a Developmental Learning Strategy for Training Packages

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a Developmental Learning Strategy for Training
Packages
http//linkup.tafesa.edu.au
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Employability Skills in Training Packages

• To emphasise the importance of Employability
  Skills, they have been explicitly embedded in all
  Training Packages and must be assessed and
  reported
• Trainers are responsible for
• learning and development ensuring graduates
  develop knowledge of AND competence in the
  Employability Skills
• integrated assessment assessing Employability
  Skills in an integrated manner with technical
  skills as part of Units of Competency

is a
system specifically designed to support learning
and development ( prepare students for
integrated assessments)
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History of LINKup

• 1991 Action Research commenced at Tea Tree
  Gully TAFE
• Driven by educational vision
• Influenced by acclaimed worlds best model of
  generic skills assessment Alverno College, USA.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
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History of LINKup

• 2001 10 years later LINKup achieved
  international recognition when benchmarked
  against Alverno model

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
June, 2001
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History of LINKup

• Focus on effective practical implementation
• Years of action research continuous improvement
• Extensive stakeholder involvement - industry,
  VET, uni, academic researchers, students, staff,
  international experts, Training Package
  developers, national policy staff etc
• Subject of numerous research reviews case
  studies
• Trialled in VET, University, Workplace contexts
  and School VET contexts

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WHAT is LINKup?

• LINKup is a new specially designed development
  strategy for Employability Skills
• Research tells us such new approaches are
  necessary for the development and assessment of
  generic skills
• traditional methods are not effective.

Employability Skills differ quite dramatically
from technical or the doing skills both in
nature and the way they are developed(2007,
Allen Consulting Group, p11)
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WHAT is LINKup?

• LINKups exclusive Validated Self Assessment is
  a learner-centred developmental system designed
  to
• (i) inform people about Employability Skills AND
• (ii) improve competence in these skills

Assessing employability skills is a pedagogical
activity, naturally linked to learning strategies
for developing employability skills.(2007,
National Quality Council)
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WHAT is LINKup?

• LINKup has added an educational focus to the
  Employability Skills framework by means of its
  Validated Self Assessment (VSA) process.
• VSA forms are specifically designed to provide a
  developmental learning process for students.

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LINKup Online
The comprehensive LINKup website provides
EVERYTHING you need including many interactive
multimedia resources !! http//linkup.tafesa.edu.a
u
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LINKup Developmental Learning Features
(1) Validated Self Assessment

• Self assessment ensures students develop
  comprehensive knowledge and understanding of
  these skills.
• Employability Skills must always be demonstrated
  integral with technical skills to ensure
  authentic performance of these skills.
• Self assessments are validated by an appropriate
  assessor to ensure validity and reliability of
  the learners understanding and competence.
• Validation provides perfect opportunities for
  trainers to provide developmental feedback and
  support to the learner.

Of all the strategies evaluated the validated
self assessment approach provides the greatest
value to the learner (2007, Allen Consulting
Group, p40)
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LINKup Developmental Learning Features
(1) Validated Self Assessment

• Self assessment involves systematic analysis of
  Employability Skills performed in authentic
  activities to better understand these skills.
• This helps people to more consciously and
  methodically synthesise these skills with
  technical skills in new contexts (ie
  transferability).
• Employability Skills facets have been unpacked
  and systematically incorporated into self
  assessment tools to support this analysis and
  learning.

Use reflection and self assessment in the
development and recognition of employability
skills.(2007, National Quality Council)
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LINKup Developmental Learning Features
(1) Validated Self Assessment

• Features and benefits include
• Learner-centred based on self assessment to
  inform and empower learners
• Systematic educationally designed developmental
  framework
• Authentic based on analysis of demonstrated
  holistic performance
• Generic assessment strategy nurtures
  transferability of skills
• Efficient and effective one consistent
  easy-to-use strategy
• Universal anywhere, anytime, any context
  (future workplaces etc)

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LINKup Developmental Learning Features
(2) Define Plan Implement Evaluate process

• Performing an Employability Skill is a process
• LINKup has organised facets into a
  developmental process of defining, planning,
  implementing evaluating each Employability
  Skill in authentic activities.
• This offers students a systematic learning
  experience rather than merely an assessment
  checklist.

