The VE design team were given an important task recently; to create 3 stand-alone skill sets to train industry workers. People working in retail, food handling and transport & logistics, can be trained on compliance policies and procedures to help stop the spread of COVID-19. An existing Basecomp unit (HLTINF001 – Comply with infection control policies and procedures) was used as a foundation. Basecomps were created by the VE design team as courses that can be contextualised and edited to be used across multiple programs. I’m going to recap how the team used this foundation and turned it into 3 stand-alone online and contextualised skill sets. Scope for the project: Skill sets must be contextualised to the industry Skill sets must be assessed online and in the workplace Skills sets contain the unit of competency HLTINFCOV001 and must include relevant information on COVID-19 and how to play an active-roll in decreasing the spread of the coronavirus Must be completed within 3 weeks. Assessment lead design As always, we started with assessment lead design. The assessments within the existing Basecomp unit called for ‘in-class activities’ with infection control procedures that would not be required for these industry workers. The practical assessments […]
Podcasting in VE
Podcasts are used by most of us. They’re (usually) free, easy, convenient and enjoyable. We can learn from them and listen to podcasts about our specific interests or favourite presenters while we are in transit, performing other tasks (washing the dishes while listening to a podcast is a personal favourite) or in thousands of other situations. So, can we use podcasting effectively in VE to improve the student experience? If so, what’s the most effective way? This blog is a look into podcasting research through the lens of application in VE. As a VE teacher, I always summarised critical content that I knew was important to prepare students for assessments and the industry. Early in 2019, I recorded two 7-min podcasts that summarised the previous six weeks of study. The students enjoyed the podcasts, asked for more in the future, and used them to help prepare for an upcoming assessment. As well as summarising content, within VE, podcasting could be used to interview industry representatives and subject matter experts. This creates a sustainable resource that, if appropriate, could be used for future cohorts while reducing lecture time. Abdous et al (2011) suggested that podcasting can be an effective study tool […]
Think Tank Series – Practical and sustainable technology solutions
Technological advancements continue to change the way students think, feel and interact with their education. Learning institutions must adapt to continue to engage with their students. Finding the right solution, however, isn’t always easy. Implementation can be costly, and with educational and technological trends evolving at such a rapid rate, is it possible to ensure long-term sustainability? In our latest bi-monthly VE design Think Tank series on July 25, we asked our expert panellists to tackle this question and more. “How can we achieve practical and sustainable technology solutions in VET, industry and skills training?” Our first speaker, Lindsay Rattray is the Associate Director of Learning Systems, Technologies and Innovation at Navitas and part-time DJ. He likens the implementation of a new learning system to the art of spinning records. First, a record must be selected. This is the planning phase. Before choosing a technology solution, the education provider must ask themselves several key questions: Are the tools open source? Are plug-ins well maintained? Are the features commonly used? Does the feature engage learners? Once the record has been selected, it’s time to set the stage – also known as the ‘preparing to use’ phase. Here, several more questions […]
