Industry Training Monitoring Tools

In my past blog, I had discussed the methods of developing an Industry Based Training Plan.  For our next topic, I will cover an important part of Industry based training, which are methods of monitoring Industry based training.

Importance of Industry Training Monitoring Tools

The Supervised Work Based Learning - Competency Based Learning Material (SWBL-CBLM) defines monitoring as "... the routine assessment of ongoing activities and progress. It is the systematic and continuous assessment of the progress of a piece of work over time. It is a basic and universal management tool for identifying strengths and weaknesses in a program.  Its purpose is to help all the people involved make appropriate and timely decisions that will improve the quality of the work."

It further emphasizes that " It is the primary role of the trainer to monitor the training. This is to ensure that trainees would attain the required competency at the end of the training program for them to be ready for the assessment."

With these, there is indeed a need of having the necessary tools to ensure that proper monitoring of our trainees undergoing Industry training is properly  monitored and training is adjusted as needed as different situations may arise during the training it self.

Design and Development of a Training Plan

In my last blog, I have covered the procedures in establishing Industry Linkages as suggested by the Supervised Work Based Learning - Competency Based Learning Material (SWBL-CBLM).

For our topic today, we will cover the development of a training plan that you can use when sending your trainee for an industry based training, aside from this, this, you can use this training as part of your portfolio requirement for this core competency.

Determining your Trainees Training Requirements

The SWBL-CBLM explains that, "Every training should be based on what was already learned and what is needed to be learned or enhanced. Whether your work-based training is in conjunction with an in-house training or a work-based training after an in-house training, you need to assess the training needs of each of your trainees so that you will be able to plan the appropriate activities that will enhance their competencies. "

"Activities that will improve the skills rather than repeating what is already learned should be the emphasis of a work- based training."

Although the SWBL-CBLM explicitly requires that the Trainees Training be determined, this topic will no longer be covered here, since the TNA method and procedures were already covered under the Plan Training Session.  

Establish Industry Linkages

The SWBL-CBLM explains that "Industry partnership is a very important aspect of work-based training. As a trainer you should be aware of the processes involved in establishing linkage. You should be directly involved in these processes so that you will be able to plan the training of your trainees."

With this, let us look at the procedures that the SWBL-CBLM suggest on how to link with the Industry for the establishment of an Industry based Learning and training and the other activities that the Trainer needs to perform to ensure a safe and beneficial Industry experience of all involved parties. 

Systematic Procedures in Establishing Industry Linkage and Training Procedures

1. Search for prospective industry partners 

   The document suggest that when choosing an industry, the Trainer needs to ensure that the "training of about 60-70% of the course components can be carried out." Aside from this, it also suggest for an industry "that has the  that has the potential to meet the standards of an organized work-based training," and is willing "to provide guided industry training or assign personnel to coordinate activities."
   

Industry Based Learning and Training

The past tutorials were more focused on how a Technical Vocational Education and Training, (TVET) Trainer delivers and manages training. For this TM-1 core competency, Supervised Work Based Learning, (SWBL) we will now focus more on the importance of having an industry partner in the delivery of our respective qualification.

The Supervised Work Based Learning - Competency Based Learning Material, (SWBL-CBLM) defines work-based training as "... a training delivery mode by which trainees are exposed in the workplace." It is form of training that is done in coordination with an Industry that was made possible through a partnership. 

Supervised Work Based Learning

As per the Trainers Methodology Level 1 (TM-1) Training Regulations (TR), the Core Competency Supervised Work Based Learning (SWBL) is described as a,

"... unit [that] covers the knowledge, skills and attitude required particularly establishing training requirements for trainees, monitoring work-based training, and reviewing and evaluating work-based learning effectiveness to supervise work-based learning process. "

This core competency, have three (3) learning outcomes (LO)s that a candidate needs to have achieved in order to be considered competent for this core competency. These Learning outcomes are:

1. Establish training requirements for trainees;
2. Monitor work-based training; and
3. Review and evaluate work-based learning effectiveness.

Waste Managment and Disposal

In my last postings, I was able to present the importance and reason of housekeeping and equipment maintenance.  For this topic, we will discuss the importance of properly managing the different waste that our training can produce and methods of disposal.

Waste management is defined by the Maintain Training Facilities - Competency Based Learning Material, (MTF-CBLM) as "... the collection, transport, processing, recycling or disposal of waste materials, usually ones by human activity, in an effort to reduce their effect on human health or local aesthetics or amenity."

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Mainenance Procedures and Resquest Forms

In our last topic, I have explained how to develop your own equipment maintenance program and checklist.

As I was re -reading the Maintain Training Facilities – Competency Based Learning Material (MTF_CBLM) however, I have notice that there is a need to re-arrange some of the topics that were covered by the manual in order to easily understand what equipment maintenance is all about, its difference from the facilities maintenance and the different procedures that needs to be performed to maintain our equipment.  Thus, for this particular topic I will re-arrange its presentation and focus more on tools and equipment maintenance in order  to keep these respective tools and equipment in tip-top shape.

