Day two begins with a a welcome back from Phil Loveder and a promo from axcelerate a student management system.
The day's keynote is with Alex Jackson, executive designer with ThinkPlace. He presents on 'Game on! How to integrate gamification in VET'. Covered behavioural design. Gamication is a way to also apply social psychology to bring about behaviour / attitudinal change. Used the example of changing the stairs coming off a subway into a keyboard, to encourage people to use the stairs instead of the escalator. 60% more people used the stairs :) The underlying 'fun theory' is framed in self-determination, motivation, engagement etc. 'nudges' used in marketing can be used both ways, to encourage purchase of 'junk food' or 'healthier choices'. The FitBit is an example of a personal motivational tool and duolingo of 'reward' and speed cameral lottery to prevent speeding. Collaborative problem-solving example with fold.it to motivate citizen science to work on DNA.
Important in gamification is 'who are we designing for?' Demographics, challenges/painpoints, job-to-be done, target behaviours, motivations and goals. Or apply the 7 needs model - purpose, cognitive, affective, relatedness, mastery, autonomy, basic needs. How do people interact - achievers, explorers, socialises and killers. The building blocks of gameplay include motivations, win states, mechanics of the game, and narrative. The design process includes identifying intent, explore - users etc, design, launch, and evolve/evaluate.
Gamication concept should be fair and genuine, transparent and have checks and balances so people are 'gaming the system'. Gameplay experience include balance of he design, playtesting and accessibility and appropriateness. At the end, games are designed for people.
How can gamification be used to solve problems? Provided examples including Air and Space Power Centre (ASPC) game (using cards) to engage staff in strategic conversations. A paper based gamification of innovative practice for teachers. Gamified/digital professional programme for Australian Research Centre (ARC) to improve engagement with PD. Gamified education on biodiversity and Australia (interactive website - Kanga Zoo) for Department of Foreign Affairs. Each required intensive user / intention identification before game design itself began.
Case study - gamification of how agricultural systems can be transformed. Need to communicate complex systems and scientific information in an engaging way to ensure there is action not just talk. Used 'crowdsourced' feedback to refine the game. Started with a simple sketch and shared the many steps taken to refine the design. Applied to an interactive game (using cards and digital platform) and concept similar to SimCity to create a food supply system. Described the various components of the game and how they interact and cause gamers to learn, think, judge and shift their thinking (the final transformation score). Participants' feedback indicate that the intention of the game was reached.
Closed with the advantages of design processes and gamification and its contribution to engaging learners, and creating lasting and transformative change.
I miss the 3 concurrent sessions as I have another meeting. Over the weekend, I will catch up on these , and other sessions which ran whilst I was viewing another presentation and post the summaries next week.
Featured speakers are up next.
Firstly, Kira Clarke from the Brotherhood of St. Lawrence (has publications) on 'key lessons from a systemic change approach to strengthening skilled pathways to work for disadvantaged young people'. project link. Began with an introduction to the Brotherhood of St. Lawrence. Summarised the rationale for the study and the guiding philosophies. The definition of systemic change as a form of social policy work that intentional disrupts and re-aligns human systems that also is equitable. Detailed the methodology to create opportunities for change, specify the change agenda, develop adaptive evidence making and develop better systems. Applies this to helping to develop better ways to support youth unemployment. In 2019, the 1st phase to understand the structural problems was initiated. Through the National Youth Employment Body, 'stakeholders' were consulted. In 2020, with Covid, an high increase in youth unemployment occurred. Followed through by co-designing a training pathway for young people to work in the aged-care and disability support sector.
Found that local initiatives required strong support and provided opportunity to better understand the drivers and inhibitors. In early 2021, an adaptive evidence making agenda was developed. There were siloes between education, training, employment and youth support. Barriers were complex and diverse. Funding was sporadic. Career access and mobility limited reliance on narrow occupational pathways. There was a lack of clarity and consensus on work-relevant and assessable skills.
Structural problems around funding, existing training design mechanisms which did not include local voice, occupationally narrow qualifications, siloes and current entry level pathways focused on technical skills but generalisable skills would be more useful. These informed Phase 2 at the beginning of 2021, to build change momentum. Engaged with primary industries to develop better systems. 3 workshops convened to work out ways to work through the structural problems. Adaptive evidence making agenda being developed. To clarify what employability looks like for youth; widening employment-based opportunities; prepare clean economy jobs; and fit for purpose adaptive credentials for young people These help to create a learner-centred training system that adapts to career development needs of young people.
In late 2021, work began to specify a change agenda. Building relationships, networking and building of trust takes time. Goal to build a sustainable and generalisable model. Emerging principles include problems existing both at systemic and programmatic level; creating conditions for sustainable innovation requires strategic governance structures; fit for purpose VET is designed to enable the co-development of technical, industry specific transferable skills and general employability skills; transformational educational pathway is one that gives young people direction.
