Training, Assessment, and Certification:Lawn Mowing

Allan Bateson, Ph.D.Will Dardick, Ph.D.Craig Kaml, Ed.D.

The Industrial Revolution

• Education, training and testing for the last century– Industrialized education for industry• One size fits all• Moderate skill level for 30 years of industry

Next Revolution

• Not just the digital age for education – New methods for training and testing

• Breaks the classroom model– Technology– Analysis

• Target what we need to do and know– Half life – Workers stay 3-5 years, not 30

Glimpse of the Future

• K-12 & college online• Homeschooling

• Evidence Centered Design• Diagnostic Testing

• Quality Standards: ANSI 17024/2659• Quality Content: Analysis Methods

A Process Approach

• Identify and analyze the job– Lawn mowing – other home maintenance activities?

• Blueprint for training/certification• Develop requirement training/certification• Develop/deliver training/certificate• Develop/deliver assessment/certification• Accredit certification program

Audience

• Need to clearly define who the research audience is.

• Helps to identify subject matter experts who participate in the JTA process.

• Outcome of the JTA process is valid for the studied audience.

Job Task Analysis

• Job - series of tasks.

• Task - an action designed to contribute a specified end result to the accomplishment of an objective.

Job Task Analysis• Defines a job in terms of:– Knowledge– Skills– Abilities

• Necessary to perform daily tasks. • Structured framework that deconstruct a job• Resulting in a report describing a job:– Independent of location – Across a specified group of people – Detailed list of all the tasks

Focus Group JTA Framework

• Facilitated workshop• Typically around 10-15 experts• Approximately 2.5-3 days• Systematically identify information about the

job• Validation of outcome through survey of the

larger professional community

JTA Report Structure Diagram

Knowledge, Skills, abilities, attributes, tools, equipment, resources, etc.

(Body of Knowledge)

Job Analysis

• Answers the question– “What must the person be able to do?”

• A job/task analysis (JTA) will help us answer the question

• Breaks the job down into specific duties and tasks to be performed

ExerciseJob task analysis – mowing the lawn

Identify:Audience

JobDutiesTasksSteps

KnowledgeSkillsTools

Report outsJob task analysis – mowing the lawn

Identify:Audience

JobDutiesTasksSteps

KnowledgeSkillsTools

A Completed Job/Task Analysis Chart:Lawn Mowing

Duty/Task Steps

Prepare the Yard

Review Requirements with Homeowner

Remove Toys and Furniture

Remove Impediments to Mower

Prepare the Mower

Check Oil Level Check Gas Level

Conduct Mechanical Check of Mower

Attach Grass Catcher

Cut the Grass Start the mower

Mow in predetermined pattern

Empty Grass Catcher

Shut Down Mower

Finish the Job Replace Toys and Furniture

Sweep/Blow Non-grass surfaces of Grass

Review Results with Homeowner

Schedule Next Visit

The Completed JTA

• Used to answer the question: – “How well must the worker be able to complete

the job requirements (performance standards)?”• More than KSA (still important)• The ability to ‘do’ a task

• Competent/expert workers provide input to set standards

Training & Certification

Training•Driver’s Training

•Sear•E-way•etc

Certification•State motor vehicle administration

Validation•Written•Performance

Knowledge, Skills, abilities, attributes, tools, equipment,

resources, etc.(Body of Knowledge)

JTA Results

Training and Certificates

• Use JTA as origin to build training• Can build KSA training– Communicate benefits of patterns– Explain what objects may constitute danger

• Strength is in development of task driven training– Training someone to do the work – The way expert workers conduct the work– Ex: Show participants how to check oil level

Assessment and Certification

• Use JTA as origin to build assessment• Knowledge & skills based assessments– What constitutes dangerous objects?

• Performance assessment– Check the gas level– Check the oil

Break out: Assessment

• How do you know someone can do the job?• Performance• Knowledge• Skills

• Outline Assessment Ideas

Accreditation

• Outside body assessing quality of a program– Training and testing standards

• Quality review: development & maintenance • Accreditation is voluntary oversight– Similar in spirit to university accreditation

Curriculum Framework

National Curriculum Standards Process1. Define audience

2. Conduct Job Task Analysis3. Create competency framework4. Identify competencies5. Identify sub competencies6. Create curriculum framework7. Map existing courses to curriculum framework8. Conduct content area-course gap analysis9. Depth analysis10. Course alignment with JTAs11. Course content review12. Course development/redevelopment

Agreement

• Its not the only way• It’s one of the acceptable methods & • the community has agreement

Questions?

JTA Report Sample