InVET Magazine 004

Jane Anderson How You Can Build your Personal Brand Through Storytelling

Australian VET’s Sector: Lost in Compliance PAGE 20

While Training is an Important Step, Culture Transformation is the Solution PAGE 18

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004 FROM COMPETENCIES TO CAPABILITIES The VET reform currently underway is another opportunity to shift our focus to quality outcomes for employers and learners. Preparation and competencies of our trainers and assessors is one of the strategic issues identified in several reviews of the VET sector during the last 10 years.

Perhaps the mindset of being complaint, based on the evidentiary demonstration of competencies differ, in most cases, from what competency is.

During more than a decade, we have turned the core competencies of trainers into rigid processes, standards and policies. We have judged these competencies by what sustained compliance, and we have spent less time on responding to the needs of a dynamic learning environment, and the perceptions of value for industry and learners.

Of course, we need to define the knowledge and skills necessary to perform the critical job of a VET trainer and assessor. But history is telling us that focusing on competencies alone is not enough. We need to establish a system within our organisations to obtain benefits from those core competencies and transfer those benefits to learners and industry.

Training and education in VET exist to support the world of work, which presents a degree of uncertainty, and our trainers must be prepared to perform their work and deal with the challenges they face today and in the future.

RTOs must build the capabilities of trainers and assessors to continuously adapt to learners’ needs in a changing environment. This approach can let trainers know that they must be committed to continual professional development to successfully create, innovate, lead, manage change and demonstrate an effect in VET. Javier Amaro

WHY FOCUS ON TRAINERS AND ASSESSORS’ CAPABILITIES?

By Javier Amaro.

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WHAT YOUR ASSEESSMENT MAPPING CAN REVEAL

HOW YOU CAN BUILD YOUR PERSONAL BRAND THROUGH STORYTELLING

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Page 8

ACTIVATE YOUR TRAINING VIDEOS!

BENEFITS OF EMBEDING LLN SUPPORT OVER DEFICIT TESTING AND SPECIAL SUPPORT PROGRAMS

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Page 13

THE VIRTUAL CLASSROOM -WHAT, WHO, WHEN, WHY?

by Denise Meyerson Page 16

TRAINERS ARE THE MOST CRITICAL FACTOR FOR THE SUCCESS OF TRAI

Why focus on trainers and assessors’ capabilities?

By Javier Amaro.

ASQA, the national VET regulator, has recently turned the compliance alarms on around the same issue, and defined trainers and assessors’ capabilities as a priority target for their regulatory work

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For several years, I havebeen alerting colleagues and leaders of RTOs about the need for better and more relevant training and professional development opportunities for trainersand assessors. I must admit, mypresentations in conferences, meetings and networking events have attracted no attention or produced the resonance required to deal with this issue as a sector.

ASQA, the national VET regulator, has recently turned the compliance alarms on around the same issue, anddefined trainers and assessors’ capabilities as a priority target for their regulatory work (Target Area 1 for ASQA’s Regulatory Strategy

2019-2021). According to the regulator the “...shortage in supply of appropriately skilled trainers and assessors and the need to upgrade the knowledge, skills and industry currency of the current workforce.” represents a major risk for the Australian VET system.

The gap between compliance and capabilities For RTOs, regulatory compliance is about achieving results aligned with the rules, specifications and standards established in the VET Quality Framework, and other relevant contracts that the RTO may have entered into with government bodies.

The focus of a regulatory audit is the results – the outcomes achieved by

the RTO. What are these outcomes?

In fact, competent graduates are the only outcome that matters to the VET sector.

RTOs must transfer the skills and knowledge students require to perform the tasks listed in the certificate or statement of attainment issued, to the current standard industry expectations.

How do trainers’ capabilities affect this outcome?

Trainers are the most critical factor for the success of training and assessment, simply because they execute training and assessment activities, and are accountable for competency judgements. Let’s analyse why and how trainers’ capabilities can affect the way

NING AND ASSESSMENT competent graduates are produced, based on our definitions above. The first concept is about “transferring skills and knowledge” to learners.

Trainers and assessors need the capabilities to design and deliver relevant training. Trainers need to be equipped with skills and knowledge in instructional design, adult learning principles, VET models (Training Packages), delivery methods to create participant-centred and work-based learning models that can turn VET training into an innovative experience.

The integrity of our qualifications rests on the assessment of competencies.

To make such judgement, trainers must apply skills and knowledge in competency-based assessments, principles of assessment, rules of evidence, use of assessment tools and assessment validations.

Vocational education and training history has evolved hand-in-hand with the use of innovative processes and technology. From Charles Allen’s “Show, Tell, Do, and Check” method, the use of Benjamin Blooms Taxonomy of learning, implementing Learning Management Systems (LMS), and the increasing use of mobile and virtual learning in more recent times, technology has been a critical tool to support learning. Trainers and assessors must be competent in these complex and technical skills and knowledge in the areas of instructional design, training delivery, competency assessmentand learning technologies..

