Professional development workshop series

Online 40 pax. Time: 60 mins

Date: 10am (ACDT), Wednesday 8th November 2023

This session will provide an overview of the OARS platform and available reporting options. In this session, we will review best practice for managing data in the platform. This session is targeted to end-user administrators. A Q&A session will follow the presentation.

Online 40 pax. Time: 60 mins

Date: 10:30am (ACDT), Wednesday 6th December 2023

An introduction to ACER’s new public Application Programming Interface (API) which allows end-user organisations to link their existing Student Management System or CRM with the OARS platform. This session is targeted to ICT stakeholders within end-user organisations. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask integration questions and request access to the documentation.

Online 40 pax. Time: 120 mins

Date: 10am (ACDT), Wednesday 28th February 2024

This introductory session is aimed at VET practitioners who want to know more about the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF), the Australian standards for adult literacy and numeracy. The session will cover:

• What is the ACSF?
• Background and Intro to the ACSF and its structure
• Working/exit levels – continuum of development
• What do the ACSF levels mean?
• The all important ACSF levels 1, 2 & 3
• Some sample assessment tasks.

Note: the session is not targeted at LLN specialists, except as a refresher.

Activities: The webinar will be interactive, with participants being asked to respond to a range of issues, prompts, stimuli and questions related to interpreting, understanding and applying the ACSF to their training and in order to better support their learners. There is also the opportunity for discussions and to ask questions.

Online 40 pax. Time: 120 mins

Date: 10am (ACDT), Wednesday 13th March 2024

This presentation will highlight a number of issues related to how mathematics and numeracy are crucial, underpinning skills increasingly required in the C21st, and will impact directly on youth and adults as individuals, workers and citizens. Dave will share his insights into numeracy/mathematics skills, trends and research gained from his extensive experiences in working in different workplaces, in adult education and training and in national and international numeracy research. Evidence exists to show that numeracy should be made a priority, and that it is vital to build the foundational numeracy and mathematics skills that work and life in the C21st requires. The webinar will include some suggestions for numeracy teaching support strategies.

Activities: The webinar will be interactive, with participants being asked to respond to a range of issues, related to understanding the role and importance of numeracy, and understanding the challenges and issues related to supporting learners in their numeracy skill development. Whilst some hands-on activities and games are not practical for online delivery, a range of different approaches and activities will be demonstrated, and participants will be able to use them in their own teaching in a hands-on, face-to-face situation. There is also the opportunity for discussions and to ask questions.

Online 40 pax. Time: 90 mins

Date: 10am (ACDT), Wednesday 27th March 2024

This webinar will provide insights and knowledge about digital literacy and the relevance and application of digital literacy in our teaching. It will also provide an introduction and overview of the new Digital Literacy core skill, which sits beside the other foundation skills in the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF). Earlier in 2020, the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) commissioned the development of the Digital Literacy Skills Framework (DLSF). In this new framework, Digital Literacy refers to the skills needed to use digital technologies to achieve personal goals, enhance employability and support education and training. Digital Literacy covers the physical operations of digital devices and the software operations in those devices. It incorporates the ability to search and navigate, create, communicate and collaborate, think critically, analyse information, and address security, safety and wellbeing issues when using a variety of digital technologies. These skills are essential for individuals to participate effectively in today’s society.

Activities: The webinar will be interactive, with participants being asked to respond to a range of issues, prompts, stimuli and questions related to interpreting, understanding and applying the DLSF to their training and in order to better support their learners. There is also the opportunity for discussions and to ask questions.

Online 40 pax. Time: 90 mins

Date: 10am (ACST), Wednesday 10th April 2024

This webinar will first outline the major changes and enhancements implemented for the 2019 version of the Foundation Skills training package (FSK) qualifications and units, and then work through the structure and content of the FSK, and participants can consider how they might best utilise the FSK for their RTO’s training purposes.

Key points covered in the webinar will include:

• The purposes of the FSK
• The changes to the structure of the FSK, including of the qualifications and units
• How to best utilise the FSK for your training purposes.

Activities: The webinar will be interactive, with participants being asked to respond to a range of issues and questions related to interpreting, understanding and applying the FSK to their training in order to better support their learners. There is also the opportunity for discussions in smaller groups, and to ask questions.

Face-to-face workshop. 40 pax. Time: 6 hours (incl. breaks)

Date: 10am (ACST), Wednesday 1st May 2024

Venue: Education Development Centre (G.11B)

This hands-on, face-to-face workshop will support trainers and educators to address LLN (and D) skills in their VET training. It will incorporate interpreting, understanding and applying the ACSF and the FSK including interpreting and understanding the data from pre-training LLN assessments and how to map LLN skills and ACSF levels to your vocational and educational qualifications. This session will include the following content:

• Part 1: Why LLN (and D) is a critical issue for education and training - Activities: Presentation about research in the LLND space, and small group discussions related to LLND issues and challenges of participant’s learner’s LLND skills.
• Part 2: The critical role(s) of the ACSF - Activities: The purposes and critical roles of the ACSF; key elements of the ACSF; Mapping assessment questions and tasks to ACSF levels.
• Part 3: Interpreting LLN requirements of training qualifications - Activities: Small group activities about interpreting LLN (and D?) requirements of VET qualifications and units.
• Part 4: Utilising the FSK - Activities: Summary of the FSK; How to best map and match learner LLND skill gaps to the most appropriate FSK units.
• Part 5: Interpreting LLN assessments and matching to training requirements, qualifications and FSK support units - Activities: Reading and interpreting sample pre-training LLN assessment reports; Matching learners appropriately to LLN requirements of VET qualifications and finding the most appropriate FSK units.

Note: Some activities and hints re LLN strategies for VET practitioners to use with their learners will be integrated throughout.