This year, the Australian vocational education and training research association (AVETRA) are running their research sharing symposium online. The schedule is availabe at the event site with all presentations being free to all, including non-members.
I present on Wednesday 13/10 with an overview of the current reforms on VET in Aotearoa NZ - flyer with more details here.
This blog records that Mahara has turned 15. There is information on who instigated the development of Mahara and its wide reach now in the world of eportfolio platforms.
The blog has a video with recordings of representatives from around the world, who use Mahara.
At the moment, we are reviewing Mahara. In 2022, we will be updating the version of Mahara available. We will then carry out a pilot to evaluate if Mahara is able to meet the needs of one of our degree programmes. The premise of Mahara is to allow people to collect, collate and showcase their learning. Some of our teachers and students have struggled with the 'openess' of Mahara in the past. So this time around, we will work on creating a template to help teachers and learners use Mahara in a more targeted way.
My thoughts are that many of our programmes do not need a full-blown eportfolio platform. Many programmes use portfolios as a form of assessment in a few courses. In many case, the portfolio is more of a report than an actual portfolio. The use of other tools are therefore more appropriate when collection of evidence is relatively small and showcasing of the work is text-based and in the form of an assigment. Collection and collation can therefore be completed using word-processing platforms. An eportfolio platform is more suitable when whole programme collection of learning evidence across courses is required. Collation of evidence of learners meeting graduate profiles may be another aspect matched to the use of eportfolio platforms. Therefore, it is important to establish the main objective of the portfolio and match the tool, rather than use an eportfolio platform for everything.
I blogged about the Video Journal of Education and Pedagogy in 2016, when its first issue was published. Since then, the journal has shifted from Springer to Brill as the publisher. The editor is E.J. White from the University of Canterbury.
The main focus of the video, is the application of video to the study of education and pedagogy. So far, in the 5 issues (only 1 issue of about 10 articles a year), the articles have been from the compulsory school and higher education sectors. So, a possibility to submit a vocational education context article. A few of the articles have video embedded, either from the research data or a short presentation of the article itself. I will continue to follow the journal as the inclusion of a video into a research article, is still relatively uncommon. I have not found another journal with similar approaches in the education field.
My Samsung Galaxy S5, inherited from my son, became unstable a few weeks ago. Considering that it is well past its use by date, it provided reliable service across 7 years. I have been using it for 3 -4 years.
There are now a wide range of mid-range phones to select
from. Going by a colleagues recommendation, I explored the Oppo range of phones
and purchased the Oppo A94 5G a couple of weeks ago. Its a mid-range phone with a competitive price, 1/3 price of the latest iphones or mid-range Samsung phones.
So far, I am happy with its performance as I am not a heavy phone
user. Porting everything across from the Samsung, using the recommended 'phone clone' app was straightforward. All apps came across and have been accessible. All apps and mobile browsing have been performing as required.
Two apps have provided some learning:
- The Adidas runtastic app was one of a list of 'fitness apps' recommended for Android phones. I have been using the free version (which is currently sufficient for my needs) to track my bike and tramping trips. So far, the app has been straight-forward to use. A comparison with the results from friends indicates some accuracy for distance travelled, although the 'ascend' in m for my weekend tramp up to Mount Grey was rather high. So will check this out again on my next tramp.
- inaturalist app worked well for about 5 entries before lack of coverage stymied further direct entry of botanical samples. The farm we were walking across is above Purau on Banks Peninsula and rural mobile coverage would have been challenging, especially in the two valleys we tranversed. I reverted to just taking photos and will upload these via PC later this week.
Battery life of the phone, set on battery safer and low screen light has been very good. Even with the runtastic app and inaturalist app both running, along with photo/video taking and googling, the phone used up only about 1/2 its battery life across the day. Will continue testing across the month and see what happens :)
I came across this blog while catching up on the work of Professor Paul Kirshner though this blog 'ask a researcher' . The blog Effortful Educator is a good resource as it collates many seminal resources informing teaching and learning. The main focus of the blog is to summarise learnings on cognitive psychology and connect them to the messy world of teaching and learning.
A good place to start is the blog on 'five essential article for teachers'. It has been extended by several additions /contributions from others, but the five essential articles are very useful as a start to better understanding the precepts of cognitive science as they apply to learning. One of the links brings you to 'the retrieval practice library' which provides good resources for understanding these concepts.
The Effortful Educator blog series on 'ask a researcher' is also a good way to understand how contemporary researchers approach their work and has summaries and recommendations from each researcher.
As always, the context is formal education with clear lines to follow through into higher education. However, careful reading of articles and resources archived in the blog will provide good material for application to the vocational education context as well.
The second day begins with welcome from Josh William, Evangeleen and
Ezekiel Raui of Skills
Consulting Group.
The first address is from Penny Simmonds, National PartyTertiary Education spokesperson and was the CE of Southern Institute of Technology
for 23 years. Shared her experience on the development and maturity of a
research culture at SIT. Acknowledged the challenges, especially the initial
beginnings to support and build research capability. There was important need
to enable research including better teaching hours abatement, leadership support,
networking collaborative research, the importance of sharing and peer support,
and provision of opportunities for dissemination and publication. Direction for
VET research could include building research into Bachelor and post-grad
curriculum, encouraging joint tutor/student research, and problem-solving for
industries and communities. VET research usefully deployed to help find solutions
to local problems, can be longitudinal and attract local funding. Research then
informs teaching, is discipline specific and can be used to improve teaching. Posits
that VET research is about providing solutions, improving practice, grounded in
real-life, and helps students, industries and communities.
The first keynote for the day is with Tania Winslade, DeputyCE for Learner Journeys and Experience at Te Pūkenga and Debbie and Kelly-Anne
from Wintec. She provides details on ‘Te rito:ensuring learners are at the
centre of our unified network’. Provided some background and guiding principles
(the charter) for the work now being undertaken by Te Pūkenga. Partnerships
with schools, wanangas, workforce development councils, iwi, community,
industry etc. crucial in ensuring Te Pūkenga meet stakeholder needs. Introduced
the Te Rito reports so far – learners and staff, Māori, Pacific and Disabled
which identified insights and opportunities for them. Debbie Preston and Kelly-Anne Panapa summarised the reports. All were con-constructed with participants and the
approach and process for gathering and analysing the data. All the data was
analysed as a whole. Then data sets formed for Māori/pacific and disabled
learners and re-analysed. Learner and staff personas were developed to inform
Te Pūkenga’s work going forward. Shared example personas and their bumpy journeys.
A good presentation. These findings inform the operating model (Te tauira whakahaere)
developed as organisational touchpoints. Consultation on this will start in
October. Affirmed that all of this research will be respected and these will be
actioned into Te Pūkenga’s emerging operations.
