workwrite program

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PTP Adult Learning and Employment Programs
Presenter Aleksandra Popovic B. Psych.,
B.Ed.PTP Senior Manager
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Presentation Objectives

• Brief overview of skills assessment
• Orientation to
• - the CAMERA assessment
• - Canadian Language
• Benchmarks Assessment

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What does this.
Friend of My Youth by Alice Munro I used to
dream about my mother, and though the details in
the dream varied, the surprise in it was always
the same. The dream stopped, I suppose because it
was too transparent in its hopefulness, too easy
in its forgiveness.
Alice Munro, Friend of My Youth, McClelland
Stewart Inc. Toronto, 1990.
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Memo To Faro Toys Employees From J. Lewes,
Plant Manager CC S. Frome, Office Manager Date
25/07/01 Re Waste Disposal Please note that a
number of accidents have occurred in the shipping
area as a result of waste materials not being
disposed of properly. In order to avoid any
further mishaps, the maintenance crew will
dispose of the waste materials tomorrow and then
set up new disposal containers. Finally, the area
will be posted with large signs outlining the
appropriate steps for disposal. We expect this
will reduce accidents in the area by as much as
50. Over the next 48 hours all employees will
be asked to avoid the shipping area to allow for
the cleanup to occur. I thank you for your
cooperation in helping Faro Toys address this
issue.
have in common with this?
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If you can do this.
42 Correcting Disagreements of Pronoun and
Antecedents Section 14, Essentials of
English Each of the following sentences contains
a disagreement of pronoun and antecedent. Enclose
the antecedent in parentheses and write the
correct pronoun above it. 1. Many authors and
thinkers have value even when wrong because it
prompts us to think for ourselves. 2. Many a man
ins not a thinker because their memory is too
good. 3. History repeats itself. 4. He watched
the hen gather its chicks 5. They call Fortune a
woman because it is fickle.
1991, 1983, 1971, 1961, by Barrons Educational
Series, Inc.
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can you do this?
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Are these skills ...
16. 7.29 28.306 4.6 17. 800 - 416 18. 0.067
x 0.08 19. 2 2/3 x 2 1/10 20. 27.68 ? 8
21. 2.5 ? 0.04 22. 6 2/5 ? 5 1/3 23.
Change 6.5 to a percent. 24. Change 75 to a
fraction 25. Change 3/5 to a percent. 26.
What percent of 16 is 20? 27. 8 is 2 of
what number?
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transferable to this activity?
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Now what about this?
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Definition of Assessment

• The process or means of evaluating an
  individuals knowledge or skills

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• Traditional assessment vsCompetency-based
  assessment

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Traditional assessment systems

• Possess most of the following characteristics
• associated to a course or programme
• parts of the programme are assessed by means of
  subjects
• parts of the programme are included in final
  examinations
• passing criteria are based on marking scales
• questions are ignored
• done within limited periods of time
• statistical comparisons are used

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Competency-based assessment

• Defined as a process with several large steps
• Setting of goals
• Collection of evidence
• Comparison of evidence
• with objectives
• Opinion formation
  (competent or
• not yet competent)

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• Competency-based assessments possess some of the
  following characteristics
• based on standards that describe the expected
  level of competency
• standards include criteria that provide details
  on what is considered a good job
• assessment is individual, no comparison among
  workers
• provides a judgement - competent or not yet
  competent
• done, preferably, in real working situations
• does not take a predetermined period of time, it
  is a process rather than a particular moment
• not subject to the completion of a specific
  training action
• includes the recognition of acquired competencies
  as a result of experience (recognition of prior
  learning)
• a tool for the orientation of subsequent learning
  that plays an important role in the development
  of skills and abilities

Source The Inter-American Centre for Knowledge
Development in Vocational Training
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Assessing Injured workers

• Where return to the workforce is the goal
  assessment information should consider
• What the worker needs to know and/or needs to do
  at work
• What kind of information the trainers need to
  have to program effectively

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• There is nothing wrong in teaching to the test
  as long as it is a good test.
• A.E. Gareth Hochlander. Performance Based Policy
  Options for Post Secondary Vocational Education,
  1988.

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Canadian Language Benchmarks

• What they are
• a 12-point scale of task-based language
  proficiency descriptors used to guide the
  teaching and assessment of ESL learners in Canada
  that describe ESL learners' successive levels of
  communicative achievement
• 1992 federal government initiative to support the
  language learning of new immigrants

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• CLB's 12 benchmarks are divided into 3 parts
• Stage I Basic Proficiency
• Stage II Intermediate Proficiency
• Stage III Advanced Proficiency
• Each benchmark is then described in terms of
  "can do" statements or "Performance
  Descriptors".