Are the current trainers and assessors’ credentials a guarantee for these competencies?

Definitively no. Based on my personal experience working with trainers, there are significant gaps in the understanding of training packages, instructional design model, delivery modes and competency-based assessment principles. If we were required to do a risk assessment for the VET sector, these gaps in trainers’ capabilities would represent the highest risks to be managed.

According to ASQA, most of the non-compliances identified in audit are a direct result of the lack of these capabilities.

The main issues are related to using inappropriate assessment processes, not providing sufficient training to

support learning, using inappropriate delivery modes and inability to interpret training packages. Relevant professional development activities can contribute to address these gaps, to update and upskill trainers and assessors in knowledge and skills of competency-based training and assessment.

The only force that can defeat the current inertia and confusion around the compliance cloud is a better prepared workforce and, therefore, we must invest in the capabilities of trainers and assessors.

The integrity of our qualifications rests on the assessment of competencies. To make such judgement, trainers must apply skills and knowledge in competency-based assessments, principles of assessment, rules of evidence, use of assessment tools and validations.

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What your assessment mapping can reveal

by Anni Yaringa

Believe it or not, your mapping reveals a great deal about your assessment design practices. Other than the TAS, it’s one of the key documents I ask for when doing a review of assessment documentation.

The first thing I do when reviewing a mapping document is to look up the unit on www.training.gov.au and check that all the unit details have been accurately transferred to the mapping. That means all the elements and their performance criteria, all the main and sub bullet points in the performance evidence list, all the main and sub bullet points in the knowledge evidence list, and both the foundation skills and assessment conditions.

The last two in that list are often questioned. The answer is yes, regardless of whether they are noted as being incorporated in the performance criteria, if the foundation skills are listed in the unit of competence, they should be listed in your mapping document. Just because you have assessment criteria that address the performance criteria, doesn’t mean they also address the relevant foundation skills.

As for the assessment conditions, no, they don’t get mapped. However, the mapping document is where you make notes about how and where you demonstrate those conditions have been met. For example, if one of the conditions is about the qualification requirements of the assessor, your note would indicate where the assessor’s qualifications can be found.

Similarly, if a condition is that the assessment must be done in a specific context (eg in a workplace or simulated workplace), your note will probably explain how the workplace assessment is arranged or provide details of the simulated workplace.

Once I am confident all the unit details are listed in the mapping document, I look for “red flags” such as the following.

Ticks in the cross-referencing cells. This makes the mapping document just about useless. All it tells me is that the requirements of the unit have been

addressed somewhere in an assessment. It doesn’t tell me there is a specific assessment criteria and/or question being used to gain the evidence demonstrating each requirement. YES, every item in the left-hand column of your mapping document should be cross-referenced to one or more assessment criteria and/or question.

Once I am confident all the unit details are listed in the mapping document, I look for “red flags”

Individual unit requirements being cross-referenced to a large number of criteria in multiple assessment events. This often indicates the mapping is not accurate and that a check of the criteria shows many don’t actually address that particular unit requirement. It may also indicate over-assessment. When I see this, I settle in with a cuppa and methodically check each one.

Performance requirements being cross-referenced to knowledge assessments and vice versa. This can indicate inappropriate assessment methods. Yes, knowledge questions can be used to support the evidence of performance and the opposite is also true.

However, if the balance seems skewed in the wrong direction, it catches my eye and I dig deeper.

Question numbers in the mapping seeming to be random rather than roughly sequenced in the same way as the list of knowledge evidence requirements. This would cause me to take a closer look at the actual questions because it is often the result of using an old knowledge assessment (ie from a previous version of the unit) and retrospectively mapping it to the new unit. That’s not always a problem; the knowledge requirements may be the same or very similar. However, as often as not, the knowledge requirements have changed, or the original knowledge assessment wasn’t much good in the first place.

These are just a few things your mapping can reveal. My advice is to map thoroughly and accurately. Then the review/audit story is more likely to have a happy ending.

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How You Can Build Your Personal Brand Through Storytelling

By Jane Anderson

What’s your story? One of the most effective tools for educating your students is telling your story. The emotional connection it creates with your clients is powerful. People often make decisions based on feelings and things that inspire them. Storytelling is the perfect platform to engage and move your audience.

Dolan, authors of Hooked: How Leaders Can Engage and Inspire with Storytelling, emphasise that your stories must have a strong message. What is the purpose of your story?

What is your call to action? What do you want people to walk away with and what do you want them to do?

One of the best business stories I can think of is that of Don Meij, CEO of Domino’s Pizza. Meij began his career in the pizza industry as a delivery driver for Silvio’s Dial-A-Pizza in the 1980s. From this humble post, he steadily worked his way up the ranks, and was promoted to general manager when Silvio’s acquired Domino’s Pizza in 1993. He then became a successful Domino’s franchisee, building a network of 17 stores, which he sold in 2001. In 2002, he became Domino’s CEO. He is, to this day, the face of Domino’s Pizza.

You may be thinking you have no stories to tell.

