Case Study - Using the NRS in a course using accredited curricula

Develop the curriculum and assessment process

The ten learners selected for this program are a fairly mixed group. Their ages range from 23 to 46 years. There are six women and four men. About half the class have language backgrounds other than English but many were born in Australia or have been here more than ten years. They all have native like fluency in spoken English. Most have had checkered education and employment backgrounds. Most, if they have been employed have had unskilled jobs, suffered retrenchment or injury which precludes them from returning to former jobs. Few completed any form of formal education or training but many would like to.

Having selected the learners for the group the curriculum or detailed learning strategies and the formative and summative assessment processes can be planned.

Develop learning strategies such as methodologies, materials, activities and sequences

The Certificates of General Education for Adults describe a flexible curriculum framework which can be delivered as stand alone modules or by integrating outcomes across content areas or themes. A provider may develop a thematic approach to the delivery of Reading, Writing, Oral Communication and Numeracy streams. The General Curriculum Options are used as the organisational structure for the development of competencies for the other three streams.

This provider teaches an integrated Certificate. The teacher chooses a content area or series of themes on which to base the course and assembles texts, audio visual and other materials for use in the classroom.

Adopt appropriate assessment processes.

Assessment processes are linked directly to the accreditation documentation. In this case the provider chooses to follow the Certificates of General Education for Adults. The accreditation documentation has adopted similar Assessment Principles to the NRS and adopts an Assessment Strategy. It outlines assessment criteria, conditions of assessment and some examples of assessment tasks for each module.

The Certificates of General Education for Adults Assessment Strategy

A range of assessment methods should be used to enable students to demonstrate competence in the learning outcomes within this Curriculum. Assessment methods include but are not restricted to:

Student self assessment

Teacher observation

Reflective work journals

Oral presentations

Oral explanation of text

Written text

Physical demonstration of understanding written or oral text

Discussion

Debates

Role plays

Folios of tasks or investigations

Performing practical task

Although not always possible, it is preferable for assessment tasks/activities to integrate more than one learning outcome. This enables assessment to be more easily integrated into learning activities and accepts the integrated nature of literacy , numeracy and the key competencies.

Assessment may take place in group activities, in pair work or individual work.

Sample assessment tasks/activities are listed in the learning outcomes details.

The provider is still faced with deciding what assessments methods to adopt and how to document the assessment process, that is, how to collect evidence to ensure that the assessments from this course can be comparable with other assessments conducted within the curriculum or with other language, literacy and numeracy programs.

This provider has decided to sequence activities in the class around themes of general interest to the students and the develop assessment tasks which integrate learning outcomes from each macro skill and across streams where possible. Each group of assessment tasks and the student performance are then included, after discussion between the teacher and student in a portfolio with a cover sheet as evidence of the achievement of the Competencies. The overall portfolio can then be assessed holistically and can document multiple assessments of competencies, ensure diverse contexts (streams) are covered and the requirements of the Certificate are met.

Identify stages in the sequences of learning for reaching expected performance levels (summative assessment)

A sequence of sessions, developed as part of the General Curriculum Options (modules 1.4 and 2.4), has been looking at places of interest in Melbourne. This has involved some work on location and using maps and giving directions. Classroom activities involve reading, writing, oral communication and numeracy.

If an NRS report is required, a translation statement can be used. The statement is reproduced for Certificate 1 in General Education for Adults (Foundation) below. The translation statements are not a direct match from one system to the other so that depending on the curriculum content and the assessment tasks the learner may perform above or below the NRS Indicators. The General Curriculum Options are not included in the Translation Statement but may be quite rich in language, literacy and numeracy activities.

Certificates 1 in General Education for Adults (Foundation) Reading and Writing Modules	NRS – Indicators of Competence Level 3 These can be mapped to Aspects of Communication
2.5, 2.6, 2.7 and 2.8	3.1 Reads and interprets text of some complexity, integrating (where relevant) a number of pieces of information in order to generate meaning
2.5, 2.6, 2.7 and 2.8	3.2 Displays awareness of purpose of text, including unstated meaning.
2.6, 2.7 and 2.8	3.3 Interprets and extrapolates from texts containing data which is unambiguously presented in graphic, diagrammatic, formatted or visual form
2..1, 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4	3.4 Communicates relationships between ideas through selecting and using grammatical structures and notations which are appropriate to the purpose.
2..1, 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4	3.5 Produces and sequences paragraphs according to purpose of text

Certificates 1 in General Education for Adults (Foundation) Oral Communication Modules	NRS – Indicators of Competence Level 2 These can be mapped to Aspects of Communication
2.2 Use and responds to spoken language in short transactions in familiar contexts	3.6 Participates in short transactions, using basic generic structures, for the purpose of exchanging or obtaining goods and services ; or gathering/providing information..
2.3 Use and respond to spoken language in discussions to explore issues or solve problems	3.7 Takes part in short transactional exchanges, demonstrating some awareness of register and interactional strategies, for the purpose of establishing, maintaining and developing relationships; exploring issues; or problem solving.
2.1 Demonstrate meaning has been gained from oral texts which may include some unfamiliar aspects	3.8 Derives meaning from sustained oral texts

Certificates 1 in General Education for Adults (Foundation) Numeracy Modules	NRS – Indicators of Competence Level 2 These can be mapped to Aspects of Communication
Exit level 2	2.9 Locates relevant mathematical information in a familiar real life activity or text
	2.10 Selects and uses straight forward mathematical actions in familiar and predictable contexts
	2.11 Uses estimation and prior experience to examine purpose and check reasonableness of the process and outcomes of mathematical activity
	2.12 Uses oral and written informal and formal language and representation including some symbols and diagrams to communicate mathematically

Task description:

Use tourist map of Melbourne and the Melways to follow the instruction.(Maps and instructions attached) Work as a group to select a location and prepare to give an oral presentation to the class explaining your set of directions.

Background to the instruction:
Learners have been working in groups to investigate places of interest in Melbourne.

Instructions for the task.
The instructions are in writing.
Using the copy of the tourist map

Plot the route that passes some interesting places during our three and half hour excursion of Melbourne

Sketch this route on another piece of paper to make a new map

On this new map, show how far you would be travelling between each place (use the Melways to help you)

Talk together about how to tell the class about the route and how to show them where to go on their own tourist maps

Give the information about your map to the class

The teacher identified that the task demonstrated Certificates of General Education for Adults Learning Outcomes:

2.4 Numeracy for Personal Organisation
Can interpret and use everyday language and symbols of location and direction to give and follow oral and written directions

2.4 General Curriculum Options
Can work with others and in teams

The General Curriculum Option Module hides significant reading, writing and communication competence. Manual translating of GCO tasks to the NRS is therefore recommended if the NRS Indicators of Competence are to be used for accountability or for reporting.

The Numeracy Modules are not officially translated to the NRS so translation statement can only be used when reporting the learning outcomes of a whole module, that is all the learning outcomes at the level.

Using the Translation Statement with this example the student would not achieve an NRS Indicator of Competence.