Equipment Preventive Maintenance Program

In my past topic, we have talked about on how to develop a facility maintenance program, one of the portfolio requirements of the Trainers Methodology Level 1 (TM-1) core competency Maintain Training Facilities (MTF).  

For todays topic, we will talk about the development of an appropriate equipment preventive maintenance program that you can utilized in maintaining your respective qualification's tools and equipment.

The importance of why we need to have a preventive maintenance program have already been tackled in my last posting,  thus, we will no longer explain it here.  Instead we will just focus on the development of the necessary needed tools (forms) for the development and proper implementation of  an equipment preventive maintenance program.

Workshop Maintenance Program

One of the core competency of the Trainers Methodology Level 1 focuses on the importance of maintaining our training facilities that will ensure the conduct of training with less interruptions due to equipment failure or improperly maintained facilities.   

This is what the competency Maintain Training Facilities is all about, it teaches the future TVET Trainer the how?, why?, when?, and what? of properly maintaining a training facility.

The Maintain Training Facilities - Competency Based Learning Material (MTF-CBLM) emphasizes the importance of maintenance in page 3. It explains that,

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Maintain Training Facilitites

As per Trainers Methodology Level 1 (TM-1) Training Regulations, the Core Competency Maintain Training Facilities (MTF) is described as a,

"... unit [that] covers the skills and attitude in maintaining training facilities, includes implementing housekeeping activities and maintaining training systems, equipment, tools, materials and documents."

This core competency, have five learning outcomes (LO)s that a candidate needs to achieve in order to be considered competent. These Learning outcomes are:

1. Plan maintenance  activities
2. Prepare schedule of maintenance 
3. Implement housekeeping activities
4. Maintain training equipment and tools
5. Document maintenance inspections

Referring now to the Competency Based Learning Materials (CBLM), that the National TVET Trainer's Academy (NTTA) had released,  we can notice that the content arrangement were based on how the different learning outcomes were specified under the Training Regulations.

Advance reading the CBLM will now give us the following output requirements that you as a trainee under going training for TM-1, needs to submit in order to complete the portfolio requirements of this core competency. These requirements are:

Designing Competency Based Training Workshop Layout: Part 2 of 2

In the first part of this tutorial, I had discuses the different areas of a Competency Based Training (CBT) workshop.  For this second part, I will guide you in designing a desirable workshop layout that you can submit as part of your portfolio documents for Trainers Methodology Level 1 (TM-1). 

Worth noting that in part 1, I had mentioned that the Competency Based Training Workshop was discussed in both TM-1 Core competencies: Plan Training Session (PTS); and in Maintain Training Facilities (MTF). 

Although the PTS was more detailed and the MTF only explained the CBT areas in passing, there are some ideas that were presented in MTF that further explained what the nine CBT areas are that can give us a better understanding as we start designing our desired Competency Based Training Workshop.

Competency Based Training Workshop Layout: Part 1

In the past tutorial I had covered the development of needed inventory of tools, equipment and materials, its importance and its purpose.  For this tutorial I will now cover the desirable workshop layout that a Trainers Methodology Level 1 holder must design to conduct an effective Competency Based Training.

Under Information sheet 1.5-2 of the Plan Training Session - Competency Based Learning Material (PTS-CBLM), Workshop Layout was described as  - "In CBT, this is a well organized physical learning environment." Since "a well organized and managed workshop is critical to the acquisition of skills."

Competency Based Training Resources

In the past tutorials, I had tackled the different materials that a Certified Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Trainer needs to have and to prepare in order to conduct a Competency Based Training (CBT).

In this topic we will now talk about the different Training Resources that a TVET Trainer needs to have and to ensure availability, prior to, during and after the conduct of CBT Training.

Section Three - Training Standards of the Training Peculations (TR), under 3.4 - List of Tools, Equipment and Materials, contains the list of the minimum quantity of tools, equipment and materials that a qualification must have for a specific number of students. Although at times the list might be incomplete, or might even have outdated list, it still remains authoritative and must be followed.  

Institutional Assessment Tool - Questioning Tool

In our past tutorial for the development of an institutional assessment package, I had  covered the development of Evidence Plan, written test and the performance test, for this tutorial, we shall now cover the development of questioning tool.

This will be the last tool that the Institutional Assessment Package that the Plan Training Session for Trainers Methodology Level 1 Core competency requires.

Let us Begin the Tutorial.

Assessment in TVET can simply mean as the gathering of corroborative evidence to determine the level of competency. 

 

The PTS-CBLM explains further that in cases where gathered pieces of evidence from the written and the performance test were not enough to determine the level of competency of the trainee, the questioning tool should be used.

