4-1 Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Education (Australia) Pty Ltd Hill, Hill, Perlitz, Professional Training & Assessment, 1e C HAPTER 4 TAEDEL502A Provide

4-1Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Education (Australia) Pty Ltd Hill, Hill, Perlitz, Professional Training & Assessment, 1e

CHAPTER 4

TAEDEL502A

Provide advanced facilitation practice


What constitutes ‘advanced practice’?

• Extending beyond basic facilitation practices

• Preparing for complex environments

• Preparing for learners with complex needs

• Developing independence in your learners

• Reflection to improve practice


Extending your practice

Update your knowledge of learning methods

What can you take from contemporary learning theories to use in your facilitation?


Extending your practice (cont.)

Maintain vocational and VET currency

Keep up-to-date with what’s happening in the world of adult education research

What’s new in your profession/trade? Stay relevant by staying current with emerging industry or sector trends and developments



Join a national or local VET association

Examples of associations include:

•Australian Institute of Training and Development

•Velg Training (formerly the Voc Ed Learning Group)

•Vocational Education and Training Industry Group

•LinkedIn (and associated groups within the LinkedIn network)

and

Join an association or organisation related to your profession/trade (e.g. Master Builders)



Be flexible, innovative and responsive

Don’t get ‘stuck in the mud’.

When things change, change with them—don’t fight against them!

Look for ways to innovate and work smarter, not harder.



Table 4.1 Factors affecting training practice

Micro factors Macro factors

Local employment conditions Broader economic outlook

Learner drop-out/non-attendance Changing regulator or legislative conditions

Local business environment Changes in government

Changing socioeconomics of the area Changes in funding levels

Local workforce disputes Changes in funding accessibility

Employee morale and motivation Industrial relations environment

Changes to the facilitation environment

Other learner needs



Constantly look at ways to improve

Reflect upon every session, always looking for ways to do better.

Keep a record of what you’ve found to refer back to later.


Complex learning environments

Complex environments for learning may include:

•workplaces undergoing change or conflict•different cultural contexts for the learner•correctional institutions•noisy or uncomfortable training locations


Complex learning environments (cont.)

Change and conflict in the workplace

Changes

Merger, take-over, downsizing, relocation, lay-offs, restructuring, departmental change

Conflict

Industrial disputes, hostile takeovers, internal factions



Differing cultural contexts

Difficulties where the cultural context is different from what the learner knows, e.g. where a heavy industry worker is placed into the PC environment of a public service office setting.



Correctional institutions

Prisons, detention centres or other facilities where people are legally detained.



Uncomfortable or extreme environments


Consulting with those ‘in the know’• Personnel from within your organisation:

– other facilitators who may have experience with these constraints or environments

– training manager– learning support staff

• Representatives from your client’s organisation:– other trainers – managers or supervisors – facilities managers– health and safety representatives– learners

• Specialists (e.g. external WHS advisors)


Review your strategies

Review and update your TAS (as required) to include your identified barriers or constraints and the resources or approaches required to address them


Learners with complex needs

• Disengaged learners• Learners with learning difficulties• Learners with disabilities


What causes ‘disengagement’?

• The training is not thought of as relevant or interesting

• Oppositional identity

• Lack of self-efficacy (self-belief)

• Inaccurate understanding of how to succeed

• Lack of aspiration

• Peer pressure

• Material is too easy or too hard

• Pace of instruction is too fast or too slow

• Complex ideas are being delivered

• Poor literacy or numeracy skills

• Limited vocabulary

• Insufficient background information about the material

• Being required to take tests and do homework


People with disabilities

• Hearing

• Sight

• Speech

• Coordination

• Mobility

• Other physical/dexterity impairment

• Learning difficulties


Learning difficulties

• Dyslexia

• Dysphasia/dysgraphia

• Dyscalculia

• Developmental Dyspraxia, and

• Non-verbal Learning Disability (NLD/NVLD)

• Language, literacy and numeracy development(covered in Chapter 6)


Supporting learners

Use your state and national resources to assist you to develop strategies

Learning Disabilities, at Australian Psychological Societywww.psychology.org.au/publications/tip_sheets/learning/ Learning Difficulties, at Learning Difficulties Australiawww.ldaustralia.org/ Vocational Education and Training Disability Support Service

(Queensland)http://training.qld.gov.au/training-organisations/support/dss.html


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Program structure and duration

Duration and delivery methods It is envisioned that this qualification will take no longer than 12 months to complete through

a combination of facilitated workshops and on-the-job experience. Learners will be required to participate in one learning support workshop (half-day) each week.

Trainer will visit learner in the workplace at least once per month to deliver on-the-job learning sessions, discuss issues and make assessment observations.

