This unit applies to adult literacy and numeracy practitioners who design processes to assess the skills of a prospective learner for adult language, literacy and numeracy provision, and who carry out, record and report pre-training assessments.

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1. Design a pre-training assessment process to analyse adult language, literacy and numeracy skills

1.1. Design assessment process within an assessment framework

1.2. Contextualise assessment process within organisational, policy and legislative framework and program funding profile

1.3. Create pre-training assessment kit that provides opportunity for candidates to demonstrate their range of language, literacy and numeracy skills

1.4. Select location for the assessment that meets the needs of candidate and assessor

2. Conduct the assessment

2.1. Clarify assessment process with candidate, including context and purpose

2.2. Note and record conditions of assessment

2.3. Tailor assessment process to meet individual needs of candidate, particular context and requirements of assessment

2.4. Select and use questioning and self-assessment strategies to assess oral communication and learning

2.5. Select and use range of reading and writing tasks for assessment purposes

2.6. Select and use range of numeracy tasks for assessment purposes

3. Analyse data to establish candidate's language, literacy and numeracy skills

3.1. Compare responses to interview questions with benchmarks in relevant frameworks to analyse oral communication and learning

3.2. Compare responses to reading material with text features and performance strategies to analyse reading skills

3.3. Compare samples of candidate's writing with text features and performance strategies to analyse writing skills

3.4. Compare responses to numeracy tasks with numeracy features and performance strategies to analyse numeracy skills

4. Provide effective advice on suitable program options

4.1. Provide feedback to candidate on assessment outcomes emphasising strengths and positive strategies

4.2. Apply current knowledge of VET provision in discussions with candidate

4.3. Apply current knowledge of options suiting specific needs of candidate when discussing future options for skill development

5. Report outcome of assessment

5.1. Maintain records of assessment process, evidence collected and outcome according to policies and procedures of the training organisation and/or funding body

5.2. Report outcome of assessment process to relevant parties in required format and manner and in line with confidentiality requirements

6. Evaluate the assessment process

6.1. Collect feedback on the pre-training assessment process from relevant parties

6.2. Improve assessment processes in response to evaluation

Required skills

communication skills to:

negotiate complex spoken exchanges by establishing a supportive environment

ask a mix of open-ended and closed questions to give candidates opportunity to demonstrate competence

paraphrase to clarify meaning and encourage further discussion

display depth of understanding of complex oral texts, which may include multiple and unstated meanings

initiative, enterprise and creativity to:

assist candidates to perform in unfamiliar contexts

design a range of assessment tasks which cover all levels of the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF), and relevant personal, social and employment-related contexts of learners

identify changing dynamics of interview situation and vary assessment processes accordingly

interpersonal skills to:

provide feedback on assessment outcome in a constructive and sensitive manner

interact with a diverse range of candidates

negotiate successful assessment processes

planning and organising skills to:

plan and maintain collection of assessment resources of relevance to assessment context and to the range of client interests and needs

plan and maintain system to record and report assessments

reading and writing skills to:

design assessment activities and resources which:

allow for fair, valid and reliable assessment of candidates' adult language, literacy and numeracy skills

provide the basis for judgements about the best outcome from the assessment process for individuals

identify, analyse and interpret information from a wide variety of sources, such as:

course accreditation documentation

funding arrangements and eligibility requirements for program

units of competency

interpret results from assessment

take notes on information presented orally

document the assessment process to meet the requirements of a number of interested parties

research skills to access and evaluate research into factors that effect language, literacy and numeracy development

Required knowledge

adult language, literacy and numeracy research, for example:

range of social, psychological, physical, economic and cultural factors that influence language, literacy and numeracy development in learners

levels of adult literacy and numeracy in the Australian community

issues and challenges that typically arise in the context of assessing language, literacy and numeracy skills

knowledge of non-standard Australian English to be considered when assessing oral communication, such as local dialects and creoles

legislation, codes of practice and national standards, such as:

ACSF

Assessment Guidelines of TAE10 Training and Education Training Package

equal opportunity legislation

policies of government departments that affect placement of learners into programs

Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) requirements, including understanding assessment theory and principles

organisational philosophy and guidelines, for example:

own role and responsibilities

risk management strategies

range of factors that impact on adult language, literacy and numeracy development, such as:

physical and sensory factors

specific learning difficulties

changes in cultural and linguistic contexts

socioeconomic factors

social and mental health issues

range of provision in the VET sector available to meet candidate learning needs

variables that interact to determine the level of difficulty of literacy and numeracy tasks, such as:

familiarity of context

length and complexity of text language and structure

degree of inference the reader is required to make or how explicit a text is

kind of information in a text, for example concrete compared to abstract

extent of support required to respond to a text

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of the ability to:

outline the assessment process, including own role

develop a pre-training assessment kit that:

is consistent with AQTF requirements

is customised to meet needs of particular learner group, funding body, industry or workplace

demonstrates significant depth of knowledge of:

range of social, psychological, physical and cultural factors that influence language, literacy and numeracy development in learners

how these issues have been considered in the design of the assessment process

provide records of assessments (confidentiality protected)

provide current information about the range of adult literacy and numeracy options available to learners

provide records of evaluations of the process and the assessment kit

provide evidence of changes made to the assessment process as a result of feedback.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure access to:

candidates to be assessed

standards to be assessed against, such as ACSF or Training Package unit

suitable assessment venue

standard recording and reporting forms.

