Overview
Real and model workplaces
| The team at E-learn Western Australia developed the Retail Certificate II - Sell products & services. They combined online assessment with practical assessments in real or model shops and businesses. Here is an edited interview with Frank Bate and Jean McNish. |
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Main role in online assessment
Online assessment approach
Challenges
Success factors
Rear view mirror
Main roles in online assessment
We were involved in all stages of the project – including delivery.
Online assessment approach
The general approach was to develop a good deal of formative assessment
opportunities in the Toolbox but, as the CEO of
National Wholesale, Retail and Personal Services Industry Training Council
(WRAPS) kept on reminding us, an assessment had to take place in the workplace
or simulated
workplace.
We wanted to integrate into an overall assessment plan:
- good formative activities
- some form of communication to leverage off the collaborative environment
- peer to peer
- peer to teacher
- face-to-face assessment - at the end of the day we acknowledged that if we were going to sign people off as competent we were going to have to put into place some sort of face-to-face assessment tool.
Challenges
The main challenge was the breadth of the retail area from small businesses through to large corporations.
- We were also aware that there was a huge VET in schools component of this retail area.
- There were the differences in the learners’ learning capacity and physical ability.
- And we had two fairly strong people from the ITAB on our reference team who required some management.
Success factors
The factors that contributed to achieving the right assessment approach included:
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roleplay
-
having a range of activities and tasks
-
building in strong visual feedback
-
integrating online communication with tasks.
Rear view mirror
What would we do differently?
-
look at ways of improving communication between developers and content expert
-
provide better PD upfront (eg People like us … CD)
-
provide more structured direction for reviewers
-
look at reusable learning objects
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consider accessibility issues
-
build in upfront assessment in Toolboxes (possibly)
What would we continue to do?
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wrap technology within an educational focus
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look at educational design options
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continue to use a process of exploration – use expertise and IP
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listen to content person – who will know learners
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pick content people carefully (make sure they know client group and variables)
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offer PD upfront and put good instructional designers with content expert
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provide ongoing timely PD
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integrate assessment through development.