Further, the document stresses that "the questioning tool is a must in an institutional competency evaluation tool package." Since this can be utilized to verify pieces of evidence "... that were not clearly [shown nor] demonstrated in the other methods of assessment," for both the written and performance test.

Institutional Assessment Tool - Performance Test

In my past blog I have tackled the  actual development of the Institutional Assessment Tool (IAT) - Table of Specifications (ToS). 

For this topic, I will be walking you through to the development of another IAT that a Trainers Methodology Level 1 (TM-1) Trainee needs to develop, this is the Performance Test.

Performance Test  can be defined as the formal determination of the actual skills learned by the Trainee, normally validated by interview questions to test the knowledge and corresponding Attitude. With this testing method, it allows the Trainer to determine corresponding outcomes using prescribed performance criteria and earned competencies.

Institutional Assessment Tool - Table of Specfications

In my past blog, we have covered the importance of developing/designing an Evidence Plan. For this blog, we will now cover the topic on Table of Specifications (ToS) and Writing your Written test.

The Plan Training Session-Competency Based Learning Material (PTS-CBLM) of the Trainers Methodology Level 1(TM-1) Training explains the Table of Specifications as,

"A table that shows what will be tested (taught) is the table of specifications. For our purpose of institutional evaluation, we shall be preparing a table of specifications for our written test. 

This will help us plan how many items we need to prepare to cover all the contents or objectives that we need to assess based on the evidence plan you previously prepared.

A table of specifications is a two-way table that matches the objectives or content you have taught with the level at which you expect students to perform. It contains an estimate of the percentage of the test to be allocated to each topic at each level at which it is to be measured. In effect we have established how much emphasis to give to each objective or topic."

Aside from this, it also described that a ToS has three parts, these are:

1. Objectives/Content/Topic – these are the content
2. Levels of learning – your questions shall be divided into the levels of learning: knowledge, comprehension and application.
3. Percentage/number of items

Sample Table of Specifications (TOS)

Figure 1. Sample TOS

Figure 1 shows the different parts of the TOS as previously explained.

Developing a Table of Specifications

The question  that we need to answer now, before we proceed is where do we get the topics that we will use to write our written test? 

In part 1, I had mentioned that I will relate some of the covered topics in the development of an Evidence Plan with upcoming topics.  Remember that one of the column that we need to place a check mark when we were developing our Evidence plan was written test.

The reason why we need to select which of the Performance Criteria requires a written test is because it can now serve as our guide in selecting the topics when writing our test questions.

To do this, all that we need to do is to look at our Evidence Plan and select all those criteria that we had checked to have a written test and copy them one by one to the "objectives/content area/topics" of our TOS.

After this, select the levels of learning that you wish to use for your questions and write the number of items per level of learning as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Accomplished TOS

To fully understand the information on this sample TOS, you must refer to the previous sample Evidence Plan in my previous blog.

Looking at the sample, you will notice that the first topic that I had placed in this TOS Sample was the Performance Criteria that was marked as a critical aspect of this competency, worth noting too, is that this Criteria was also marked to be part of the written test which is the reason why this criteria was included in this TOS.

For this Criteria, two (2) knowledge and comprehension questions will be written totaling four items. which comprises 80% of all the questions.

Same is true with the next criteria which can also be found under the first Learning Outcome (LO). For this criteria only one question under Knowledge will be written, which is 20% of the total questions.

This is how we use the evidence plan for our TOS. we use it as our reference in determining the kind questions that we are to write  for our written test. After this you can now start writing your written test based on the topics that you had selected.

In Summary and referring to the given example, the written test have a total of five (5) items, in which three (3) are knowledge and  two (2) are comprehensions, 80% will come from the Criteria marked as critical aspect while 20% will come from the other criteria.

In my next Blog, I will be covering the proper way of developing Performance Test. Hope this simple tutorial helped.  Should you have further questions, feel free to comment below.

Cheers!

Related post:

1. Institutional Assessment Tool - Evidence Plan 
2. Institutional Assessment Tool -  Performance test 
3. Institutional Assessment Tool - Questioning tools

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Institutional Assessment Tool - Evidence Plan

Institutional Assessment Tool

In the past tutorials under the Trainers Methodology Level 1 core competency, Plan Training Session (PTS), we have already discussed the development of Competency Based Learning Materials (CBLM), its purpose, development and methods of writing of each Instruction sheets and other documents that forms a CBLM package.

For this tutorial, I will now guide you in the development of your respective Institutional Assessment Tool. Which is a major portfolio requirement of PTS.

Before we proceed, let us look at  the Plan Training Session-Competency Based Learning Materials (PTS-CBLM) on page186 onwards and see what does Institutional Competency Evaluation means.

"Institutional Competency Evaluation is the assessment of the knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired from the training.

"In CBT, evaluation is the systematic collection and analysis of data needed to make decisions whether a trainee is competent or not yet competent."

