W o r k i n g f o r S c o t l a n d ’ s C o l l e g e s Core Skills Diagnostic Testing Joe Wilson

W o r k i n g f o r S c o t l a n d ’ s C o l l e g e s

Core Skills Diagnostic Testing

Joe Wilson


The context

Scotland

• Devolved Parliament from1st July 1999• Always had own legal and education

system. • Administered through The Scottish

Executive (government)


2001-2002

Number of colleges: 41 (46)

Number of students: 440,447

Total staff : 12,691

The infrastructure FE


What is Further Education

• Funded by Students Units of Measurement (SUMS)

• Curriculum generally follow National Qualification Framework from Scottish Qualifications Authority ( Schools and Further Education)


The Scottish further education colleges

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

300000

Full-timeFurther

Education

Part TimeFurther

Education

Full TimeHigher

Education

Part TimeHigher

Education

Students registered in FE colleges by level and mode, 1999 - 00


What are Core Skills

• National Target that everyone leaving School , Further Education or Higher Education will have a core skills profile

• Core Skills are built into the Scottish National Qualifications Framework


Scottish Credit & Qualifications Framework

Higher Degree

Honours degreeSVQ 5

Bachelors degree

Deg Yr 2 HNDSVQ 4

Deg Yr 1 Adv Higher HNC

Higher

SVQ 3

Intermediate 2 SVQ 2

Intermediate 1 SVQ 1

Access

Capability Competence


The Core Skills

• Communication

• Numeracy

• Information Technology

• Problem Solving

• Working with others


The Challenge

• Make sure students get on the course that meets their needs

• Find a way of doing this that is accessible, supports learners and the institutions


Project Objectives• To develop an innovative web-based or intranet based

online diagnostic tool which will enable the identification of individual strengths and weaknesses in three core skills, namely:

- Communication- Numeracy- Information Technology• To lead good practice through the creation of high quality,

robust assessment instruments which provide valid and reliable measures and will encourage consistency of standards across the sector and beyond

• To encourage collaboration and sharing of skill sets between the partner institutions and the private sector partner, with dissemination across the F.E. Sector


Benefits of project outputs• To promote and facilitate access to provision, thereby

increasing student participation in F.E.• To ensure that student programme selection is

appropriate, thus increasing retention and simplifying progression

• To prepare potential students for further study, including fast tracking

• To enhance guidance provision for all groups, including the excluded

• To support guidance and information provision for both college and community based students


Benefits of project outputs cont…Benefits of project outputs cont…To provide a “real time” tracking mechanism for core To provide a “real time” tracking mechanism for core skills within the National Qualifications frameworkskills within the National Qualifications frameworkTo assist articulation between a wide range of To assist articulation between a wide range of qualificationsqualificationsTo rationalise assessment procedures, while allowing To rationalise assessment procedures, while allowing for a client centred servicefor a client centred serviceTo clarify the structure and options for Core SkillsTo clarify the structure and options for Core SkillsTo foster individual learning plansTo foster individual learning plans


Project Partners

Clackmannan College (Lead College)

Cumbernauld College

Edinburgh’s Telford College

Falkirk College

Stevenson College

West Lothian College

PLATO Learning


Project Funding and Management

• Funded by Scottish Further Education Funding Council (£165,000)

• Managed by Scottish Further Education Unit

• Materials created through a partnership between the public and private sectors

• Plato (£61,000) contribution in kind


The PLATO Partnership

• PLATO (UK), Ltd.• The PLATO Web

Learning Network (PWLN) 2,000 hours of

courseware in core skills & work skills

Adult/young adult focus Powerful assessment &

prescription Aligned to standards

Supporting Consultation


Logic of the test

• Bob Foshay: Vice President PLATO – Tailored testing

• 7 questions covering all sub skills

• PONR (Point of no return)

• Further 3 questions if required

• Up,down or stay at level.


Feedback from Pilot

• Numeracy, Communication met with a positive response on the whole.

• Logic change

• Minor question changes

• Wording, skim reading etc

• IT changed – too long not online


SFEU-PLATO Partnership: |a “win-win-win-win”

• Goal: a complete solution for FE colleges & their clients

• Fully integrated program plan, curriculum structure, assessment, administration & finance plan


SFEU-PLATO Partnership

• National service to FE Colleges– SFEU-PLATO co-

development

• Facilitates implementation of standards throughout FE Colleges & workforce


A win-win-win-win

• Helps FE colleges tailor personal solutions for FE learners– Any time– Anywhere– Anyhow– “Just in time,” not “just in

case” learning

• Goal: technology transparency


Joe Wilson

Tel: 01786 892000Fax: 01786 892001

e-mail: [email protected] www.sfeu.ac.uk

Contact details

Documents

W o r k i n g f o r S c o t l a n d ’ s C o l l e g e s Core Skills Diagnostic Testing Joe Wilson