation, compromise, collaboration; analysing; encourage thinking; interactive…

Activity: Areas for investigation
*in what context might these ideas be examined
*pick up central ideas and see what impact they have…
- peer assessment; questioning for reflection; ‘responsive’ feedback
- Child care: existing workers (RPL)
- TAA convenor; peer/self assessment
- Hairdressing: establishing a picture of competence
- Hourly paid instructors: philosophy and principles
- Auditing: using sphere of influence – recognise and define model of ‘good practice’; outcomes based auditing; questions to ask practitioners/RTOs
- Desire to get ideas into general practice - representing ‘good practice’
- E learning mentors
- Resource industry: giving clear understanding of what a competent worker looks like – impact on quality of student learning


*start to develop ideas of what project will be…
*explore principles of assessment…and impact; *remember scale of project; how to actively engage with managers
*think about your time and space

Next workshops:
- Learning Intentions and Success Factors
- Questioning
- Feedback
- Self and Peer Assessment
- Implications for learning for VET Practitioners
- Implementing assessment for learning

Be Brave; try out ideas; what can we do to improve; take an ‘intellectual’ risk