"The Institutional Competency Evaluation is administered by the trainer within the training duration."

"Trainees should be evaluated every after competency. No trainee should be allowed to transfer to another competency without having been assessed."

"For the purpose of CBT, assessments are usually given for the following reasons:

1. To validate the current competencies of trainees
2. To measure how much trainees have learned in the training sessions given
3. To help diagnose trainee’s problems and guide future instruction
4. To decide whether trainees are competent or not"

To properly evaluate our Trainees and determine their level of competency, we, as the Trainer needs to develop a tool that would allow us to properly assess and decide if our Trainees have already met the desired competency by meeting the required outcomes as stated in the Training Regulations (TR).

The contents of Competency Evaluation Tool always depends on how we designed our Training based from the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) or from the TR.  This is were our Assessment Plan as we have written in our Session Plan comes in.

Normally the composition of a Competency Evaluation Tool are as follows:

1. Evidence Plan;
2. Table of Specifications for our written test;
3. The written test (not lower than 40 items;
4. Performance Test;
5. Rating Sheet for the Performance Test; and
6. Questioning tool / interview Questions with answer.

Given that you are under Training, you are required to submit all of the above for your portfolio.

NOTES:

The common mistake that a TM trainee normally commits when developing their respective Institutional Assessment Tool (IAT) is designing the tool for a given Learning Outcome and not for the entire  core competency. Worth noting is that as per PTS-CBLM it stated that the "Trainees should be evaluated every after competency. No trainee should be allowed to transfer to another competency without having been assessed."

With this, when developing your IAT, bear in mind to design it to test and assess the Trainees' Learning of the entire core competency.

Should you wish to evaluate your Trainees Performance for every LO, my suggestion is to use portfolio assessment by collecting a record of all skills and written test performed by your trainees during  the training proper. You can then make it as a prerequisite before your Trainee can undergo an Institutional Assessment (IA).

Developing your Institutional Assessment Tool Package 

The Evidence Plan / Guide

The PTS-CBLM explains the evidence plan on page 192-195,

" In developing evidence gathering tools for an institutional assessment, the first stage is to prepare an evidence plan. Evidence plans are designed to –

1. Serve as a planning tool
2. Support the assessment process
3. Assist with the collection of evidence
4. Inform the learners of what is expected of them before they begin the assessment
5. Serve as a guide for the trainer in determining the method of assessment to be used

In making an Evidence Plan you should have the Competency Standards (CS) of the chosen competency and the Evidence Plan Template."

Sample Evidence Plan with Guide

figure 1. Sample Evidence Guide Template.

Referring to Figure 1, and Looking on how the Performance Criteria was included in the document, one will notice that it was rephrased in order to answer the statement " the evidence must show that the trainee..." for the first  example it was rephrased as "determined and planned in accordance with network design and actual installation site." which was originally written under the Performance Criteria as "Cable routes are determined and planned in accordance with network design and actual installation site." This rephrasing of the Performance Criteria is needed through out the evidence plan.

Again in Figure 1, let us now look at the five columns that refers to the evidence gathering methods.

The Different Methods of Gathering Pieces of Evidence

Observation and Questioning - this method is normally utilized by a third party when the Trainee is undergoes, industry immersion / On-the-job Training, where the Trainer or the Industry Supervisor observes the Trainee while performing assigned task / job. The questioning follows, to validate what was observed.

Demonstration and Questioning - this method is very much similar to Observation and Questioning, but is performed at the School. Specifically at the Practical Work Area / Institutional Assessment Area (Laboratory).  Where the Trainee is required to Demonstrate a task / job and then rated by the Trainer. This is also the common method utilized in Institutional Assessment.

Third Party Report - this is needed if the Institution has an ongoing Dualized Training, Industry immersion Program, this refers to the overall evaluation that the Industry Supervisor / Trainer made for the Trainee.

Portfolio - This method can be used for the Recognition of Prior Learning but can also be used by the Trainer as a means of determining if the Trainee has performed all the requirements during the training before the Trainee undergoes institutional Assessment.

Written test - the method that can used to test the Knowledge, Skills and Attitude of the Trainee.  But is a power tool in knowing what the trainee can do in areas were actual skills test will not suffice.  Example, contingency questions, application of rules and regulations.  Note however that same goes too for oral questioning and interview.

Designing your Evidence Plan

Designing an evidence guide is not simply rephrasing performance criteria and selecting methods of gathering evidence. In fact the effectiveness of your IA depends on how you designed your evidence plan/guide.

Explaining how the sample in figure 1, this is how its design works.

Looking at the TR for CSS NC II, the evidence guide indicates that there are four critical aspect of competencies, Two of those criteria were indicated in the evidence guide by italicization and highlighting it in bold, aside from this an asterisk was placed after the criteria.