The truth is, you are full of stories – you just need to record them! Keep a journal. Write down your thoughts or create a folder on your desktop and add to it regularly. Think about the obstacles you’ve faced and turning points in your career. What stories will engage your audience’s hearts and minds so they’ll want to work with you?

Meij’s story is so unique that people remember it. It’s part of his personal brand. People like to barrack for the underdog; it’s something most people can relate to and creates an emotional bond. You, too, can harness the power of storytelling to make an impact on your audience. The first thing you need to do is understand your why. Why do you do what you do? As Simon Sinek, author of Start With Why, says – you need to feel inspired to inspire others. Understand your purpose and your passion.

Then infuse that passion into your storytelling.

Bring it to life so others can tap into it and feel energised by it. Storytelling can give you a distinct advantage over your competitors. It can keep you front of mind and encourage your audience to act. But you must be strategic with your storytelling. Yamini Naidu and Gabrielle

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So many educators shy away from storytelling because they don’t want to be the centre of attention. I’m one of these people. It’s not in my nature to be in the spotlight all the time. But I understand that I need to put my reservations aside to make myself known. It’s part of my job.

I also need to do it to inspire my clients and help them feel at ease doing their own presentations. When you have your own personal brand to build, you must learn to be comfortable with putting yourself and your “why” out there.

So, where should you tell your stories? In your presentations, of course, but also in your blogs and podcasts. The “about us” page on your website and your social media posts are other great storytelling opportunities. Consider your message when deciding on your medium. Are you able to tell your story more effectively in writing, or would it have more impact if you delivered it verbally? What platform would your target audience be more receptive to?

We provide an independent forensic report of your current compliance status, plus a realistic, achievable, and easy to follow action plan

Determine audit objectives and scope.

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Pre-audit planning

During a teleconference or online meeting with key personnel from the RTO, our auditors will identify the primary objectives of the audit, based on the specific needs of the RTO.

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For example, an objective might be to determine readiness for a re-registration audit with the regulator; or to add a new training program to the RTO’s scope; checking the implementation of new systems, confirming the rectification of previous non-compliances.

Pre-audit evidence Students’ feedback collected through online surveys provides primary pre-audit evide.nce, and evidence sent by the RTO including: RTOs policies, procedures, marketing materials, training and assessment resources. (As per pre-audit evidence checklist agreed during the planning meeting.)

Audit findings report The RTO is provided with a detailed report including findings against the Standards, and list of recommendations including recovery actions (if required). The report is organised in two parts: audit findings and action plan.

Based on the audit objectives, our auditors conduct a risk assessment, which is critical in setting the final audit plan.

During the initialteleconference and further communications (if required) our consultant will interview the auditee to ask about activities or areas of concern that should be included in the scope of the audit (i.e. funding contracts, or previous audit results).

A final audit plan with full details of audit activities (including pre-audit evidence required) is presented andtdiscussed with the RTO prior to commencing the audit work.

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On-site audit

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The auditor will interview key personnel from the RTO, collect further documentation, observe the RTO’s operation and review internal records. An exit meeting is conducted to provide feedback to the auditee and highlight preliminary findings.

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During the audit, our auditor will conduct an entry meeting confirming audit objectives, scope, Standards and methods to be used to collect evidence during the site audit. Site audits for RTOs are conducted over one or two days (depending on scope).

Post audit follow-up A post audit follow-up teleconference is organised to discuss and evaluate the completion of the action plan, including rectifications (if required).

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RTO 30122

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INTERACTIVE VIDEOS ALLOW LEARNERS TO CONSUME THE VIDEOS IN

Activate Your TRAINING VIDEOS!

By Harish Rajagopalan

Interactive videos involve the learners in the training content by making the content tactile in addition to visual

Over the years, we have seen several innovations in the production and consumption of videos. These innovations have happened in both the artistic and technological aspects of videos.

Despite the innovations in video production hardware and software, video storage and distribution technologies, video consumption hardware and software, and video content itself, the video medium has chiefly served only the visual and auditory s enses of learners.

Therefore, consuming videos has continued to remain a p assive activity, where in the learners just sit back and watch the videos without getting involved in the content. As a result, the level of learner engagement generated by videos has been limited.

This blog post examines a new form of video, known as interactive

video, which can fix the passive nature of conventional videos.

In training, e ngagement is everything.

Learning happens through engagement, and engagement happens through the learners; involvement i n the training content.

display additional

information to

learners. While playing, the interactive videos will pause at predetermined positions to show the interactive elements to learners.

Interactive videos involve the learners in the training content by making the content tactile in addition to visual and auditory. This is achieved by the interactive elements included in the videos using special tools, which are covered later in this blog post.

Features

Consequently, learners no more passively view the videos, but they actively interact with the videos. There is no more one-way flow of information. It travels both ways. Due to this, learners enjoy a better learning experience and

the organization benefits from better

learning outcomes.