Breakout rooms commence. I attend the session with Dr. LisaMaurice-Takerei from Auckland University of Technology and Helen Anderson
(Unitec) on ‘the role of VET teachers in Aotearoa NZ’s economic future’. The overall
focus of the presentation is based on the opinion that good teaching underpins
quality VET. VET teachers are often invisible but doing complex work. There is
often insufficient support for industry practitioners to become teachers. There
are qualification pathways but often these are at too low a level. VET teaching
as a whole is not seen to be a career pathway into professional/research
aspects of VET. Current RoVE work has emphasis on industry and learners but the
VET teachers are again not visible. An opportunity is presented especially in
the new world in processes of standard settings, qualifications development,
moderation, development of programmes and decision making in qualification and
their delivery. VET teachers have high level of skills and knowledge in their discipline
but often have to learn how to teach ‘on the job’. Pedagogical content knowledge
and skill associated with teaching/training methods most suited to the discipline
is a weak point. Important to ensure there are good induction and professional
development processes to support teachers as they move into and continue as VET
teachers. Qualifications to degree level required. Industry currency also important.
More coordinated VET research will be useful. Vet teaching should be highly
valued, high level VET teaching qualification available, research agenda,
industry currency has precedence, allowing for a high quality VET provision.
I then present my take on ‘the knotty problem of learning
how to ‘feel the wood’ when access to the lathe is not possible: Supporting
distance/remote practice-based learning’. In this presentation, I review the
processes underpinning practice-based learning with a focus on the
sociomaterial aspects of practice. Sociomateriality is an intensely challenging
but crucial aspect of practice-based learning. It is also difficult to help
learners access the sociomaterial via digital technologies as so much is learnt
by doing. Experts also find it difficult to describe sociomateriality of their
work as it is embodied into their practice and has become tacit. The push-connect
the dots-pull model is extended to help bring in aspects of practice-based
learning to support the learning of the sociomaterial aspects of work.
A plenary session follows with Patrick McKibbin, Business and Employer liaison manager at the Ministry of Education with ‘the emergence of work integrated pathways'. His role brings him in contact and consultation with employers, schools and learners. Employer engagement is crucial. 66% of students had no exposure to employers, 45% no exposure to careers advisors. 57% heading to uni but only 6% to polytech and similar to apprenticeships. Summarised present programmes - gateway, trades academies, work experience whilst still at school, events to connect school communities and employers. As part o RoVE, 135 events run but covid has disrupted many more. Young people attending these feel more informed about their pathways beyond work. There is skills shortage in NZ and employers are desperate. There need to have schools and employers co-creating learning journeys for learners so that outcomes are more diverse. Provided example of Hastings Boys High School and Patton Engineering began to work together in 2018. HBHS is decile 2 with high numbers of Māori/Pacific students. Community funding support provided to upgrade workshops at the school to workplace standards and Pattons helped provide steel to the school. Outcomes have been good with 31 more employwers engaged and number of boys engaged in vocational learning increased. Massey High School and Kāinga Ora (building organisation) another example where 10 years ago, a Massey HS building academy was developed and now has 100 students participating. Again outcomes are good with attendance at 95% and 99% of students go into apprenticeship and employment. This model now being shared with other schools. Emerging networks include Fusion Network (software development) and Tamaki High School; Mainfreight & Hynds (transport); IBM Global Tech programme with two schools in South Auckland. Discussed how work integrated pathways are part of the new future for learners. MOE has resources to support the process of employer and school interrelationship. Shared work MOE is doing now and into the future to operationalise the intentions of the Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE).
The last keynote is with Wolfgang Steinle, Deputy Principle of Kerchensteinerschule in Stuttgard, Germany. He presents on ‘Co-ordination and co-operation: How vocational providers support work-based learning and apprenticeships in Germany'. Began with the background and details on the dual-system. Then description of the coordination and co-operation process between schools and business - especially in light of Covid. Stuttgard is in Baden-Wurttenberg state in Germany with 11 million population. Unemployment currently at 5.6% with 3.5% youth unemployment. There are 300 vocationsl schools in the dual system. Provided overview of the German education system, and where the vocational school and dual VET systems are situated. In the dual system, student are situated 30% at vocational school and 70% in workplace across 2 to 3 years. The governance system involves republic, federal state and rural/urban district jurisdiction. Detailed the processes for coordination and co-operation between the vocational school and employers. Vetting systems and regulations presented. Employers must have a qualified trainer. Final practical exams are conducted at the workplace. Responsibilities of each and their roles also presented. During Covid, online lessons from vocational school were carried out according to the normal timetable. Socially disadvantaged students required support for hardware. Tests were provided 2 times a week. Students on the dual system did better than the full-time students. Good overview of the dual system.
Josh and Evangeleen close with thanks for attending the forum, speaker, supporters, sponsors etc. The forum concludes with a poroporaki with Joe Te Rito.
This year the research forum is held online again.
The forum opens with Joe Te Rito and Alexia Tuhi from Ako
Aotearoa providing the welcome. Josh Williams than provides an overview of the
conference and a welcome to all the participants, from may countries and across
the educational sectors. and Garry Fissenden, CEO of Skills Consulting Group, follows
and reiterates the welcome to everyone. Helen Lomax, Director/Tumuaki of Ako
Aotearoa also provides a welcome to the forum.
The first keynote is with Brad Olsen, Principal Economistand Director of Infometrics who presents on ‘NZ economic recovery and the NZ
education system’. Provides an update on how the pandemic has altered the global
landscape. It is not going away and there is a need to keep up with what the
implications of the pandemic are into the future. His presentation focuses on ‘building
back better means taking a different approach’. Re visited the effects of the
first lockdown in NZ last year, a significant shock but also a quick recovery.
Employment is well up but still over 100,000 NZers looking for jobs. We have enough
people but not at the right time, right place and with the right skills. Health
jobs have increased significantly but retail, hospitality etc. have dropped.
Retraining may be one option but not all people need long training programmes.
Upskilling is important. Regions dependent on tourism (Otago) have been most
badly impacted. Tourism might never be the same again ☹
Highlighted the need to have a new way of working. As so
many of us continue to work from home, groceries, home recreation and DIY –
including increased spending in furniture etc. have increased. Internal tourism
sees regions nearest main centres to be busiest. Accommodation and F & B
have declined. Suburban centres outside of city centres also doing better with
greater number of people moving out of the city to the outer suburbs. Commuting
using public transport have also not revived.
Labour market is intensely tight. Instead of large numbers
of NZers out of work, there is a labour shortage. Due partially to no access to
skilled workers from overseas (from about 5000 a month to none – an unlikely to
be as open post-pandemic). Unemployment may drop below 4% but unemployment
still uneven across ethnicities. Māori and Pacific Peoples have double the
rate. Young people and women also more affected. The work of Te Pūkenga is important
and especially crucial to work with the Regional Leadership Groups (RSLGs).
Job advertisements well up with few people responding to these.