In the first LO, where one of the critical aspect can be found, the method of testing shall be via: actual performance demonstration and questioning; and written test. While the Second critical aspect found in the second LO will only be tested via performance demonstration and questioning. For the non critical aspect, it is a combination of almost all the different methods.

The different Performance criteria and methods that were selected in the evidence plan will now serve as guide in designing the written test, performance test, and Questioning Tool for the given sample IA, which will be further discussed in the next part of this Tutorial.

Before I leave this topic do always remember that designing your Evidence plan is very important when developing an IAT,  for a well designed Evidence Guide will allow you to properly and objectively test if the Trainee have learned the desired outcomes and  is competent enough to move to the next competency.

Should you have further questions, feel free to comment bellow.

Cheers!

Related post:

1. Institutional Assessment Tool - Table of Specifications
2. Institutional Assessment Tool -  Performance test 
3. Institutional Assessment Tool - Questioning tools

Different Ways of Writing Information Sheets

Different Ways of Writing Information Sheets

How do you write an Information Sheet when what you intend to do is ask your Trainee to read a book?

Many methods can be utilized in order to write your information sheet depending on how you intend to present your lessons/topics.  For this example, I've written an information sheet to inform the Trainee of what he/she should do for this training session. In this case, the trainee is required to read a reference book.

Figure 1. Sample Information Sheet

For this particular example, the Trainee needs to read one of my available reference material to continue his/her learning session.  Thus, the instructions to read the book.  Notice that I had actually included the Book title, Author and the pages that needs to be read by the Trainee.

Since the trainee is required to read a topic, a self check is required so that the Trainee can practice what he/she has just read. This instruction was also included in the Information Sheet, so that the Trainee will know what he/she needs to do after reading the topic. For this example the Trainee is to answer the self check that follows. the photo copied topic that was attached to the CBLM. If for some reason the Trainee prefers to read the book itself, an instruction where the trainee can find the book was also given.

Figure 2, Sample Self Check

Worth noting with this sample is the activities' relationship to the stated Objectives in the Information sheet, which are the expectation from the Trainees to enumerate:

1. general safety precautions; and
2. the seven basic precautions.

All of these can be answered only if the Trainee has read the documents as instructed in the Information Sheet. What follows after the self check is the  answer key that the Trainee can use to check if he/she was able to enumerate the requirements correctly.

This way of developing an information sheet is allowed provided that, you develop the self check and that the self check is directly related to the document that you have asked your trainees to read.

A similar method can be used if what you want to do is to ask your Trainee to watch a video, view a presentation, read information form the Internet, etc.

just make sure that whatever it is that you want your Trainees to do, all the needed information is written in the information sheet so that the Trainee knows what to do to continue his/her session.

In my next topic, I will try to cover the development of an Institutional Assessment Tool that TVET Trainers are required to give before a Trainee is allowed to moved to the next competency.

Should you have more questions, feel free to comment below.

Cheers!

Related Topics:

1. Competency Based Learning Materials
2. Writing Your First Information Sheets

Writing Your First Information Sheets

Write Information Sheets

For this blog entry for Trainers Methodology Level 1, I will now walk you through when you are required to write your own info sheet.

Information Sheet Format

The Plan Training Session-Competency Based Learning Material (PTS-CBLM) have discussed the preferable format for an Information Sheet.  The prescribed format was the one that I used for all my Competency Based Learning Materials.  

For this blog I'm including as an example a copy of my old Competency Based Learning Material (CBLM) in Computer Hardware Servicing NC II (CHS NC II) that you can use as your own reference when writing your first Information Sheet. You can download it here.

Content Explanation

Figure 1. The Introductory Page of My Information Sheet

For this document (figure 1), two rejoinders were available, the first one explains the relationship of this content to the past topics that I had already discussed, while the second rejoinder, explains this topics connection with the other topics that will be taken as the Trainees moves forward in their respective lessons.

Figure 2. First Page of CHS Sample CBLM Information Sheet

It has always been my style to write a separate sheet for my introduction, for this allows me to group my contents properly, and gives me more space to write my objectives, rejoinders and introduction. (figure 2)

Figure 3. Main Content Topic

The main content topic (Figure 3), is where I wrote all the needed information that the Trainee needs to learn about the basics of computers.  Worth noting is how the contents were cited and properly referred to as my sources using footnotes.

The included  diagram was something that I made my self thus, no referencing is needed since it is my own work.

Note:

It is worth noting that most of the contents were referred to wikipedia as its source.  To some people, wikipedia can not be trusted as a reliable source due to its characteristic that its contents can be easily changed by anyone who wants to contribute to the topic. Be warned therefore, to ensure the correctness of the contents before using it, this is the same to any contents that can be found over the Internet. Not everything that can be found on the Internet can be considered reliable.

