EVALUATION

1
EVALUATION

• RIL PILOT PROGRAM

2
The Evaluation Questions

• The learning gain competency
• Assessors understanding before starting, after
  training and after application
• Assessor views of usefulness
• Usefulness of the complexity and volume of
  learning in reaching decisions
• Suggestions for improving

3
The Evaluation Questions

• The assessors training
• Assessors confidence before training, after
  training and after application
• Improvements for future training
• The discussion based assessment process (DBA)
• Assessors expectation and experience of DBA
• Each assessment tool - usefulness
• Students capacity to prepare for the DBA
• Students valuing of DBA

4
The Evaluation Questions

• Time / resource requirements
• Time taken to complete the assessments
• Constraints
• Improvements
• Overall
• Effectiveness and validity of assessment
• Confidence in process
• Applicability of process

5
Data Gathering

• Two assessor surveys
• Site reports
• Survey/interview 19 candidates
• Discussion with each pilot group
• Some observation of DBA process
• Examination of documentation

6
Data Gathering

• Discussion with other stakeholders
• Employers
• RTOs
• Job network providers
• OTTE representatives
• Two industry training board representatives

7
What Assessors Said

• Education and training value of assessing and
  recognizing informal learning
• Assessment model can be effectively carried out
  more so with modification
• DBA process works but needs further development
• Improved assessment questioning
• Moderation to improve consistency
• Better approach to volume of learning calculation

8
What Assessors Said

• The process tools were made to work but
• Adjust to reduce duplication
• Better guide for candidate preparation and
  evidence gathering
• Reduced paperwork
• Process can work for a range of candidates
• Results as valid as assessment within formal
  education and training

9
What Assessment Candidates Said

• Overall very positive
• Most understood the process
• Some expectation of credit into particular VET
  courses
• Mostly satisfied with discussion based assessment
• Able to demonstrate what they had learned
  informally
• All satisfied with the result

10
What Assessment Candidates Said

• All found value from the process
• Confirmed learning from a number of experiences
• Evidence to support entry to further courses
• Increased confidence to attempt further learning
• Something to show possible employers
• Many reported much greater awareness of of their
  learning and personal value

11
What Assessment Candidates Said

• Candidates suggestions for improvement
• More time to prepare for assessment
• Clearer communication about evidence to collect
  and relationship to further course entry
• Reduced paperwork
• Making language easier to read and understand

12
Other Stakeholders

• Employers
• Four of 5 employers saw usefulness of the
  assessment result and certificate to help decide
  on suitability for employment
• All employers could see value in assessing
  informal learning, but certificate language needs
  to indicate what candidates have done

13
Other Stakeholders

• Job network providers and RTOs
• Some suggested employers would value as an
  indication of employability skills
• Others said employers would only be interested in
  clear indication of industry competencies
  attained
• Still others suggested wording of the certificate
  to be more recognizable to employers
• Shared view that employers need to understand
  more about the RIL process assesses informal
  learning

14
Other Stakeholders

• OTTE and ITAB representatives
• Confirmed that the RIL process remains
  problematic not assessment against industry
  competency standards
• However some value seen in
• Possible indicator of fitness to enter VET
  courses without credit or advanced standing
• Link to RPL RCC process demonstrated capacity
  to identify the level to which candidates had
  operated

15
Conclusions and Recommendations

• Conclusions
• The RIL process worked to enable assessment
  against the learning gain unit
• Assessors and candidates value it
• High degree of assessor confidence in results

16
Conclusions and Recommendations

• Conclusions (cont)
• Potential to assist individuals to better
  understand their own learning capacity and gain
  confidence for further learning
• RIL processes and tools need modification to
  improve understanding and efficiency
• Training future assessors needs greater emphasis
  on practice

17
Conclusions and Recommendations

• Recommendations
• Greater emphasis on assisting people with clear
  disadvantages that have deterred them from
  participating in further education and training
• That the VQA re-work the assessor package to
  improve understanding and efficiency
• Continue to explore possible links of RIL
  assessment results with VET course entry and
  RPL/RCC
• Examine extension of RIL assessment to
  employability skills making it more useful to
  employers and job seekers