Competition for workers therefore increased. For education, micro-credentials
have become more important to fill gaps and to help people move horizontally across
occupations. Integration of the skill
needs between employers and education important. Warned of inflation – soaring shipping
costs filter to higher costs of consumables.
Breakout sessions then begin.
The first is with Tania Mullane (Whitereia and Weltec) on ‘tangata
hourua framework’. The framework is an indigenous reciprocal research framework.
It draws on Kaupapa Māori and Pacific methodologies and values. The framework
upholds the rights of Māori to have their knowledge and culture embedded in
research. It also reflects and represents those who self-identify as having multi-ethnicities
which include Māori or Pacific Island. Important as a response to a gap in
understanding and the need to address and give context to some of the tensions,
conflicts, and challenges of multi-ethnic populations. As there are no existing
theories, important to acknowledge and respond to the need of Generation ‘B’ -
brown, brainy, beautiful, bicultural, bilingual, bold. The framework is useful when
undertaking research with Māori and Pacific peoples. Important to develop
indigenous methodologies and dispel the dominance of western methods and that
they are the only valid /reliable ways. The
framework synthesises work on Kaupapa Māori theory (HIngangaroa Smith) and Pacific/pan-pacific
approaches. Discussed the specific challenges in bringing these two important
methodologies together and provided details on how the framework was build.
Used both the whare and the waka as they are both shared in both cultures. Selected
the double hulled canoe – as both deliberately bound together for the long sea
journeys. As with a waka, tangata (people) with skills knowledge and expertise
and that the waka can be upturned as a whare once the destination is reached. Provided
detail of the framework including a spiral bringing together both cultures but
with space to also stretch/move between the themes. Summarised ways to use the
framework. Possible as a cultural ‘roadmap’ to allow for how participants may
self-identify and to overlay collective group of Māori and Pacific people.
The next session is with Dr. Cherie Chu-Fuluifaga (Victoria)
and Janice Ikiua-Pasi (Massey) presenting on ‘From good to great: 10 habits of phenomenal
educators for Pacific learners’. Cherie introduced herself and the project. Janice
then introduced herself. Shared the purpose of their project to try to turn
theory into practice, develop real system change, listen to student experiences
and focus on the strengths of phenomenal educators. Shared two stories of
phenomenal educators. The pioneer educator and the reflective educator. Introduced
‘the Kato’ or presents - as the ’10 habits’ – summarised on Ako Aotearoa site
A panel session follows on exploring the Centres for
Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) with Paul Hollings, General manager for the Foodand Fibre CoVE and Bharti Raniga, General Manager for the Construction andInfrastructure CoVE. Josh Williams introduces the panel session and provides
the background and context of the creation of the CoVEs. Each GM introduces
their CoVE, the purpose and direction. Bharti spoke of ConCoVE, with a Māori name
forthcoming. Vision of ConCoVE is to assist the alignment of the industry and VET.
Industry is not quite satisfied with current quality, type and access to
training for the industry. Dialogue and co-construction (pun intended) required
to increase productivity, increase diversity of current workforce, and contribute
to NZ future workforce development. At present ConCoVE has been working with
employers, industry, iwi, Te Pūkenga and now in the phase of focusing on the themes
and recommendations arising from this consultation. Also learning much more
about why and how people engage with work in the industry, when they make their
career decisions, what are the learning pathways and what does technology and
the future of work bring into the picture.
Paul summarised progress on Food/Fibre CoVE. Largely industry
with some provider members and a board. Currently 5 staff. Reached out to their
constituencies and find out what their needs. A knowledge base has been setup;
a framework to evaluate how the CoVE is effective; and a literature review to
find out what is going on in food/fibre education training excellence. Interest
in microcredentials but important to work out how these are integrated into
current qualifications framework. As with ConCoVE, working on equity issue, to
bring in Māori/Pacific/women/immigrants into the industry. Also building a
work-integrated learning model for the industries. Important to identify the
opportunities for excellence and to leverage these. Due to the newness of the CoVEs, there were lots of questions.
Edtech books publihes ebooks wich are completely free. A good service for the educational community,.
As I am doing some intensive reading on 'instructional'/learning design, the book provide a good source of peer-reviewed material. The chapters in the books are drawn mainly from the American instructional design corpus but serve as good foundations for learning design.
Of note are three books -
- Foundations of learning and instructional design technology, edited by R. E. West. This volume collates a range of important readings. Many published in educational technology, educational psychology, instrustional design journals. There are over 50 chapters covering definitions and history, learning and instruction, design, technology and media, and becoming a learning/instructional design professional. The volume represents good introduction to the field.
- Design for learning - principles, processes and praxi, edited by J.K. McDonald and R.E. West. This volume is the 'how to' design learning resource. There are just over 30 chapters organised into sections on instructional design practice, instructional design knowledge, instructional design processes, destigning instructional activities, and design relationships.
- A practitioner's guide to instructional design in higher education, edited by J. E Stefaniak, S. Conklin, B. Oyarzun and R.M. Reese. This volume has 14 chapters covering a range of contemporary learning design approaches and topics. It is pitched at higher education academics and therefore the chapters are more generic. Topics include quality assurance, learning analytics, accessibility, data informed design etc. Therefore, perhaps not a book for beginner learning designers but one which informs academics as to the range and depth of learning design.
Overall, good coverage of the foundations and essentials informing the processes and challenges of learning design. Worth the effort to work through the over 100 chapters as each has useful information.
On Wednesday, most of Aotearoa moves down from the strict Level 4 lockdown, to Level 3. Auckland and Northland remain at Level 4 as almost all the cases (400 +) have been situated there. They will remain at Level 4 for at least 2 weeks, signalling that the rest of the country will remain at Level 3 for at least 2 weeks as well.
Level 3 has been described as Level 4 with takeaways but the business community, frustrated at the restrictions and implications for their businesses. Many businesses are able to open but without dine-in or any close contact activities (i.e. hairdressing, gyms etc.). In education, the majority will be through distance learning with some leeway for students requiring learning situated in labs. Ara interprets this to also mean workshops, training kitchens, studios etc. The challenge is the number of students allowed into the practice area. Last year, the maximum was 20 but with 2 metre spacing, the actual number was more like 10. This makes it a challenge as most practice-based programmes have class cohort sizes of around 18 to 20. Splitting the class into half has challenges of doubling the teacher ratio.
Our learning design recommendations the use of a flipped classroom concept. One 1/2 of the class prepares for their practice session and the other 1/2 has a practical session. Then, the groups change over, with one 1/2 doing the preparation/reflection and 1/2 back into the practical workshop. The 1/2 of the class doing the preparation/reflection undertakes this through online 'attendance' with a check-in zoom session. These online sessions could consist of several combined cohorts in the same year and be managed by one tutor (or academic manager) whilst the other 1/2 of the class learns in practical workshops.