Assessment must also ensure the use of culturally appropriate processes, and techniques appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.

Method of assessment

A range of appropriate assessment methods should be used to determine competency. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

direct observation or video recording of candidate's adult language, literacy and numeracy practice

evaluation of a portfolio of evidence comprising:

samples from a pre-training assessment kit developed by the candidate

records of interviews and assessments

current information about options and outcomes of the process

questioning to establish required knowledge.

Guidance information for assessment

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

TAELLN701A Analyse and apply adult literacy teaching practices

TAELLN702A Analyse and apply adult numeracy teaching practices.

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Assessment frameworks may include:

ACSF

Assessment Guidelines in Training Packages

International Second Language Proficiency Rating (ISLPR) scale

those tied to accredited curricula.

Policy and legislative framework may include:

access and equity principles

AQTF standards

confidentiality requirements of government agencies

Disability Discrimination Act

program eligibility rules of commonwealth and state departments, such as Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) visa categories.

Program funding profile may include:

funding sources that determine specific eligibility of candidates for programs based on immigration, employment or social status, such as eligibility requirements of the:

Language Literacy and Numeracy Program (LLNP)

Workplace English Language and Literacy (WELL) program

eligibility requirements of state training authorities.

Pre-training assessment kit may comprise:

questions to elicit information on learner's educational history and issues that may have affected learning

resources and materials to assess a wide range of language, literacy and numeracy skills, such as:

numeracy materials drawn from genres familiar to candidate, and drawn from candidate's immediate social or training environment

reading samples, drawn from genres familiar to candidate, and drawn from candidate's immediate social or training environment

sample questions to:

assess oral communication skills

identify learning strategies or styles

identify candidate's purposes in attending assessment

writing tasks and associated materials

tasks and materials that are aligned to levels in the assessment framework.

Location may include:

space where confidential information can be provided

space where the assessment can be the main focus of attention

environment with a wide range of resources within close proximity

environment where personal risk factors have been mitigated.

Features of assessment process may include:

confidentiality conventions about the nature and extent of information which may be disclosed to third parties, such as:

employers

government or other officials

feedback on the assessment provided with various options for candidate consideration

extent to which communication supports, such as interlocutors, translators and calculators, may be used by candidate during assessment process.

Ways in which assessment process may be tailored may include:

allowing for differences in communication styles, preferences and levels of confidence, by:

allowing sufficient time for the assessment process to proceed at the pace required by candidates

encouraging questions

explaining unfamiliar concepts

providing a support person of candidate's choice where appropriate

selecting materials at an appropriate level, while keeping the range sufficiently broad to allow candidate to demonstrate full range of skills

selecting materials of relevance to the candidate

using culturally appropriate processes when assessing Indigenous students, such as:

including community members as part of the process whenever possible and practicable

using appropriately qualified Indigenous assessors

varying the process if necessary to accommodate such things as confidentiality considerations.

Individual needs of candidate may include:

physical and sensory factors

specific learning difficulties

changes in cultural and linguistic contexts

socioeconomic factors

social and mental health issues.

Benchmarks in relevant frameworks may include:

information from each level of the ACSF, including:

context

level of support required

text type

text complexity

text features and strategies from ISLPR

information about text features and strategies contained in units of accredited courses.

Providing feedback may include:

allowing plenty of time so that the session is not rushed

ensuring candidate is confident to ask questions

focusing on positives

using feedback as a learning opportunity.

Options may include:

program at appropriate level and focus within accredited or non-accredited adult literacy and numeracy course

program involving an adult literacy and numeracy mentor

vocational program with a literacy and numeracy component

referral to other agencies or services, such as Refugee Support Services, Community Health Services, and youth networks

referral to other training organisations offering more appropriate adult English language, literacy and numeracy courses or courses with a different focus

workplace-based support.

Reporting may include:

hard copy or electronic written reports using commonwealth government proformas

internal reporting procedures

verbal reports to officers of other government and non-government agencies.

Relevant parties may include:

government officials, such as Centrelink staff

counsellors

other training organisation staff

practitioners not involved in the assessment process

youth workers.

Language, literacy and numeracy practice

This unit contains employability skills.