Overview

In interactive videos, you can add different types of interactive elements, such as quizzes, h yperlinks, surveys, and polls. You can also

The features of interactive videos allow learners to consume the videos in ways that were not possible in the past. Let's look at these features: Quizzing: In conventional training videos, there is no way to determine how much knowledge the learners have gained by watching the videos.

All you can know is whether the learners have viewed the videos or not, and how long they have viewed the videos. But, in interactive videos, you can add graded quizzes to gauge the knowledge gained by the learners.

Polls and surveys: In interactive videos, learners can immediately provide feedback on the quality of the videos, which is not possible in conventional videos. The feedback will help you quickly tweak the videos and address the feedback. The learners will appreciate your prompt actions.

Hyperlinks: In this era of 2 minutes microlearning nuggets, you need not cram your video with information.

Instead, you can create a lean video and provide hyperlinks to the nice-to-know content. So, learners will have the freedom to either go through those links immediately or park them for a later time. In addition, you can provide links to handouts and reference materials at the end of your interactive videos.

Interactive graphics: You can include interactive graphics, such as click to reveal, drag and drop, tabs etc., to help your learners consume content by interacting with the videos.

Process In the case of interactive videos, although the video development 10

WAYS THAT WERE NOT POSSIBLE IN THE PAST.

process does not change, the way you design integrate, , and publish

the videos will change.

Also, you need to plan more

development effort since you have to build the interactive content in addition to the video content. Your video storyboard should take into consideration the content and the placement o f interactive elements.

Within the video, identify the places where you want to include clickable areas, and make those areas look clickable by placing an icon. This will make the interactive areas obvious to the learners. The rest of the video development process will be similar to that of conventional videos.

Next, you will need a software tool t hat can make your video interactive.

Import the video into the tool, add interactive elements, and use the timeline feature to decide when the elements should appear in the video.

The tool will add a layer of interactivity on your video.

Next, publish and host the video to make it available to your learners.

Tools

One of the popular tools for developing interactive videos is Adobe Captivate 2019. You can import a video into Captivate either from your computer or from YouTube.

Camtasia will

also allow you to develop interactive videos. Articulate Storyline 360 is another option for developing interactive videos.

Conclusion The main purpose of interactive videos is to improve

the learning experience of learners.

The increase in the sources of digital distractions and the decrease in the attention span of learners poses a significant challenge to us Instructional Designers who are involved in the development of training materials.

Interactive video is one of the tools available at our disposal to make training materials engaging

for

learners.

Online Training Program Designed to address current issues and provide you an opportunity to interact!

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Source: Association for Talent Development (ATD) www.td.org

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Benefits of embedding LLN support over deficit testing and special support programs

By Chris Ward

“The RTO determines the support needs of individual learners and provides access to the educational and support services necessary…”

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One of the best things we can do for learners is recognise their specific needs and adjust how we go about providing training.

Some learners seem to struggle more than others and that may be an indicator that language, literacy and numeracy skills are not aligned with learning outcomes. The usual way to determine if there is a gap between the level of skill required and what learners possess is to implement a diagnostic test. Learners respond to diagnostic questions and their responses are measured by an assessor against numeric skill indica-

tors defined in the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF).

be measured lower than that may experience difficulties.

Core skills are categorised into functional domains of learning, reading, writing, oral communication and numeracy, each measured on a scale of one through five. Adults are expected to be able to participate in social, employment and educational interactions to at least the minimum level one but are likely to participate comfortably at higher levels. It has been suggested that adults need to be at level three to have a reasonable change of getting through life reasonably well while those who may

All of that can feel alarming to a learner who is asked to undertake a diagnostic test. Questions about what the results may reveal about them can be confronting. Learners may be led to believe the resultant number has something to do with their ability to get by in life. And that can create a feeling of unease and victimisation. I do not think that any educator wants to make learners feel victimised by asking them to participate in a core skills diagnostic. Educators do that because they want to offer targeted

ly measure core skills by a static defined list of parameters. If the measure is incorrect there is risk that subsequent targeted learning support may not truly reflect what is needed.

learning support aimed at assisting learners to overcome weaknesses that may impede their achievement of learning outcomes. In Vocational Education and Training, providers are required to provide support when they agree to take learners into their programs.

Diagnostic testing is the method most often used to determine learner abilities. It can, however, be done without endangering learner sense of self-esteem. A major flaw with results from core skills diagnostic testing is they are often limited to conceptual structures based in curriculum.

Theproblem with that is diagnostic results can wrongfully assume weakness in particular areas due to failure to respond to questions based on pre-determined expected methodologies and answers. While that may be true in some cases, people can overcome weaknesses by applying strengths in other areas to provide an alternative correct response. When that happens, it is difficult to accurate-

Notice, in Clause 1.7, it does not define how training providers must determine support needs of individual learners. Only that it needs to be done. Determining support needs can begin with a conversation in which learners have the opportunity to express their attitudes, experiences, motivations and goals for undertaking learning. Educators can ask probing questions during such aconversation to really understand the contextual background and how core skills have been applied in the past. Doing that enables a partnership to form in which the educator aims to understand where the learner is coming from. Learners can feel comfortable that the educator is interested in them and wants to help them learn and achieve their goals. If further diagnostic testing is warranted, questions can be tailored to match the learner’s context ensuring the experience is familiar to them. For example, having a conversation with a learner who comes from a finance background may centre around how they work out interest rate payments.