We will need to evaluate this approach when Level 3 ends, to see how effective it has been from the learners and tutors perspectives.
With the discovery of one case of the Delta strain of Covid, Aotearoa went back into Level 4 at midnight last Tuesday. To date, there have been 71 cases, all are in Auckland with 6 cases in Wellington. The government will broadcast their decision as to what happens from this week as level 4 was only put in place for a week across NZ. The general consensus is that level 4 will continue for at least another week before a reassessment of risks (based on cases being identified). If there are no cases in the South Island and no evidence of the virus from waste water testing, then the South Island may move to Level 3. So fingers crossed that we do not have to remain at Level 4 for too long.
The move to Level 4 was swift, within 6 hours of the first case showing up. Derek Wenmouth recorded how the entire education sector was caught by surprise although at Ara, our CE was continually reminding our teaching departments to be ready.
At the beginning of this year, departments were tasked with reporting on readiness and learners were prepared with inductions to zoom and Moodle (our LMS). However, these were not repeated in semester two when a small cohort of new students begin their studies. In hindsight, we should have repeated the exercise from the beginning of the year, thereby assisting our teachers with one item to not have to worry about. That is, inducting students new to distance learning to the digital tools. We also had a cohort of new teachers starting at the beginning of the semester. Most of these teachers will have only been teaching for about a month, before having to shift to distance learning.
The thing to learn from all of this is that prepareness is an ever moving target. There is never an end point as there will be new students/teachers having to be introduced to distance learning tools and approaches.
Thankfully, most of our resources have been updated since last year and my colleagues and I could draw on these to support our teachers. The second 1/2 of last week was busy with workshops to update and orientate our teachers to the shift back to distance learning. This week, mostly drop-in type sessions to triage those who need support.
Hopefully, this time around, the distance learning and Level 4 will be short. We are likely to also be in distance teaching mode at Level 3 which may be more drawn out. We will need to work on how we move forward after this event as Covid will still around for the immediate future :(
This is an open accces journal - Research in Learning Technology - affliated to the Association for Learning Technology based in the United Kingdom.
The articles indicate a mix of practitioner and research papers - mostly from the formalised school sector.
There is a recent special collection on mobile mixed reality enhanced learning which was my route into the journal. The articles in this issue have a higher education context.
Instructional Science is a European based journal of the learning sciences. The journal publishes 6 issues each year and is into it's 49th volume. The articles tend to be based on empirical/quantitative studies but there are a few qualitatively conducted studies as well.
Researchers publishing in the journal tend to draw on European literature and studies based in the formal school or higher education sectors.
As I progress through ramping up my scholarship of teaching and learning and with aspects of learning / instructional design, I am putting together a list of key readings.
This site provides a good listing of instructional design journals, including peer reviewed (North American), non-refereed journals and magazines, and international journals. The list makes a good starting point along with lists archived on the folowing : Penn State library; University of Cincinatti.
Learning design or design for learning is a term used in Europe and Australasia. Some journals of note to follow up include: Designs for learning - a nordic based journal (has an article processing charge of 300 euro; Journal of Learning Design - an Australian journal which ceased publication in 2017 :( ; International Journal of Designs for Learning - which is affiliated to the Association for Educational Communications and Technology
So lots to catch up on!
Although mainly with a school-based learning slant, the blog (Ipu kereru) maintained by the NZ Associaiton for Research in Education (NZARE), provides for an overview of research undertaken in this discipline.
Of note is the recent work undertaken to address racism in Aotearoa, use mobile technologies effectively in teaching and learning, and the 2020 summer reading list. These reflect the current emphasised themes within the Aotearoa NZ educational research community around equity, the commitment to meet the partnership enshrined in the Tiriti o Waitangi, and technology's influence and integration into learning and teaching.
The blogs draw on recent/current research studies and provide a good overview of work undertaken by Aotearoa researchers.
Catching up on reading, especially around learning (instructional) design as there is a need to critique, connect, synthesise etc. the current approaches for learning design, with what we currrently understand about practice-based learning.
I found this useful list of top ten picks on online learning (for 2019). Which then led on to their full list of elearning books - must read books on online learning.
The resources are curated by a Canadian organisation - teachonline.ca. and is perhaps best known for their 'pockets of innovation' series. The latest version published in 2019.
The site also maintains an searchable directory of upcoming internaitonal education and technology conferences - most of which are now offered online, providing an opportunity for NZers to attend :)
Last week, the Journal of Vocational Education and Training (JVET) held their bi-annual conference on-line due to Covid. The timing was slightly difficult for me as the presentations occurred well past my bedtime. However, the presentations are now online :)
The slides from four keynotes/presentations are now available - here for the keynotes and here for the editors' presentation . My summaries are below:
1) Professor Joy Papier who is Director or the University of the Western Cape, presents on "From policy symbolism to evidence-based policy making - VET research on the rise in the South.
Shared her story as a way to explain the shifts in VET research focus in South Africa. As a 'coloured' person, her family's access to educational opportunites were restricted but expanded as aparteid 'ended'. Her inspiration draws from the work of Freire who she was able to meet when in the US of A . Post aparthied policies relied on international expers, overseas visits and models, policy borrowing and symbolism. Policy and research/practice do not always match, leading to tensions and culture clashes. Overviewed the evolution of TVET research in South Africa and its current status. A new generation of TVET practitioners are now contributing as scholars, and this bodes well for the future. The Journal of Vocational, Adult and Continuing Education and Training (JOVACET) is the research space and TVET CoP.
2) Professor Leon TIkly from the University of Bristol presents "Transforming TVET for sustainable futures in Africa: Challenges for theory, policy and practice?
This presentation summarised sustainable development in a Western context; thre ir/relevance of these concepts to Africa in its post-colonial journey; TVET and the post-colonial condition; and recommendations for TVET sustainable futures.
3) Professor Hugh Lauder from the University of Bath presents on "The end of neo-liberalism and the future of VET"
Began by summarising the 21st century challenges of climate change, pandemic, 4th industrial revolution and radical forms of inequality. Summarised the premises of neo-liberalism and how education has been poorly served by it - especially market reforms and human capital theory. Discussed the concepts of meritocracy, the effects of authoritarinism and gender, and the equation of values with market values. The four challenges have caused a shift in defining what are 'good jobs'? not enough to just rely on the market but expand to include societal contribution. Important to understand the future of work and its impact on jobs; universal basic income (UBI) may be one solution; and industry needs to create good quality jobs. TVET needs to provide clear 'ladders' or pathways for people as they move through their life course; and lifelong learning must be supported. Some concepts discussed in the book "The death of human capital"
4) A panel of the editors - Professor Leesa Wheelahan, Professor Ann-Marie Bathmaker and Professor Kevin Orr the reflect on 'Looking backward, moving forward'.