Figure 4. Page 4 of my content

For this page (Figure 4), what I wanted to focus on are the proper referencing of where the images that I had utilized. Although one can easily notice that it was taken on wikicommons, which is a free source of images that anybody can use, despite of this however, proper attribution is still needed here since these were the requirements of the original owners.

Another thing that I would like to point out is the proper captioning of these images and how these images were referred to in my topic.  We do not simply place images in our contents, but we must also properly utilized it to better present our intended topic to our Trainees.

Worth noting too is the proper formatting of the entire document, which is very important to entice  our trainees to read our contents.

Writing your own information sheet can be a daunting task, specially if we find it hard constructing our own sentences. But do note that we can utilized other peoples work, provided that we do not claim it to be our own, and properly attribute the said work to its rightful owners.

Lastly, When you find it hard to write your own content, search your contents over the Internet and look for written topics under creative commons, and or copyleft, contents written under these two are free provided that proper attribution is given to the original owner. 

In my next blog, I will walk you through the different methods of presenting your methods of training delivery through an Information sheet using the same format. but will refer to something that the trainee needs to do, may it be, viewing presentations, watching videos, or reading a topic in a book.

I hope this blog helped. Should you have questions, feel free to comment bellow.

Cheers!

Related Topics:

1. Competency Based Learning Materials
2. Different Ways of Writing Your Information Sheets

Competency Based Learning Materials

Introduction

The Trainers Methodology Level 1 (TM-1) Plan Training Session-Competency Based Learning Materials (PTS-CBLM) under information sheet 1.3-2 defines the components of a CBLM, on page 138, it enumerated the parts of the CBLM, grouped in two, these are:

A. Preliminary pages

1. Front Page
2. Trainee’s Guide on How to Use the CBLM
3. List of Competencies
4. Competency Summary
5. Learning Outcome Summary
6. Learning Experiences

B. Instruction Sheets

1. Information Sheet
2. Self-Check
3. Task Sheet
4. Operation Sheet
5. Job Sheet
6. Performance Criteria Checklist

For this walk-through, let us start with the first group, preliminary pages

1. The Front Page

Figure 1. Competency Based Learning Material Cover Page

Although  there is no defined standards as to how the front page is supposed to be formatted in regards to a well developed CBLM,  the PTS-CBLM has a recommended format that a Trainers Methodology Level 1 Trainee is advised to follow.

The recommended layout is self explanatory and has been properly explained in page 139 and will no longer be covered by this walk-through. The entire PTS template can be downloaded as a zip file at the template area or you can click here to download the cover page.

Tip: For your CBLM portfolio requirements, use the  Core competency that you have chosen for your Session Plan.

2. Trainee Guide on How to Use the CBLM

Figure 2. Sample Trainee Guide

For the Trainee Guide (figure 2), you are required to develop your own, however, given that there is some similarity in regards to what a CBLM is supposed to be, you can use pre-developed Trainee Guide as a reference or as a starting point for the development of your own, just ensure that its contents conforms to your respective qualification and meets what you intend for your respective CBLM. The Trainee guide templates can be also be downloaded at this link.

Tip: For your portfolio requirements, use the Core competency that you have used when developing your Session Plan.

3. List of Competencies

Figure 3a. List of Competencies

Figure 3b. Sample List of Competencies

The contents of the list of competencies is self explanatory, the template is also available for download in the templates section of this blog or you can click here.

Tip: Ensure that you highlight the Core Competency that you have chosen to use for your session plan as shown in figure 3b.

4. Competency Summary

Figure 4. Sample Module Contents

Also known as Module Content / Module of Instructions. All its contents are taken from the TR or the CBC. Template is also available at the Template Area or you can download it here.

Tip:  For your portfolio requirement, use the core competency that you used in the development of your Session Plan and write down all Performance Criteria as Assessment Criteria of the entire Core Competency.

5. Learning Outcome Summary

Figure 5. LO Summary

Similar to Competency Summary, most of its contents are taken from the TR or the CBC. Template is also available at the templates area and similarly can also be downloaded here.

Tip:  For your portfolio requirements, from the Session plan that you have recently developed, select one of your Learning Outcomes with  an Information Sheet, and a task, a job, an operation sheet or any combination of these three.

6. Learning Experiences

Figure 6. Sample Learning Experiences

For this last part of your preliminary pages, you are required to list down all content of your session plan under presentation, practice and feedback. Aside from this you can also include special guidelines that your Trainee needs to know, as shown in this Sample Learning Experience (figure5). You can Download the PTS templates at the templates area or download the Learning Experience template here.

Writing your Instructions Sheets.

The PTS-CBLM defines Instruction sheets as a document "designed to guide the trainee on the different things to be done to learn a unit of competency, different instruction sheets will be required for different learning activities."