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• Because such descriptor systems focus on the
  successful completion of communicative tasks,
  rather than on a strict emphasis on correct
  linguistic forms, they have quickly gained in
  popularity among proponents of task-based
  language teaching.

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Sample Summary descriptor for Benchmark 5
Initial Intermediate Proficiency for writing

• Learner demonstrates initial ability in
  performing moderately complex writing tasks.
• Can effectively convey an idea, opinion, feeling
  or experience in a single paragraph.
• Can write short letters and notes on a familiar
  topic
• Can fill out extended application forms
• Can take simple dictation with occasional
  repetitions at a slow to normal rate of speech
• Can reproduce in writing simple information
  received orally or visually
• Can write down everyday phone messages
• Can complete a short routine report (usually on
  a form) on a familiar topic. etc.

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Essential Skills

• The ES are the skills needed for work, learning
  and life. They provide the foundation for
  learning all other skills and enable people to
  evolve with their jobs and adapt to workplace
  change. There are nine Essential Skills used in
  nearly every occupation and throughout daily life
  in different ways and at different levels of
  complexity.
• Reading Text
• Document Use
• Numeracy
• Writing
• Oral Communication
• Working with Others
• Continuous Learning
• Thinking Skills
• Computer Use

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Functional Context

• Attempts to reduce barriers between what is
  learned in the classroom and what is practiced
  outside of the classroom
• Limits scope of programming but increases depth
  of knowledge and skills within a defined range
• Aims for higher literacy transfer from specific
  to general

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PTPs Communications and Math Employment
Readiness Assessment

• CAMERA was designed to assess the learners
  literacy skills as they relate to entry-level
  positions in the retail, manufacturing, service,
  and clerical fields.

• Essential Skills
• Reading Text, Document Use, Writing, Numeracy

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CAMERA
Communications Math Employment Readiness
Assessment

• What it is
• valid, reliable standardized assessment
  instruments comprised of a series of pen and
  paper tests
• What it does
• provides students and trainers with information
  on
• placement level
• skill gaps
• areas of proficiency

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Materials needed for workforce literacy

• Placement assessment
• Curriculum guidelines
• Learning materials
• Informal in-class assessments
• Initial, interim, exit assessment

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PTPs workforce materials
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How PTPs workforce literacy and Essential Skills
programming works

• Utilizes meaningful materials for
  employment-oriented learners
• Integrates assessment and curriculum
• Program content relates directly to learner goal
• High exposure rate to workplace materials
• Provides placement, and diagnostic information
  through on-going assessment and exit evaluation
• Lends itself to integrated tasks and
  project-based learning geared to learner goal

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Learning Materials

• High exposure rate to workplace materials
• Demystifies workplace documents
• Builds on what is familiar
• Makes connections across documents
• Provides ample practice
• Addresses both skill building and knowledge

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Charts and Graphs
Numeracy
Labels Lists Directories
Personal Info Documenting problems Third-party
Daily Weekly Monthly
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Design elements
sensitive to literacy learners needs

• Flexible and progressive model at lower levels
• Progressively constructed tasks at higher levels
• Results given in concrete language
• Feedback includes areas of proficiency and areas
  to be developed

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CAMERA components
Placement
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Signposts instructional content

• What it is
• Signposts is CAMERA Systems curriculum guideline
  resource
• The purpose
• To help instructors select appropriate content
  and monitor skill development
• What it includes
• Content and materials to introduce to learners
• Instructional ideas for practising these skills
• Sample assessment activities

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Signposts development

• Selected representative occupations
• Analyzed and Synthesized over 800 examples by
  Essential Skill
• Reading Text, Document Use, Writing, Numeracy

44 Signposts
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Sample programming at different levels

• Stage 1
• Essential Skill Reading Text
• Read schedule of
• employee shifts and breaks
• Read benefit forms
• Read company bulletin
• Read notices concerning
• personnel matters
• Use directories organized
• alphabetically
• Read notes from
• co-worker/supervisor

• Stage 3
• Essential Skill Writing
• Write notes at meetings to record
• relevant facts
• Transfer information from forms to
• form letters
• Write reports from rough draft
• Create tables, charts to present
• information
• Give written opinion on a workplace
• issue
• Edit co-workers document

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Literacy and Essential Skills Programming
Increased motivation
Improved outcomes
Positive transfer
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Questions

• ?

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Aleksandra Popovic - 416-510-3266 ext.
23/aleks_at_ptp.cawww.ptp.ca