Speaking with a learner from the construction industry may include how Pythagoras’ theorem is used to ensure perfect rectangles. The defined skill for doing those two things meet the same ACSF core skill level for numeracy, however each person may struggle to answer questions that are not related to what they have previously experienced and are familiar with. It would be all too easy to assume an ability deficit if we ask the same questions for every person.

Notice, in Clause 1.7, it does not define how training providers must determine support needs of individual learners. Only that it needs to be done. Determining support needs can begin with a conversation in which learners have the opportunity to express their attitudes, experiences, motivations and goals for undertaking learning. Educators can ask probing questions during such a conversation to really understand the contextual background and how core skills have been applied in the past.

Doing that enables a partnership to form in which the educator aims to

understand where the learner is coming from. Learners can feel comfortable that the educator is interested in them and wants to help them learn and achieve their goals. If further diagnostic testing is warranted, questions can be tailored to match the learner’s context ensuring the experience is familiar to them. For example, having a conversation with a learner who comes from a finance background may centre around how they work out interest rate payments.

Speaking with a learner from the construction industry may include how Pythagoras’ theorem is used to ensure perfect rectangles. The defined skill for doing those two things meet the same ACSF core skill level for numeracy, however each person may struggle to answer questions that are not related to what they have previously experienced and are familiar with. It would be all too easy to assume an ability deficit if we ask the same questions for every person.

Your RTO is just 6 steps away from being 100% compliant!

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THE VIRTUAL CLASSROOM – what, who, when, why?

by Denise Meyerson

WHAT

1. Virtual classes are not webinars. They are facilitated sessions that are not to be confused with presentations – they require participation as would happen in a face to face session.

2. Virtual classes are not equivalent to face to face training. Where in person delivery is possible because budget allows for it and where participants are all located in one site, that is the preferred way to go.

Where teams are spread across sites and dispersed across different states, I would definitely consider virtual classes as an option. Who wants their whole budget spent on travel and accommodation flying participants around the country so that they are exhausted before they even begin the workshop…

3. Virtual classes are a great way to ensure that key leadership and management frameworks are readily understood and applied in real working contexts. They aren’t intended as a way of squishing 7 hours of content in to a 1.5 hour session. They do distill a couple of main ideas in to the session and ensure that the learning is practical and immediately applicable.

WHO

1. It is so frustrating when teams and leaders have so much to learn in order to make a significant difference to business goals – and yet, the budget only stretches so far. In order for change to occur, we need learning ‘en masse’. A few select individuals who are chosen to attend face to face training will have little effect on shifting skills and behaviours to levels of high performance. Virtual classes allow more people to participate and learn more. And isn’t that after all what we want – cheaper, better, faster and with a wider reach.

2. We know how low the uptake is on solo elearning. It’s a tough ask when we are generally social learners to push anything more than compliance training as people click, click their way along, alone. Virtual classes provide interaction with a facilitator and with colleagues as they learn and debate and discuss challenges together.

3. Virtual classes reach out and engage teams so that they all begin to speak a common language and apply skills together. Teams can in fact participate in sessions together – provided they appoint a scribe to provide the responses to questions from the facilitator.

WHEN

1. Virtual classes fit really well in to the flow of work. When participants do not have the time to step out of the office for a full day, virtual classes fill the gap of providing skills and knowledge and allowing participants to continue with their normal routine.

2. Strong broadband is helpful but not a total necessity. As long as videos aren’t shown, there should only be small time lags.

3. Ensure that participants know why they are attending and if possible make the linkages for them to your capability frameworks. Set rhythm to the learning schedule and ensure teams take responsibility for showing up and participating fully.

WHY

1. Virtual classes fulfill a particular role in the overall learning offer for your organisation. They get a huge tick insofar as they are short bite sessions that can be strung together to form a solid learning continuum for team leaders and managers. Participants benefit from the engagement of the session and relate their learning to what they do in their roles.

2. The embedding factor is also critical. How much do we really recall of a full day of training? Many stats around about how little we remember – and how much we in fact implement. Embedding skills and changes in behaviour happen over time and virtual classes play a major role in enabling this.

3. I don’t want to say that virtual class is a compromise. It is however a midway point between face to face, which is not always possible, and the loneliness of an elearner clickety clicking their way along or sitting back to view some videos.

4. Induction is critical. Most people won’t have participated in a true virtual classroom and need to learn the ground rules of how the session operates. A well structured session includes many activities and moves along a fairly rapid pace to ensure that there as few distractions as possible. Participants are busy taking notes in a learner guide, answering questions in chat, writing up on the whiteboard, responding to debates and polls and sometimes going in to break-out rooms or watching the facilitator demonstrate something.