Phase 3 on driving a policy change ambition has now started to develop better systems.
The next featured speaker is Ian White, data analyst from NCVER, on Upskilling and reskilling: the impact of COVID-19 on employers and their training choices. Publication on student outcomes. Began with overview on why employers train, types of training, and employer contributions towards the training. Employers train to improve quality of products/services; meet regulatory and licensing requirements; and to support the adoption of new technology. Training undertaken through accredited and unaccredited training and 'informal' training. Employers likely put in funding but this is not recorded - estimated to be 7 billion in 2014.
The impact of the pandemic and employers was due to the COVID-19 restrictions; the need to have to leverage new technology and the shift to remote working. There was wide variance across industries with some (hospitality, tourism etc.) severely impacted and others much less so, leading to a range of responses. 1/3 of businesses adopted new technology -to stay viable, maintain market, deal with skill shortages etc. Working from home occupational and industry dependent.
During the pandemic, employers' engaging with all types of training increased between 2019 to 2020. This may be due to the new training requirements due to impact of pandemic; key areas were health and safety; infection control; and also computer skills/data literacy and customer service. Training predominantly in-house due to situation, online, and need for rapid response.
Summarised future training priorities. 20% indicated that training needs are now different then before pandemic, 1/3 need to increase training due to expansion, replacement of staff etc. Digitalisation has been increased to allow businesses to deliver products and services. Urgent need for digital upskilling - basic, cyber security and data analysis. Adaptability a key and training helps businesses recover and flourish.
A Q & A session with both Kira and Ian is then facilitated by Steve Davis.
The next session is with Dr. Geethani Nair, Sharon Robertson and Phil Clarke from IBSA Group. They present on 'imagining digital skills for manufacturing sector: an industry case study'. Sharon introduced the presenters and questions were used to ground the presentation. Geethani observed how technology is now present across all industries and the pandemic has accelerated the rate of adoption. Technology and automation changes work and requires digital training solutions. A National digital skills priorities need to be identified and supported. Phil described how a qualification was developed which were different from the usual training package development process. Industry 4.0 demands digital fluency, not just digital literacy. Manufacturing requires upskilling due to increase in automation, AI. In Aotearoa, by 2030 manufacturing requires high levels of digital skills including coding, cloud computing etc. to use work tools and processes. There is more information on digital literacy but digital fluency is different. Digital fluency means they are able to create new tools etc. not just use the platform or tool. Digital literacy is the foundation. Need to move beyond novice, advanced beginner and capable to being proficient and lead.. That is, capable of understanding when and why to use various forms of digital technologies.
Outlined the project beginning with a literature review which informed a survey and interviews and the conduct of a pilot project. Findings include concerns expressed by employers (lack of training, inadequate focus on interpersonal skills, fear of interacting with digital interfaces). This work will help to inform the development of the development of a digital fluency framework/standard. Skill clusters involved include solution collaboration/communication, information data and cyber fluency. Next steps are to trial the standards through a pilot. Collaborate with a university to contextualise self-assessment tools, conduct workshops and pilot employers to co-design an timely skills-based approach to upskilling, and encourage organisations with employees working in the higher end of digital skills to participate in the pilot.
Followed by Craig Poole from TAFE Queensland who presents on 'vocational higher education postgraduate pathways: short cycle upskilling for employed VET graduates'. Rationale for the project include social and economic changes requiring VET graduates to continually upskill. As with previous presentation, skills for the future include communication, digital literacy, and problem solving. Disciplinary depth, ability across occupation, flexibility to apply expertise across teams and broader range of skills, values and behaviours required in all work. In general VET graduates in work prefer short course, micro-credentials, professional / vendor credentials, skill sets and MOOCs. Not just T-shaped profiles but pi- or comb-shaped as workers move through several different jobs and careers. These provide motivation for graduate certificates which are short, on-line and cover specific outcomes. Listed GCs that are currently popular for career changes, career extenders, professional COVID responders and 'discretionary students' looking for personal attainment. Detailed examples of vocational - graduate certificate pathways and summarised case studies. Advantages and disadvantages of the various pathways discussed. Small number of students at the moment. What is currently known is that there is motivation to undertake this pathway as it is a 'learn while you earn' model; challenges are aplenty including cultural and academic transition and workload; but supportive workplaces promote success. Shared the strategies being used to gather 'future students' to the programmes.
(Note to self - check slides do not have very small letters, making it difficult for audience to take notes - especially if they only have one small screen and have several windows open).
Another busy day with good range of presentations. The 'fleshing out' of 'future skills' across several presentations useful.
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