These different Instruction Sheets are:

1. Information Sheet
2. Task Sheet
3.  Operation Sheet
4.  Job Sheet

Information Sheet

"Information sheet is not a copy or duplicate of an article from magazine, newspaper or book. An information sheet is developed when there are no resources available to explain the required information or to summarize an article that illustrate new trends and technology and present hard-to-find data. An information sheet is primarily designed to deliver pertinent information needed in the attainment of a learning outcome."

A good information sheet has the following characteristics or conforms to the following criteria:

1. Free from violation of copyright law
2. Contains information essential to the attainment of the learning outcomes
3. Has a title that gives some idea of the coverage of the sheet
4. Approach in terms of content and presentation is appropriate to the interest and reading level of the learner
5. The layout, text and drawings are attractive in appearance and legible
6.  Has uncommon terms marked for further defining
7. Has acknowledgement per copied part of the sheet

Tips in writing Information Sheets

1. Make sure that the reading level matches that of your trainees
2. Use short paragraphs
3. Use short, concise sentences
4. Position illustrations to the side or just below the sentences referring to the illustrations
5. Keep information sheet brief

- From PTS-CBLM page 150.

There are lots of ways of writing an information sheet, provided below (figure 7) is one of the possible ways of writing it, while the template for writing information sheets and its corresponding documents can be downloaded here.

Figure 7. Sample Information Sheet

For this Learning Outcome of the old CES NC II TR, it focuses more on learning how to assemble an electronic project, given that most of the prerequisites  have already been discussed before, there is longer any other topic to learn except for the actual assembly of an Electronic Project,  thus, there is no longer a need to write for a self check, but instead, after this Information Sheet follows a Job sheet (Figure 8)

Figure 8a. Sample Job Sheet

Figure 8b. Page two of Sample Job Sheet

Referring to figure 8a and b, As you can see, in order to assemble the Electronic project, the trainee is required to perform different task, from checking all the required materials, individual testing of components and then the actual assembly which makes the assembly a Job, since it's a combination of multiple task. Notice too how the required safety needs was emphasize in the Job Sheet

Figure 9. Sample Performance Criteria Checklist

Every after Job, Task, Operation Sheets follows the performance Criteria Checklist (Figure 9), to develop this document, you need to copy all steps and procedures that you wrote in your job sheet, aside from these, you can also add parts of your performance objectives such time and checked if the trainee has finished the required task/job on time,   so that the trainee will be able to check his/her own performance.

Tip: If you want to include portfolio as a requirements before the Trainee can undergo Institutional Assessments, you can collect the performance criteria checklist and include it as part of your portfolio requirements.

Task / Operations Sheets

The same format is utilized when developing a task sheet and an operation sheet, the only difference is that, a task sheet focuses in the the performance of a single task. Example, "Test components" is a single task, which will only require the trainee to test the functionality of components, while for an operation sheet, it should contain the different procedures that the trainee needs to perform to use (operate) an equipment. Example, "How to use a multi-tester."

This ends this tutorial for now, for my next blog post, I will be delving with writing an Information sheet.  Should you have further questions feel free to comment bellow.

Cheers!


Related Topics:

1. Writing Your First Information Sheets
2. Different Ways of Writing Your Information Sheets

Session Plan Explained

Explaining Session Plan

It has been my observation since I became a Trainers Methodology Level 1 (TM-1) Facilitator, of the kind of difficulty that a TM-1 Trainee tends to encounter when developing their respective Session Plan.

For this blog , what I will do is to walk you through on how I developed my  Session plan that I utilized in my TM-1 portfolio document.

What you will need

The sample that I will be using is one of the old session plan that I made way back in 2013 from my old TVET Qualification Consumers Electronics Servicing NC II (CES NC II). To better follow the discussion and samples that I will be providing, it is highly recommended that you download a copy of this Sample Session Plan so that you can have a working example and reference as you develop your own.

This document is a copy left material with attribution, feel free to distribute to anyone provided that you agree with these terms and condition:

1. The Session Plan was developed froms the old CES NC II Training Regulations (TR) and has already been superseded by a newer Training Regulations, Electronic Product Assembly and Servicing NC II (EPAS NC II).
2. That the sample material is provided as is and with no guarantee of anything.
3. That the Sample Session plan will only be used as a reference for the development of your own session plan.

With all of this in mind, before we proceed with this walk through you need to prepare the following, a copy of the:

1. Plan Training Session-Competency Based Learning Materials (PTS-CBLM);
2. Training Regulations (TR), for your respective qualification, (if you do not have a copy of your respective TR, you can download it from the provided links on this blog); and
3. Session Plan Template (if you do not have a copy of the Session plan template, just click on the provided link on this blog).

Aside from this, make sure that you have already read this previous blog; a lot your spare time; and an Internet connection of sufficient speed.

With all things properly set-up, let us proceed to our walk through discussion.