COMPANY CULTURE CAN MAKE OR BREAK YOUR BRAND AND

DEAR CEO:

While Training is an Important Step, Culture Transformation is the Solution

By DR. SHIRLEY DAVIS, PH.D., CSP

Training should not be the first step, nor should it be the only step.

As a 30-year HR and workforce management expert, a former global chief diversity & inclusion officer for several major organizations, and a certified leadership coach, I speak from experience when I say that training is not the cure to responding to poor decisions made by management, or to public outrage when revelations of bad behavior go viral and threaten your company brand.

In my consulting firm we often receive calls to conduct a number of training programs, ranging from leadership development to diversity, inclusion, unconscious bias, anti-harassment, team effectiveness, trust building, and other similar topics. The majority of the time, these requests are a direct response to some unfortunate incident, such as a lawsuit (or the threat of one), increased employee complaints, high disengagement or turnover, or a response to a company crisis featured in the national news that has generated protest and public outcry.

Companies Rush to Training In recent months, companies such as United Airlines, Facebook, Wells Fargo, Nike, Mattel, General Motors, Starbucks, and Uber have been faced with crisis after crisis that have forced them to address issues related to their culture. Last year we saw a rush to training when Starbucks was forced to address racial bias issues that occurred in one of its stores and involved a front-line supervisor.

Starbucks closed 8,000 stores to hold mandatory training for its entire workforce.

Many companies, including some of those listed above, followed suit by mandating Diversity & Inclusion and Racial bias training. To

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address the company’s largescale and fundamental culture problems, Uber piloted a corporate education program like that of a university model. In the first few months of its launch, more than 6,000 out of Uber’s 15,000 employees signed up to take the classes in leadership and strategy I do applaud companies that are at least willing to take such bold moves as closing all of their stores to educate staff through mandatory training. I also give credit to companies that are at least willing to do something to address the issue – such as terminating the employment of the violators, airing new commercials as a PR campaign to reinvent their brands, and hosting “listening tours”.

However, I do wonder what happened after the training was concluded and employees went back to work. My response to clients in these types of situations is that a few hours of training, a 60-second commercial, or a one-hour focus group won’t result in behavior, attitude, or mindset shifts.

The reality is that training is not the fix.

Culture transformation is the solution.

Training should not be the first step, nor should it be the only step. If the necessary systems are not in place to drive sustainable change, this huge investment of training time, money, and resources will be deemed a futile exercise. It’s what happens beyond these activities and in the culture of the company on a daily basis that will make the difference.

What is Workplace Culture?

The topic of corporate culture has been active in some organizations for decades, but it is now a global issue as more institutions are addressing

organizational health. Culture consists of the norms, values, behaviors, and attitudes that the company rewards or holds in high esteem.

In a recent article published in Harvard Business Review, culture was described as being like the wind: “It is invisible, yet its effect can be seen and felt. When it is blowing in your direction, it makes for smooth sailing. When it is blowing against you, everything is more difficult.”

Company culture can make or break your brand and reputation among customers and top talent; it can impact employee productivity, engagement, creativity, and retention; and it can affect bottom line profits and company success.

Employees are demanding, at the very least, our workplaces to be more inclusive, welcoming, and respectful; that they create a sense of belonging, and be free from harassment. For some companies with legacy cultures and others that have existed for more than a century, this is an extremely hard change management process. But it’s necessary in this era of demographic shifts, where the global workforce and marketplace are much more diverse, multicultural, and multigenerational, and works more virtually and flexibly. So how does this happen? How do you really move the needle beyond training activities?

I have seen the greatest success in working with my clients to move the needle when they are willing to implement a more comprehensive and robust strategy, rather than a quick fix. So here are my proven steps to successfully transforming culture.

The strategies presented above are not ranked in any particular order, but when we are working with our clients, we

REPUTATION AMONG CUSTOMERS AND TOP TALENT always recommend that they start at the “Assess” phase. This is the most critical step in the process because it uncovers and reveals the current state of the company and establishes how much ground work needs to be done. In this first step we conduct a S.W.O.T. analysis, stakeholder interviews with internal and external personnel, a culture audit, and leadership assessments (individually as well as with the senior management team as a group); we also administer employee surveys, and conduct focus groups with staff.

Determining in what order to implement all of the other steps will depend on the company’s resources, appetite for change, the pace that they can or are willing to take, and the amount of work ahead. Of course, the last step in the process should be the “Sustain” phase, because it is important to ensure that all of the work that has been implemented has some stickiness. Ongoing process improvement, evaluation, course correction, and innovation should become a way of life in order to sustain the work.

Culture transformation takes time, effort, energy, and commitment. The process is not a sprint; it’s a marathon and must be approached with a real sense of urgency in order to create the future state.

Culture is Everyone’s Responsibility the greatest success in culture transformation when leaders at the highest level in the organization take the lead and walk the talk. Every leader and employee in the organization should be held accountable for living the values of the organization.

Don’t be the company that has regrets for not making necessary culture changes because it would take too long and cost too much.