The editors presented a summary of JVET's evolution over 73 years from it's origins as the 'Vocational Aspect of Education' in 1948 to the present. Pf note are the present themes (some which are long-lived). They include the '(low)' status of VET; the call on VET to address social and economic challenges; and debates on competency-based VET. There are gaps, especially in studying the 'informal' employment and training sectors; and patchy international coverage. Going forward, JVET seeks to make contributions towards addressing social justice and in/equalities (as prefaced in the keynotes).
Today begins with concurrent sessions. I begin with Professor Stephen Billett's presentation on 'Apprenticeship as a mode of occupational learning'. Based on his summary brochure - learning occupations through practice: curriculum, pedagogy and epistemology of practice. We learn through experiences and apprenticeships provide opportunities for the experience. The experienced curriculum is therefore how people are engaged with learning, in apprenticeship through participation with work. The historical evolution of apprenticeship presented. Apprenticeship models in VET include the dual system (Germany/Austria); 3rd space (Swiss); school based (Sweden, Denmark, France); workbased (Oz, NZ), 2+2 (Norway) and ad hoc (UK, USA). Characteristics of apprenticeship include structures and legislation. As a mode of learning apprenticeships are long-standing. Summarised the many ways apprenticeship contributes to learning - mimesis etc. process dependent on active engagement, apprehending knowledge, unobstrusive observation. Support still required. Occurs through curriculum of practice, pedagogical practices (story-telling, verbalisation, practice, part worked examples, pedagogically rich activities etc.), learner epismologies (mimetic learning, ontogenetic ritualisation, deliberate practice etc.). Both school and workbased modes of learning are able to apply the precepts of apprenticeship to support learning.
The join Mark Jordan from Holmesglen Institue with 'What factors enable trades people academic achievement in higher education?' The context is within construction management, of trades people attaining higher qualifications in construction managtement. Provided background on the industry (3rd largest employer in Australia and employs 8.9% of the workforce). Companies expect their managers to have a degree, understand comple computerised technologies, people, organisational skills, financial and economic knowledge and experience/background in the industry. .However, low number of people in the industry with degrees. There are educational challenges between VET and HE - pedagogical differences, no seamless transition causes high drop out in construction degree programmes. OSme universities try to bridge these with associate degrees, foundation courses, co-curricular prgrammes, embed academic learning support into core programs, advancement programmes for trades people etc. Important to acknowledge learners as individuals. Academic enablers include differentiated learning, flipped classroom, formative assessments, appropriate feedback, tutorials, applied and guided problem-based pedagogy, scaffolded learning, grading rubrics/marking schedule, embedding HE academic expectations in core subjects, creating learning environment, lecturer availability and enculturation into university.
Then a session with Dr. Martha Kinsman from the Australian National University on 'Thirty years on: imagining competence in a post-COVID world'. Provided an overview of adoption and evolution of CBT in Australia. Argued that CBT is no longer fit for purpose, especially in the current situation and the rapid need to cope with the future of work. Recommended 'occupational competence' as proposed by Hager (2004), the capabilities approach (Sen 1987/2006), vocational capabitlitie (Wheelahan), threshold concepts as options. This needs to bring together occupational competence, the canonical knowledge of the discipline and skills related to being a life long learning. Covered the serious challenges inherent with CBT including fragmented/disaggregated knowledge, lack of synthesis of qualifications to recognise the breathe of knowledge required in many occupations, restrictive and difficult to define all learning. A good overview of some ways to look at qualifications beyond CBT. Ended with the caution to not just replace one system with another that is equally uniform or constraining!
Following on is the second presentation with Professor Stephen Billet on 'VET and worklife learning pathways". Supporting summary here - practices and policies for sustaining employability through work-life learning. Covered the concept of individual's pathways through working life as a personal curriculum. Pathways are varied and shaped by experiences, work, education, communities etc. Personal curriculum represents the totality of activties and interactions constituing individuals' progression through the lifelong learning pathway. Covered concepts - curriculum (intended, enacted, experienced), personal curriculum (shaped by educative, social etc. and affordances, engagement), transitions and implications for VET. Shared the findings from the 'transitions across working life project'. Changes to be negotiated include the life stages, employment status, occupations, locations, health, and personal preferences (lifestyle) or trajectories. Kinds of learning negotiated included language and literacy, cultural practices, world of work, occupational skills, and work-life engagement. Therefore personal curriculum means the inter-relationships between individuals, their education and the community (needs, norms, networks). Lifelong learning effords and lifelong education provisions are insufficient. Many opportunities arise through happenchance. Important to ensure programme design allows for earlier and subsequent trajectories. Stressed the importance of RPL. Assessments need to project forward. Ensure learners attain 'adaptability' through pedagogical approahes. Privilege education experiences over educational imperatives.
The live Q & A is with Martha Kinsman and Stephen Billett faciliated by Steve Davis.
The first question was to Martha on whether industries are ready for an alternative to CBT. Contends that moving from CBT in VET will be difficult but not impossible. Occupations are perhaps more ready as all work requires complex thinking. Stephen answered a question on whether a personal curriculum is more appropriate in hindsight rather than at the start. Personal curriculums may be 'planned' but openness to happenchance /even 'malicious' challenges, shift the personal curriculum, for better or worse. Questions revolved around WHY the concepts Martha and Stephen have presented, are not factored into discourse and policy. Encouragement to check other systems, especially Singapore and NZ :)
Day two begins with a keynote from Dr. Liz Allen who is a demographer and social researcher at the Australian National University Centre for Social Research and Methods. She presents on 'Education: A passport to life'. The presentation draws on Liz's personal story which exemplifies the power of education to contribute to transformative change in the lives of many. Her book 'The future of us: Demography gets a makeover' provides an overview of her scholarly work.
Education and training determine the jobs we are able to undertake, income, health, wellbeing, life expectancy etc. This is not only for individuals, but also for the dependents of individuals. Australia likes to think of itself as 'classless' and this may actually make it more difficult to recognise that life is not equitable.
Things that help are: to ensure education is a public good; accessible to all; education must be empowering and equalising; support the 'superheroes' who uphold and enable education.
A series of concurrent sessions follows.
First up, Renee Hindmarch from South Australia Skills Commision with 'hitting the bullseye: future skills requirements'. Overviewed the function of tbe SASC in supporting vocational education and skills formation in the state. VET sector needs to understand and respond to the emergent context of future skills. Confirm what future skills are rerquired. Determine competency-based training and assessments to fit the future skills development and stay focused on these objectives. At the moment, there is a mismatch between what is availed in VET/qualifications and the top skills/occupations required.
Next up, Allison Miller from Digital Capability on 'an entrepreneurial innovative and VET applied research-based economic recovery'. Details the Innovation and Capability Framework developed for training organisations to help enable the value creation required to support the Australian economy. Especially important now given the experiences from last year and the need for capabilty building to ensure future disruptions can be coped with better. Recommends checking LInder, J. (2020) Entrepreneurial learning for TVET: A practical guide published by UNESCO to check where an organisation is with regards to moving more innovatively into the future. Entrepreneurship is a mindset with some recommended processes and methods (i.e. evidence/research based). Also the follow up UNESCO/UNEVOC (2020) report on innovative training models. Also reviewed the VET applied research framework and how this can be used by organisations to be more innovative.