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LINKup Developmental Learning Features
(3) Dimensions of Competency

• Facets can be performed at different Dimensions
  of Competency representing different levels of
  self directedness.
• LINKup has defined all facets at 3 Levels (based
  directly on these Dimensions of Competency)
  creating a meaningful framework for analysing,
  understanding and performing these skills in
  different contexts.
• Students say this helps them make sense of the
  different ways of applying these skills.

Use the four skill areas known as dimensions of
competency to create a holistic image of the
competent individual and to identify which
employability skills could be unpacked into
learning and assessment activities.(2007,
National Quality Council)
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LINKup Developmental Learning Features
(3) Dimensions of Competency
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The secret to implementing LINKup is
Validated Self Assessment forms
Incorporating (1) Validated Self Assessment (2)
Define Plan Implement Evaluate process (3)
Self-directedness Performance Level Framework
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LINKup Validated Self Assessment Forms
Validated Self Assessment
Dimensions of Competency Levels
Define Plan Implement Evaluate Process
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LINKup Validated Self Assessment Forms
New Online Interactive VSA Forms same
developmental processes PLUS lots of additional
multimedia help
Example Evidence Statements
Fill-out Online
Audio Help tracks
Simplified Performance Criteria Layout
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HOW to use LINKup in Training Packages
Employability Skills facets required to be
assessed for this qualification
Map facets to Dimensions of Competency Levels
and use LINKup self assessments throughout
training to nurture development

• eg. Employability Skills Summary SIT40107 Cert
  IV in Tourism (Guiding)

Dimensions of Competency LINKup Performance
Levels
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LINKup Individualised Profiling

• Mandatory descriptive reporting provides a
  summary of Employability Skills customised to a
  particular qualification and industry but not to
  the individual therefore it is recommended that
  students generate their own portfolios.
• LINKup helps students generate their own
  individualised Employability Skills profile
• Full details of all Validated Self Assessments
  are recorded for each student (in the same way
  their technical achievements are recorded).

LINKup can generate individualised validated
Employability Skills profiles
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LINKup Individualised Profiling

• Completion of VSAs for all facets identified in
  the Employability Skills Summary is a
  confirmation of readiness/capability to perform
  integral assessments for a qualification.
• LINKup provides ongoing opportunities for self
  assessment and development of Employability
  Skills for each individual learner until they
  achieve the necessary level of understanding and
  competence for the qualification essential for
  an effective developmental learning system.
• Helps graduates develop portfolios of evidence
  for job interviews and helps employers in the
  recruiting process.

Employers would be able to draw upon detailed,
validated information about learners skills
(p40, The Allen Consulting Group, 2006)
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LINKup Individualised Profiling
Dimensions of Competency Levels
Employability Skills

• EXAMPLE
• VSMART computer-based student management system
  is designed to record all Employability Skills
  self assessments
• ( in addition to all other course
  assessments)

Descriptive Employability Skills Profile
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• Using LINKup
• LINKup is comprehensive yet easy to
  implement because it
• has been deliberately designed as a developmental
  learning process
• uses a common self assessment process for all
  Employability Skills
• can be applied anywhere anytime any context
• For further information see LINKup website

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Bibliography

• National Quality Council 2007, produced by John
  Mitchell Associates, The model for assessing
  and reporting employability skills
• The Allen Consulting Group 2006, Assessment and
  Reporting of Employability Skills in Training
  Packages, Report to Department of Education,
  Science and Training, Melbourne, March.
• Precision Consultancy, 2006, Employability Skills
  From Framework to Practice, Department of
  Education, Science and Training, Canberra