I imagine that the many companies, the workplace cultures of which have come under scrutiny in recent months, all wish that they did not have to deal with culture transformation in the public’s eye and under such adverse circumstances. It’s bad for their brands and bad for their business and, unfortunately, I’m sure that they will continue to have plenty of company.

My advice and coaching to all CEOs, presidents, chief HR officers, and

boards of directors is to heed this call for culture transformation and not just use training as a Band-Aid and a quick fix in hopes that these problems will go away with the changing news cycle. Use the steps listed above and make the commitment to see this as a strategic imperative and an act of innovation and reinvention that will result in long-term business success.

Culture transformation takes time, effort, energy, and commitment. he process is not a sprint; it’s a marathon

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Australian’s VET sector: Lost in Compliance

By Javier Amaro

Standard should be updated to recognize the context of continual VET training, but also auditors need to be better trained in advanced auditing skills

What is the real cost of VET red tape for our society? The value of vocational education and training (VET) is in its contribution to develop Human Capital, as a means of equipping people and society with the skills and competences they need to meet current social and economic demands and fulfil the country’s own development goals.

The VET Quality Framework is used to ensure the quality of training in VET across Australia. But after 8 years of its implementation, its impact in promoting high quality training it’s arguable, and the results shows more consistency in process across RTOs, but not necessarily better quality.

The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) focus its attention to how and where VET provision happens, but it is unclear how the regulator establishes whether training delivered is relevant to stakeholder needs. Having its focus in the process, and not in the results for learners and the broader community, compliance becomes a goal in itself, and basic governance principles such as transparency, accountability and efficiency in VET quality and relevance, are neglected.

As a result, we currently have some inefficient RTOs that are compliant, because they are good in producing compliant documents, and quality RTOs that struggle with compliance because their lack of focus in compliance formulas. ASQA’s efforts to improve this situation are evident, the new audit model and risk-based

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approach are just two examples, but this issue goes beyond ASQA’s performance.

One of the critical aspects of a VET regulatory audit is establishing the relevance (compliance) of the curriculum used by the RTO, to the related qualification. This is rather a very inconsistent area for ASQA’s auditors, perhaps, because these auditors are not necessarily experts in unpacking training packages, nor subject matter experts in the specific vocational area.

During the regulatory audit, there are critical elements that affect quality such as: the perspectives of industry bodies and their members, learners and their communities, employers and their customers, that are not considered.

In the current context, quality is circumscriptive to the recipe of the Standards for RTOs that only focus on provision of VET training, but not on its consequences or results, beyond the Competent or Not Yet Competent outcome obtained by a learner.

The VET Quality Framework should provide clear dimensions for governance within the sector.

Considering not only vocational preparation (initial VET), but also vocational lifelong learning (continuing VET). Our system ignores the dynamics of continuing VET training, and the priorities of active labour markets, in its regulatory requirements.

Some requirements that are particularly relevant to the context of initial

VET, such as evidence of industry engagement, industry currency, workplace outcomes, entry requirements, amount of training, to mention some; becomes an over-complicated burdensome process when RTOs are working directly with employers in updating or upskilling employees. Many of these factors are intrinsic to the training delivered, and not only learners are deemed competent by qualified trainers and assessors, but are getting or maintaining employment.

In my opinion, the Standard should be updated to recognize the context of continual VET training, but also auditors need to be better trained in advanced auditing skills, and the audit principles: systematic, outcomes-based, evidence-based, flexible, continuous improvement, fair, open, and transparent (AQTF 2007 Audit Principles). Particularly the principle of flexibility that states “... one size fits all’ approach to evidence of compliance cannot be used.”

We are lost in red tape, because compliance is not seemed as synonymous of quality in the VET sector for a great number of stakeholders, including RTOs. How can we make VET great again?

Firstly, I want to acknowledge that Australian VET system was once considered one of the best systems in the world, and have produced numerous innovative products and ideas. Our VET system have inspired many, and those original ideas continue to be replicated around the world.

vision for VET in Australia? How that vision fits in our vision as a country?

How that vision will contribute to the development of our Human Capital?

We can’t move forward as a sector until we agree on the answers to these questions.

We commit significant number of resources to periodic reviews of our system, but we don’t have a VET Framework for those evaluations, an analytical framework that promotes a shared understanding of issues across all VET dimensions. How are we going to interpret, use, or compare those reviews without such parameters? A framework that defines the sector’s anchors within the main governance dimensions.

The European Union uses three dimensions Stakeholders (Public Stakeholder, Private Stakeholders, and Individuals), Objectives (Access, Quality, Relevance, and Equity), Principles (Transparency, Accountability, and Efficiency); that could be a good starting point for us.

A VET Professional Association is needed The sector needs a professional association that can take VET practitioners to another level. An association that supports the sector by defining best practices, producing material to develop capabilities, produce and potentially enforce a code of practice, define and continuously redefine the roles of different VET practitioners.