There is then a live Q & A featuring Kaye Bowman and Michael Hartman on zoom. The conversation revolved around engaging employers. A market driven VET market without a rigorous quality system has turned some employers off engagement with VET providers. Long tern relationship needs to be build with employers. Discussion then turned to how competencies should be deployed and how the reform process in Australia is proceeding. At the moment, the training packages are too specialised. Employers do not understand about generalisable skills and how although context may be different, some skills are 'transferable'. Discussion followed on the role of competency and how it can be described. This is entered into the training packages but these have become unmanageable.
Last session of the day with Dr. Mark Tyler and Dr. Darryl Dymock from Griffith University on 'recruiting and retaining VET practitioners: an exploratory study'. Presented on the preliminary findings from a project exploring how VET practitioners are recruited, what attracts people into VET teaching and how to retain them once they are employed. There is shortage of VET practitioners across Australia hence the need for the study. The presentation focused on interviews with training organisations. Most employed full-time staff with private providers employing more full time staff than public funded providers. Themes reported include renumneration, work conditions, the Cert IV teacher training, currency and credentials, factors encouraging a move into VET, mustering interest in the work, and retention of industry experts. Some congruence with findings from OECD 2020 report on VET teachers and leaders. Final report will be published by NCVER in August.
Will be hopping and and out of the 30th NCVER 'no-frills' conference today and over the next two days. Notes taken from DAY 1 below.
Phil Loveder (NCVER) opens the conference. Simon Walker, Managing Director of the NCVER provides the offical welcome.
The conference's opening address is from the Ministerial Address from the Honorable Stuart Robert MP who is Minister of Employment, Workforce Skills, Small and Family Business. Focused on the Australian response to the pandemic and the initiatives undertaken to move forward beyond. As with NZ, large amount of $$ being put into increased training/apprenticeships etc. and increase of digital skills across workforce.
The first keynote is presented by Dr. Borhene Chakroun who is Director of Policies and Lifelong Learning at the Systems Division at UNESCO-HQ. His keynote concentrated on the challenges wrought by the pandemic and what needs to be done now, to support countries' recovery post-pandemic. TVET plays an important role in ensuring thw workforce. Challenges are not just due to the pandemic. Some recommendations include the need to ensure skills and competencies delivered by TVET must be aligned to the rapidly changing technologies, labour markets and skill needs. Demographic transitions require TVET to be lifelong learning focused. Online learning has great potentials but requires careful use. There is improved status of TVET. Also a need to leverage off the potentials provided by powerful data mining. analytics and integration of data to inform TVET. Stressed the importance of TVET as the world moves into an uncertain and challenging future.
Concurrent sessions begin. I attend the digital technology stream which begins with the session presented by Michael Belgica with Dr. Issariya Woraphipat & Piriya Boonphokai from the Siam Business Administration Techological College on the topic - Blending course content and design addressing the new normal teaching and learning carapace in the TVET industry. Began with an overview of the College facilities. Detailed the various synchronous and asynchronous approaches used last year. The centre uses a 'context specific' form of English language teaching to ensure student motivation. Detailed how the college shifted from mainly 'hands on learning' to 'online. Important to ensure the learning objectives are met - to prepare graduates for work/further studies - often preparing students for IELTs/TOFEL. Detailed their project - Innovative Learning for VE workforce transformation (ILVEWT), along with the framework of curriculum content, delivery and application to online teaching and learning.
Then, my session begins with the running of the pre-recorded session on 'digitally supported practice-based learning when authentic learning becomes available. A live chat Q & A is the only way to interact with the participants. An interesting experience.
My session focused on defining practice-based learning and how to best support this when authentic learning facilities, equipment, machinery etc. are not available due to closure of facilities. A very short summary of the concepts in the book - digitally enabling 'learning by doing'.
Managed to get to the last presentation with Professor Erica Smith from Federation University who presented on 30 years of VET teacher education. Overviewed the context of Australian VET teacher education. 30 years ago most were TAFE teachers. Cert IV introduced in 1998 as competency based training took hold. In 2019, 78.5% of TAFE workforce at Cert IV and numbers enrolled in university fallen significantly. Most other countries require or encourage degree qualifications in VET pedagogy, mostly whilst 'in-service' but sometimes 'up-front'. Other teachers in Australia require degree (early childhood, school, university). Recommended looking at Roger Harris's 2020 paper commissioned by NCVER - landmarks in the development of the VET workforce. Provided more details on each of the decades. 1990s was the 'heyday' of VET teacher quals. 2000s marked the beginning of the end for mandatory VET teacher-training. by 2010 there was lobbying to try to shift VET teacher education beyond the minimum Cert IV. 2020 turnaround in Victoria. Presented details on several of her studies on VET teachers, qualifications and quality between 2015 -2017. Argued for the importance of ensuring VET teachers have the right supports to help learners. Need to move from what is now the norm to a better valuing of teaching for VET.
My book, written through the second half of last year, and summarising many of the learnings from our experiences across the short NZ 'lockdown'/'stay at home', now published.
Access via this link.
I read this book a few months ago. It is written by Professor Patricia Churchland who also wrote the neurophilosophy book 'Touching the void: the self as brain" (read overview on this blog here).
This is a short book of just under 200 pages and an
introductory chapter followed by eight other chapters. The book has had positive reviews - example here. Churchland provides
authentic examples from her experiences to help explain the complex biological
and philosophical underpinnings of human conscience.
The introduction lays out the parameters of the book. A
brief historical overview of how conscience has been envisioned; then several
ways to study origins and practice of moral intuition; and some caveats on definitions
of moral decisions, conscience etc. as these are amorphous and dependent on
context.
Chapter 2 ‘the snuggle for survival’ reviews the current
understanding of why we care for others, empathy etc. from a brain physiology
perspective. The chapter provides a good introduction to contemporary neuroscience
knowledge on the brain’s contribution to human emotion.
The third chapter ‘getting attached’ draws on studies with
prairie voles and the role of oxytoxin in bonding of mammals. The hypothesis is
that attachment leads to caring and in turn, caring leads to conscience. The
way oxytoxin contributes to social attachment are summarised. Importantly, the argument
for how studies with voles inform human emotions is undertaken.
Chapter three discusses the importance of learning and how
this contributes to the development of conscience. Neuroscience is used to
unpack how the brain ‘learns’ including the mechanisms within the brain which
support reinforcement learning. However, learning goes beyond simple
conditioning. The studies which are foundations of neuroeconomics are used to
explain some of the ways our brain makes decisions based on experiences and
‘intuition’. Therefore, we learn through experience, through some instruction but
decisions may not always be made passed on these, but also include biochemical
impulses we may not have conscious control of.