Figure 1. Sample CES NC II Session Plan page 1

Sample Session Plan page 1, (please refer to figure 1)

Sector: Electronics - indicated sector was taken from the front page of the Training Regulations. (self explanatory)

Qualification Title: Consumers Electronics Servicing NC II - the title of my Qualification. (self explanatory)

Unit of Competency: (02) Maintain and Repair Audio/Video Products and Systems - Core Number 2, as referred to by (02) the second Core Competency of my Qualification as stated in the TR. The numbering of Core competency is helpful for properly indicating the needed codes of your content topics, Info sheets, task/job/operation sheets as I will explain later as we move forward on this walk through.

Module Title: (02) Maintaining and Repairing Audio/Video Products and Systems - why with the "ing" refer to previous blog or to the PTS-CBLM.

Nominal Duration: 80 hrs - the estimated needed number of hours to complete this Core Competency, most of the time can be found in a fully developed Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).

Learning Outcomes: - these are referred to as Elements under the TR, but referred to as Learning Outcomes in CBC. For this particular part, list down all the Elements or the Learning Outcomes of your respective Core Competency.

Introduction - the unit descriptor of the competency in the TR.

The Learning Outcome (LO) - worth noting is that the LO was placed above the learning activities, this is so in order to remind the Trainer that  all Learning Activities should be designed in such a way that it will meet the desired Learning Outcome.

Learning Activities - this part of the CBLM is where most of the problem emanates and where most of my explanation will focus.

Let's start with the Learning Contents

Most of the problem in this area arises in regards to where a Trainer should get his/her respective topic. this is because what the TR simply provides are mere suggestions of possible topics that a trainee must learn to achieve the desired outcome.  In regards as to how the trainee is to learn this, it always falls back to the TVET institution who has decided to offer the TVET Qualification.  Thus, the importance of having a fully developed CBC.

The Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) is a reflection of how a Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Institution intends to offer a qualification based on its Thrust, Mission, Vision and Objective. This is so because, a training institution is given the academic freedom to determine what to teach, who to teach and how to teach, which is reflected on how your Institution developed the CBC.

Thus, you the Trainer whose services are commissioned by your respective Institution is oblige  to deliver your Training based on what your institution requires which is reflected in the CBC.

In some cases however, even the CBC that was developed by an Institution might not reflect what you really believe is required in order to properly train your Students.

When this happens, you whose expertise are tapped to teach the qualification must ensure that whatever you decide to include as a topic does not deviate from what your Institution wanted and at the end of the day the desired outcome is achieved.

With this, any title can be used in determining the learning content, so long that it does not deviate from the learning objectives.

Performance Criteria as a title for a content

Personally speaking, i do not recommend the usage of the the Performance Criteria as reflected in the TR as a content title.

This is because Performance Criteria pertains to what the Trainee must learn to perform, thus when you use Performance criteria as a title for a content there is a tendency to simply focus on the skills development and might disregard the importance of Knowledge and attitude that you need to develop with the student to achieve the desired competency.

What I suggest though is for you to use Performance Criteria as an one your objectives in selecting the right contents for your topics.

Referring back to the sample session plan,

Content title - 2.1.1 OHS Policies and procedures in maintaining and repairing audio /video products and systems.

Note the numerical numbering that I used (2.1.1), what does it mean? The number two (2) refers to this content as content for Core Competency two.

Number one (1) refers to this content as content for Learning Outcome number one, and the last number, one, refers to it as content number one.

In summary it simply means, first content for learning outcome number one of core competency two.

The content title - it was derived from the Learning Outcome itself.

The methods that I had chosen for this Topic is individualized Learning. For the Presentation, the Trainees are require to read an Information Sheet. For their Practice, the Trainees are to answer a self-check, while for the immediate Feedback they are to check their answers  using an answer key.

Resources - there are two sets of resources that the candidates will use, one is the Competency Based Learning Material, while the other is a reference book with the page, title and the author of the book was listed.

Time - the nominal time for this single activity is 30mins.

Figure 2. Page 2 of Sample CES NCII Session Plan.

Figure 2. Sample Session Plan page 2

Referring to figure 2, worth noting is that there are two methods that I have selected to deliver this topic, first, was individualized learning, second was  demonstration.

For the Presentation, the Trainer will be the one to perform the Demonstration, after the demonstration, the Trainees are to practice by performing a task, after performing the task, the Trainees are to check their performance using a performance criteria checklist to get the immediate feed back.

The required resources for the performance are listed, and the estimated time for each performance activity is 1hr. Since the Trainees are required to practice the task five times, the total time that this activity will take is five hours.

To summarized, content 2.1.1 will be be delivered using individualized learning and demonstration, to practice, the Trainees are required to answer some questions, and to perform five different task.  The nominal number of hours to deliver this content under Learning Outcome number one is five and a half hours (5.5Hrs)

Well thats it, with this example, I hope that i had given enough explanation that would give you further understanding on the proper flow of a learning activity in a given content and start developing your Session more easily. 

Should you have further questions, feel free to comment below.

Cheers!