We lost the vision as a sector. What is the

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RETRIEVAL PRACTICE ISN'T ABOUT FORMAL ASSESSMENT, IT’S ABOUT

Leverage the power of retrieval for better recall and retention

By Tony Kirton

despite the consensus in responses, retrieval practice is the method that has been proven to be significantly more effective and efficient in enhancing learning and retention than the others.

Back in 2017 I posted several questions about various strategies that can be used (with varied effectiveness) to enhance retention and recall. I posted thequestions on several groups for VETtraining professionals and on my own personal thread and had more than 100 responses! (You can see the questions and answers at the end of this article.)

Here’s what I found education professionals believed to be effective in enhancing retention and recall: • More than 70% of respondents believed that the most effective strategy is to highlight key points in a

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learning resource.

• Only 14% selected retrieval practice as the most effective of the strategies listed.

This is important because despite the consensus in responses, retrieval practice (not highlighting) is the method that has been proven to be significantly more effective and efficient in enhancing learning and retention than the others. And it’s supported by decades of empirical research.

That’s right, you are reading that correctly, only 14% of respondents selected the correct answer. Now, if you work in the cognitive sciences, my

survey results will not surprise you. Why? They reflect what many cognitive scientists have been saying for years.

There is a disparity between what educators believe to be effective and efficient learning strategies and those that are supported by empirical research.

In this instance, the learning strategy we are talking about is “retrieval practice1” or more technically, the testing effect.

Retrieval practice involves testing oneself on the material from a learning event at intervals after that learning event. In short, using testing to improve retention and recall, two critical elements of the learning process.

Retrieval practice can take many forms, from answering multiple choice quizzes,

TESTING WHERE THE CONSEQUENCES OF GETTING IT WRONG ARE LOW. short answer questions, fill in the blanks and deciphering word scrambles. These have one thing in common; they are all ’low stakes’. Retrieval practice is not about formal assessment (although that is also beneficial), it’s about testing where the consequences of getting it wrong are low.

There are big payoffs and it’s relatively easy to implement, but there are some important things to remember when applying the principles of retrieval practice to your next learning event.

1. No pain, no gain Don’t make it too easy. Retrieval practice needs to have a level of difficulty to be most effective.

Retrieval that is too easy is more likely to promote an illusion of fluency. The idea that a certain level of difficulty is helpful to learning was identified by psychologists Elizabeth L. and Robert Bjork. The Bjorks showed that learning was more likely to stick if the person had to work to recall it. They coined the term ‘desirable difficulty’. The concept of making the learner work a little is reminiscent of social constructivist Lev Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development. Like the Bjorks, Vygotsky argued that the best learning happened when the learner was pushed to the limits of their existing knowledge.

2. Make it low stakes Low stakes mean that there are no significant consequences if a learner gets the answer wrong. Research indicates that retrieval practice is much more effective when it is low stakes, not linking the results to a person’s overall grading.

3. Space it out One learning strategy that works effectively with Retrieval Practice is a concept known as Spaced Practice, the idea that practice (or retrieval practice) is most effective when it is spaced out over time.

Piotr Wozniak and other researchers have been advocating the use of Spaced Practice in education. Wozniak identified the ideal spacing for language learning and based on his finding designed an algorithm which he used as the basis for the language learning application SuperMemo. One of the ‘secrets’ behind the effectiveness of spaced practice is that it leverages sleep, which helps to consolidate and organise learning.

Space Practice is highly relevant in the VET sector because of the duration of

many courses. Personally, I think this is one of the important elements of the Volume of Learning requirement. It recognises that competency develops over a period of time and if retrieved over that period of time, new learning has a better chance of sticking.

4. Leverage the different forms of retrieval.

Retrieval Practice can come in many forms, from practising a skill, applying new learning to a specific context, explaining a learned concept and even rote retrieval. Each has its benefits depending on the learning goal.

For example, generative retrieval is about putting concepts into own words, teaching others and identifying similarities and differences to other concepts. Elaborative retrieval is about application and problem solving - ideal for many VET-related programs.

‘test yourself on the material over several intervals after the learning event’. So, what did over 100 professionals believe the most effective strategy was? Well check out the results below.

A=2 B=5 C = 14 D=7 E = 72 Total = 100 Yes, you are reading that right, 86% of respondents, many defined as ‘education professionals’, selected the incorrect response. Only 14% selected the right answer.

Survey references My survey asked the following question and participants were invited to select one of five responses: To increase your long-term retention and recall after a learning event, would you (choose one): a) Increase the amount of time you spend studying before and after the learning event. b) Re-read all the material over several intervals after the learning event. c) Test yourself on the material over several intervals after the learning event. d) Test yourself with an open book over several intervals after the learning event. e) Highlight the key points in the learning resources and re-read these areas over time.

First let me be clear. This is not a list of the most effective learning strategies.

Nor am I claiming that any of them are the most effective. But, at this point, you might be asking “is there a correct answer?”. In short, yes. One of these methods has been proven to be significantly more effective and efficient in enhancing learning and retention than the others. And it’s supported by decades of empirical research.

And the answer is… C. That’s right, C, 23

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