The contributions of the socio-cultural are brought into
play in Chapter four as the previous chapter focused on individualised learning.
Social norms and expectations from historical-cultural-political sources,
colour our experiences, in turn affecting the decisions we make (or not make).
Again some of the studies from neuroeconomics are used to try to explain why
people make ‘non-logical’ decisions. Some of these may be traced to our
upbringing but there is also seems to be a ‘fairness’ decision mechanism which
causes us to make decisions which have implications on our ‘tribal’ standing
and acceptance.
Then Chapter five delves into the complexities of what makes
us who we are. Where does personality come from? Is it innate or learnt? Twin
studies are summarised to try to unravel the ‘nature vs nurture’ debate. In the
end, it is the contribution of both. Whether one takes precedence over the
other is still contentious and again dependent on individuals’ context.
Chapter six discusses why some people seem to lack
conscience through summaries of studies on psychopathy. Why do some individuals
lack empathy or have predilections for violence to others? Stressed the
importance of seeing psychopathy as not a mental illness but more as a
personality difference. Hypothesis of brain injury contributing to how the
brain is wired and allowing for psychopathic tendencies to arise.
Chapter seven presents neurophilosophical discussions on
morality. Begins with the three problems presented by ‘rule purveyors’ and how
these may be used to understand why humans have developed religion, pure
reasoning and rules to live by. Morality is important as it is a shared set of
values and beliefs contributing to the regulation of individuals’ actions.
However, moral values are again open to debate, what is right in one culture or
situation, is not seen to be similar in another. Therefore, conscience is
always something which is set with tensions and having a conscience and making
decisions based on ‘moral values’ are different things.
The last chapter draws the threads unravelled in the
previous chapters towards a ‘conclusion’. Discussion is undertaken on the
concepts underpinning ‘free will’. Do we have ‘free will’. At the moment,
difficult to answer but in the future, new techniques in neuroscience and
better acceptance, debate and understanding of the contributions of philosophy,
may provide deeper understanding.
All in, a highly readable book deliberating a difficult
topic.
From the Commonweath of Learning comes this resource - A guide for implementing a quality assurance institutional review - tool for blended learning'
A timely publication given the wholesale shift to online learning last year and into this year. The guide provides checklists to quantify readiness for elearning and to review/audit blended learning initiatives.
Accompanying resources include a quality assurance rubric for blended learning.
A good overview of how to 'humanise' personalised learning By Paul E. France. The post summarises the premises in his book 'Reclaiming personalised learning: A pedagogy for restoring equity and humanity in our classrooms' and mirrors the philosophies and call for 'hybrid pedagogy' see this post for links and summary.
In short, there is a need to honour the 'personalised' which has been hijacked by 'technology'. Issues of digital equity and literacy need to be addressed before 'technology solutions' are decided on. However, the right support systems allow for the affordances of 'digitally-supported' to be possible. Therefore, a balancing act as always.
It is important to start with what the learner presently is able to do with the technology and digital literacies available. Then leverage off these 'first steps' to improve learners' digital literacies and put emphasis into ensuring barriers to attaining hardware and digital infrastructures are surmounted to provide for the best solutions required to support their learning. Therefore, inportant to not have a 'one-size fits all' approach but to be prepared to 'customise' where possible. Putting 'the learner at the heart' of learning is challenging and requires commitment, resourcing and capability building. Otherwise, we end up with disillusioned learners, facing (to them) insurmountable odds to attain the learning to help them through their learning journey.
The British Educational Research Association - BERA - maitntains a blog with topical discussions related to a range of topics. The five journals supported by the Association, reflect the main topic streams - educational research, educational technology, review of education, the curriculum journal and European educational research.
One of the recent blogs refers to a series of three books, detailing the challenges faced by further education in the UK, with some comparisons of the Australian and Irish equivalent sectors. In summary, discussing the 'invisibility' of FE and VET and the political discourse which sees these educational sectors as only contributing to 'skills development'. Three books have been written sine 2010 with the last one recently published proposing some future directions.
In addition, BERA also facilitates a range of special interest groups (SIGs) covering a host of topics including one on post-compulsory and lifelong learning. This SIG covers the further, adult, informal and lifelong leanring sectors. Otther SIGs of interest include the curriculum assessment and pedagogy.
As summarised in a previous post, hyflex learning whereby has seen an increased interest due to the need to move to remote/distance learning caused by the current pandemic.
Hyflex learning is challenging as it requires f2f learning to run as per normal, or as blended learning as is often now used in NZ VET along with a distance learning course. Students are provided the option of participating in either f2f/blended or fully distance. The most flexible version is to allow students to hop between the different delivery modes, meaning all the versions of the course, requires synchronisation.
This resource provides a good discussion on the intricacies of setting up, teaching on and consolidating the various aspects of hyflex. Of note is the need to 'plan ahead' and to be familiar with all the technologies to be used in each aspect of the course. This is no mean feat as it requires lecturers to not only continue with their usual 'lectures' but also conduct sessions on zoom and have all resources etc. available in a distance learning course platform. The amount of work required to put all of these delivery modes into place will be high. The commitment to be fluent with the technologies required - lecture capture, zoom discussions, design and planning of the fully online equivalent, also require capability development. Therefore, unless well resourced and supported, good quality and effective hyflex will be a challenge.
Leveraging off the socio-cultural is one way to divide up the workload and commit to successful hyflex development. The article suggest the deployment ot teaching assistants to run some aspects of classes and to create peer support groups for students. This works well when there are large cohorts of students in university type contexts but less well in VET where smaller class sizes are the norm. However, with the move on the Te Pukenga, some economies of scale may see courses being shared across the network and student groups being merged for some discipline areas. Again, learning design is important to ensure students do not struggle with being expected to be part of large classes when they signed up for smaller, more teacher contact type courses. The use of peer groups, perhaps supported by 'teaching assistants' or senior students, may be one way to keep cohort groups engaged.
Therefore, hyflex is but one option and a challenging one at that! Students attending f2f/blended OR distance and keeping to one delivery mode is still a better way forward as each has different calls on pedagogy and learning patterns.
This year's Horizon report - teaching and learning edition - repeats much of last year's methodology by scanning the social, technological, economic, environmental and political impacts on technology and its implications on teaching and learning. The pandemic has coloured many of these with increases in 'remote' work/learning; widening of the digital divide and mental health issues being evidence social issues. There has been 'widespread' adoption of hybrid learning with increased use of learning technologies accompanied by online faculty development.
The KEY technologies and practices are little changed. They include:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Blended and hybrid course models
- Learning analytics - their role
- Microcredentialling
- Open Educational resources (OER)
- Quality online learning - first mention, in a while, of this in Horizon reports.
