flexible learning in ACE

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Certificate IV in Assessment & Workplace Training - supported delivery

This scenario illustrates how tutors in metropolitan and regional centres use ICT to support the delivery of this certificate. The blend of paper based resources, classroom workshops, and email support enables Longbeach Place and the students achieve excellent outcomes.

Longbeach Place (former Chelsea Neighbourhood House)
Southern Westernport

E: anne@longbeachplace.org.au

Longbeach Place is located in the Melbourne bayside suburb, Chelsea. For some time now it has successfully delivered the Certificate IV in Assessment & Workplace Training.

The Certificate is delivered through a series of classroom based workshops. Although the program is delivered in a traditional way with face-to-face sessions, presentations and assignments regular contact between tutors and participants is via email. Most students also submit their assignments via email and receive feedback in this way as well. All students form the last two delivery instances had pre-existing email accounts and were familiar with the internet. Students also use the internet to explore sites related to adult education in Australia and use it to gain information for assignments.

This way of supporting students has been a gradual development and is related to increasing access to ICTs among this group. ICT is also seen as a key skill for teachers. As is acknowledged elsewhere, teachers routinely use the internet for research and to communicate with their managers and other teachers.The teachers delivering this Certificate are casual workers, that is, they (like their students) are only physically at the Longbeach for the workshops. Face - to - face contact outside of these times is difficult and special arrangements need to be made.

• More effective, immediate support for learners.
• Increases ICT skills within group.
• Students become familiar with essential government education sites.

AQTF. Both teachers have developed mechanisms for collecting the data from students so that it can be tracked for possible audit. For example, emails are exported to a text file and saved, a Windows folder is established for each student to hold all assignments, feedback sheets. All this can be transferred to CD and held by the provider but printouts still need to be done.

Privacy. Teachers request formal approval to include students on a general email list or on a private one (that, is as BCC).

Technology. Some students have unreliable internet access. To overcome this teachers also offer telephone support.

That, increasingly, students expect ICTs to support even traditional courses.

In 2002 Longbeach experimented with including a unit on e-learning into the Cert IV A&WT. This could not continue because of time and cost issues but is likely to be done once more under the yet to be endorsed Certificate IV in Training in Assessment.

Would be teachers are also encouraged to pursue ICT Skills training - possibly throughSWPLC's ICT Skills for Teachers (21335VIC).