Learners will be supervised by on the job mentors for the duration of the program

Disability support o Disability support for hearing impaired learners will be provided via written lesson précis. o Learner mentors will be provided with information regarding extra support required for

hearing impaired leaners

Course structure For ease of training delivery and assessment, the qualification units have been clustered into 3

main categories as follows:

Cluster Units of competency

Business Operations BSBMGT515A BSBMGT516C BSBOHS509A BSBRKS501A BSBPMG510A

Manage operational plan Facilitate continuous

improvement Ensure a safe workplace Manage risk Manage projects

Business Finance BSBFIM501A Manage budgets/financial plans

Human Resource Management BSBMGT502B BSBWOR502B

Manage people performance Ensure team effectiveness

Resources Resources required to deliver the training include access to: Workplace documents such as policies, procedures, wages and awards information, industry

association alerts Health and safety equipment Office equipment such as computers, printers, scanners, photocopiers Printed versions of all audio/verbal presentations Meeting room/board room facilities for staff meetings and/or training sessions Park operational equipment including rides, machinery rooms, vehicles, animal enclosures and so on ...


Supporting learners

Refer to Table 4.3 ‘Examples of adjustments to learning materials to suit learners with disabilities’ in your book (pages 120-1)


Learner independence

Learner independence is also commonly known as learner autonomy, independent learning, lifelong learning, learning to learn or thinking skills. (Sinclair, 2001)

We develop learner independence through enhancing experiences, addressing barriers and establishing enabling processes.


Enhancing experiences

Use differing styles of facilitation•demonstration/modelling•guided instruction•presentations/lectures (including interactive lectures)•guided facilitation of activities/group work/case studies•initiating and facilitating group discussions•brainstorming activities•providing and guiding practice opportunities•inclusive practice•learning-by-teaching•collaborative or individual learning activities and projects•coaching/mentoring/tutoring•blended learning (combinations of styles)


Addressing barriersInternal barriers to learning

•Fear of being judged or fear of failure, including peer

or cultural pressures relating to undertaking learning.•Personal prejudices, beliefs and habits that can result

in the inability to accept the perspective of others•Language, literacy and numeracy skills•Level of education


Addressing barriers (cont.)External barriers to learning•Fear for personal safety (e.g. bullying)

•Age (effects of getting older, e.g. loss of hearing, failing eyesight or reduced physical strength, dexterity, agility and mobility)

•Physical health

•Emotional and psychological health, personal fears and anxieties

•Cultural expectations and norms

•External motivators, such as where failing to attend results in loss of payments or employment

•Communication (you and others around you)


Developing independence

We are aiming to achieve a situation in which learners

•set their own aims and goals for learning

•choose how they want to learn, understanding what is most effective for their personal learning style

•plan and organise their own study and work effectively

•organise themselves and set time to learn

•learn through experiences and practical application

•identify and solve problems for themselves or identify their own weakness and include collaboration

•think creatively (develop abstract thought) and communicate effectively

•assess their own progress in relation to their learning goals


Developing independence (cont.)

Enabling development of autonomy: teaching how to learn

Without guidance or facilitation a learner may never make the step from directed to self-directed learning.

Lowry (1989) summarises the work of several authors on how educators can enable self-directed learning. This framework for teaching how to learn is found on pages 126-7 of your textbook.


Reflection for improvement

• Seek input from others about our teaching, facilitation and learning practices

• Review your practices to identify opportunities for improvement

• Implement your improvement plan—review and adjust as required


Seeking feedbackRelevant others who can provide useful feedback

•Other facilitators, such as those within your professional network

•Your manager or supervisor

•Other training or assessment staff

•Participants/learners

•Clients

•Mentors or coaches

•Professional development personnel

•Professional association representatives

•The education faculty staff of universities


Review your performance

What went well, and what could have gone better?

What do I need to do to improve this?

Which strategies/approaches/resources were well received, and which were not?

How can I improve them?

Could they have been MORE effective?

What extra resources could I have used/do I need?


Review your performance (cont.)

Communication is key!

Facilitation hinges, almost exclusively, on how well you communicate.

Most facilitators will review their overall performance and look at contributing factors, but don’t always spend the time to actually look critically at their communication skills.


Creating an improvement plan

• Document feedback received

• Document personal reflections

• Develop strategies for improvement

• Set SMART goals


Implementing the improvement plan

• Implement

• Review

• Adjust as needed

Documents

4-1 Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Education (Australia) Pty Ltd Hill, Hill, Perlitz, Professional Training & Assessment, 1e C HAPTER 4 TAEDEL502A Provide