Scenarios of growth, constraint, collapse and transformation are used to envision which of the above will have stronger impacts. Given the rise of digital learning due to the pandemic, growth is evident but transformation is still limited.
Case studies are offered across higher education (HE) and 'community colleges'. Countries include Australia, South Africa, Turkey, US community colleges and doctoral colleges.
Overall, not much new with the addition of the implications wrought by pandemic issues.
Attended an information webinar this morning organised by NZQA on the topic – simplifying NZ qualifications and other credentials as a precursor to the consultation process.
The proposals seek to:
·
ensure that vocational qualifications support learner mobility
and consistent skills for employers, whilst retaining flexibility for regional
needs
· simplify the credentials landscape so that it is easier for learners and employers to navigate
· enable Workforce Development Councils to develop micro-credentials for providers to deliver.
A summary of the intentions are available from this link and the details on this link
Notes taken at the webinar are below:
The presenter in Frannie Aston, Chief advisor at NZQA. The presentation covered the reform of vocational education (RoVE); overviewed the proposals and then provided a Q & A session.
Justine Auton introduced the session and provided the welcome along with how the session would run.
RoVE came about due to skill shortages, difficulties in getting to employers and learners in the revgions, challenges at ITPs. etc.
Summarised the key concepts, vision, progress on transition into RoVE.
NZQA programmes of work being done to align to RoVE structure and systems. NZQA undertaking the simplifying qualifications, supporting establishment of WDCs, revieqing quality assurance and internal NZQA systems. Plus also deoing the review of NZQF.
Summarised the need to undertake qualification design. Improved greater consistency and simply range and design of vocaitional education 'products.
Two options for ensuring VET meets students needs. NZ quals as currently oulined or programmes and training packages remove and removed with national curriculum.
Option A details laid out with WDCs developing skills and quals; training packages and tertiary education programmes - as currently outlined in the education and training act 2020.
Option B simplifies the process with WDC develop and maintain qualifications including 'naitonal curriculum' and lead the development of 'national curriculum'. Option requires changes to Education and Training Act 2020. Would apply to all qualifications on the NQF to level 7.
Defined national curriculum - meet intent of 'training packages', include skills standards' specified in the qualification and collaboratively developed. Option B will remove traning packages but components of qualification will be the same.
Impact of Option B better for learners for transferability; employers and industry will achieve greater consistency with involvement in design and review. WDCs lead but would not develop training packages, teaching institutions able to provide pedagogical support.
Compared options A and B abd their key advantages and disadvantages.
Q & A included whether skills standards assessments are competency or achievement based - still unclear.
Some content will be included in the process.
Regional needs may be met through microcredentials or some credits allow for local context to tbe recognised.
Providers still responsible for development of teaching and learning resources. National curriculum to include core content, teaching and learning objectives etc.
WDC will need ITP collaboration to inform pedagogy and content inclusion.
Covered proposals 2 and 3. In proposal 2 training schemes would be replaced by microcredentials. Provided rationale and details of how this may work.
Proposal 3 enabling microcredentials to be developed by WDC. Technical issue in the Educatin and Training Act 2020 required to allow this to occur.
In general, anything under 40 is microcredit but above that, a stand alone qualification. There is difference between skill standard (micro credential) and unit standard. At some stage, all training schemes will become microcredentials.Microcredentials must meet industry needs, therefore there should not be a large number of microcredentials. A badging system may be possible.
Continued with the timeline for the 'simplifyinf qualifications' process.Consultation close 16/6, collated across August and proposed amendments to ACT in mid 2022. Implementation likely only from 2023.
For many years, I have disliked the term 'instructional design' with its connotations of teacher-led, behavourist based and non-collaborative learning slant. My current position of 'educational developer' is the combination of educational designer and 'staff'developer' roles. Again, not the best description of a role entailing much more than curriculum design and 'training' of teachers. My role is instead very much that of a changeagent and 'meddler in the middle'. I work at empowering teachers to develop curriculum which is true to their disciplinary grounding but also meeting the learning needs of their students along with meeting accreditation requirements. The teachers I work with 'own' their programme of learning. To do that, they need to be involved from the start as they are the ones who will do the work to make alive, their curriculum design. in many other juristrictions, curriculum is developed and imposed on teachers. This leads to content focus rather than pedagogical practice development.
So my role is very much people focused. Technology is used as a tool to 'enhance learning' and when learning and teaching has to shift online, it is the learning and teaching that has to take precedence, not the digital components of the programme.
Instructional design (ID) itself has come a long way from its behavourist roots. Many people working in the ID field are avid constructivists. The current mode is for IDs to work as 'critical friends' to integrate 'student and learning centredness' into the design of courses, programmes and curriculum. However, the field is rife with books and websites focussed on the processes for enacting ID - i.e. ADDIE, backward design etc. The philosophical beliefs of 'instructional designer' on teaching and learning is not as visible, especially on digital resources. Therefore, it is refreshing to see a site (hybridpedagogy) discussing the need for instructional designers to adopt a critical stance to inform their work. In particular, to remember and act on 'critical pedagogy' (Freire), that is education is not just a process 'done' to students; but a co-constructed experience, allowing for both learners and teachers to reach their potential through learning.
I have started putting time into reading the literature on learning design and ID. As usual, there is very little in the field focused on vocational education. Almost all work assumes learning is undertaken either in the formal school or higher education sector. There is also strong priviledging of text-based learning. Therefore, there is much to be done on synergising the precepts of learning design and ID to meet the needs of practice-based learning. The technology is now available to offer simulations which are useful but these have to be used carefully as not all components of practice can be replicated within virtual environments. The most telling is the 'sociomaterial' aspects of learning skills, the interactions people have with tools, materials, machines, work environment etc. Thes important interactions people have with non-human entities, provide nuanced feedback required to be acted on. Through these interactions, the 'workmanship of risk' can be actioned. VR environments currently unable to provide all the sensory experiences which encompass the sociomaterial. So vocational education learning design is challenged by trying to replace the f2f and 'hands-on' aspects of practice.
https://hybridpedagogy.org/call-for-contributors-the-critical-instructional-design-reader/
NZQA has released draft principles for assessment and aromatawai for consultations.
The consultation process closes at the end of May. The principles will cover all educational sectors / NZQA qualifications from school to tertiary. Consultation feedback will be used to develop the final guidance documents and develop contextualised resources.
Of note is the inclusion of aromatawai, the teaching, learning and assessment approaches based on Maori values, beliefs and aspirations. The six underpinning kaupapa are - Rangatiratanga, Whanaungatanga, Manaakitanga, Pūkengatanga, Kaitiakitanga, Te Reo.
The five principles of assessment are that they are valid, reliable, informative (i.e. with an emphasis on the formative), equitable and authentic.
All in, good synergy between aromatawai and the usual assessment principles. Addition of equitable allows for more personalised assessments to be conducted.
