Enhancing TVET Programs for Industry Demands in Malaysia

1. An Introduction to Teaching, Assessing and Quality Assuring Professional, Technical and Vocational Qualifications

2. Eleventh Malaysia Plan, 2016-2020 Focus area B: Transforming TVET to meet industry demand Strategy B1: Strengthening the governance of TVET for better management, through the streamlining of the national qualification framework, and harmonising of various rating systems across both private and public TVET institutions; Strategy B2: Enhancing quality and delivery of TVET programmes to improve graduate employability, by enabling industries to lead curriculum development, eliminating the duplication of programmes and resources, enhancing cost efficiency, and increasing enrolment; and Strategy B3: Rebranding TVET to increase its attractiveness. This will be achieved through promotional activities highlighting TVET as an attractive career choice. Focus area C: Strengthening lifelong learning for skills enhancement Strategy C1: Improving effectiveness of programmes to meet learning needs, by increasing the use of industry-based training programmes, streamlining community-based programmes, and introducing entrepreneurship training in high-value economic sectors; and Strategy C2: Improving regulatory and funding support to broaden access through the enhancement of existing frameworks for recognising prior learning, and expanded HRDF support for new sectors and target groups.

3. Highfield Professional, Technical & Vocational qualifications • Aviation services • Business Administration • Business Improvement & Lean • Contact Centre • Customer Service • Education and Training • Financial Services • Health & Social Care • Hospitality and Catering • Land Based Skills • Logistics • Management & Leadership • Manufacturing Operations • Personal Development • Retail • Stewarding • Transport

4. College Workforce Requirements

5. Tutor requirements • Highfield requires those who are delivering units and/or observing and assessing practice to have: • a teaching or training qualification • evidence of relevant teaching experience in an education or training context • access to appropriate guidance and support • And demonstrate: • ongoing participation in related programme quality assurance processes • Suitable teaching qualifications include: • level 3 or 4 CTLLS • level 5 DTLLS • certificate in education • postgraduate/professional graduate certificate • in education (this list is not exhaustive) • Local equivalent qualifications

6. Assessor requirements • Highfield requires assessors, who will assess the learning and development units for this qualification, to: • already hold the qualification they are assessing (or a recognised equivalent) and have successfully assessed learners for other qualifications. • have up-to-date working knowledge and experience of best practice in assessment and quality assurance • Hold 1 of the following qualifications, or their recognised equivalents: • Level 3 Award in Assessing Competence in the Work Environment • Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement • A1 assess candidate performance using a range of methods • D32 assess candidate performance and D33 assess candidates using differing sources of evidence • show current evidence of continuing professional development in assessment and quality assurance.

7. Internal Quality Assurance Requirements Highfield recommends that internal quality assurance staff should: Be occupationally competent and experienced in the area of education and training Have a working understanding of internal quality assurance.

8. How to gain Centre Approval • Centres are required to complete an approval declaration form to gain centre approval for the delivery of Highfield qualifications • Declaration to ensure that centres have appropriate and competent personnel to deliver, assess and quality assure qualifications • Centres are required to provide copies of their tutors, assessors, and IQAs’ - relevant certificates, if required • The account management and external quality teams will then review the declaration and personnel certificates will make a centre approval decision.

9. Assessing Professional, Technical and Vocational Qualifications

10. The Qualification Specification

11. How the teacher/assessor interacts into the qualification EQS Teacher/ assessor Learner(s) IQA

12. The learner’s role • To prepare for various assessments by familiarising themselves with the standards/unit LOs and ACs • To carry out activities and/or answer questions • To gather and present evidence for assessment • To receive and act on feedback from the teacher/assessor.

13. The teacher/assessor’s role • Induct learners, identifying any additional needs • Plan assessments/observations • Conduct observations • Provide constructive feedback • Record assessment decisions • Review progress, set and agree targets • Authenticate evidence (before verification) • Ensure own skills/competencies are kept up to date • Contribute to the quality assurance process.

14. The assessment process There are 5 stages to the assessment process: • The assessment plan • Conducting the assessment • Evidence collection • Making an assessment decision • Giving feedback

15. 1. The assessment plan The assessment plan should: • specify the units to be assessed • identify the assessment methods • record the evidence to be collected • record the date and time of assessment • show the review dates • be jointly agreed and signed.

16. 2. The assessment • Carried out in accordance with the assessment plan • Conducted in line with the candidate’s needs • When using observation, it should be as unobtrusive as possible • Collection of the product evidence • Ask verbal questions when required.

17. 3. Evidence collection • As a teacher/assessor, you must collect all of the evidence from your candidate before making a full assessment decision • Evidence should be recorded legibly and accurately • All evidence must be kept as confidential.

18. Evidence Evidence has to be REALISTIC: R elevant E nglish language A uthentic L egally compliant I n date S upportive T rustworthy I rrefutable Candidate’s own.

19. 4. Making an assessment decision • Based on the evidence collected the teacher/assessor, must make 1 of the following decisions: Candidate competent Candidate not yet competent.

20. How should you deliver feedback? Feedback must be: • Offer encouragement • Be explicit • Refer only to the aspects of performance that can be changed • Praise • Be descriptive • Stand by your feedback • Offer factual feedback • Timely feedback • End on a high. Recorded Timely • Specific Concise Constructive

21. Layer cake feedback Layer 1 Thank the learner, praise and encourage, bring out 4 or 5 points that went particularly well Layer 2 Bring out 1 or 2 points to address developmental issues but to still encourage Layer 3 Complete the feedback with 4 or 5 positive aspects that went well and once again praise and motivate. This layer supports the whole feedback process.

22. Assessment methods available to the teacher/assessor ? • Observation • Questioning • Work product evidence • Professional discussions • Assignments • Any other appropriate formats.

23. Observation When observing your candidates, you should: • be clear about what you want to see • ensure the candidate is aware of what elements you want to observe • be as unobtrusive as possible • Use peer reflection • make objective notes and record evidence.

24. Questioning Questions need to be: • oral/written • preset/devised They should be: • short, clear and relevant • open questions that do not lead the candidate • at the appropriate level.

25. Introduction to the Highfield Assessment Pack

26. Level 3 assessment pack • Introductory guidance • Tasks that relate to unit LOs and ACs • Writable document • Practical assessment templates • One assessment pack per learner (recommended max of 12 learners to 1 teacher/assessor).

27. Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) IQA officers are part of a centre’s workforce IQA officers are responsible for the quality assurance of a qualification • The IQA officer should: • ensure the delivery and assessment meets the qualification requirements • ensure all assessment paperwork is completed accurately • ensure all teachers/assessors are IQA’d • support/develop teachers/assessors • provide an audit trail of IQA • The IQA officer should not: • be involved in the delivery of the course they are quality assuring • be involved in the assessment of the course they are quality assuring.

28. IQA traffic light system for managing risk Step 1 – teacher/assessor grading First of all agree an initial grade for teachers/assessors; don’t worry this can change as workforce skills develop: RED: teachers/assessors who have little or no experience in the delivery and/or assessment of teacher training qualifications AMBER: teachers/assessors who have a moderate amount of experience and competence in the delivery and/or assessment of the qualification GREEN: teachers/assessors who have a significant amount of experience and competence in the delivery and/or assessment of the qualification Important note: when completing this exercise be honest. RED tutors/assessors will need more support to help them develop than GREEN tutors/assessors.

29. IQA traffic light system for managing risk Step 2 – sampling strategy A straightforward sample strategy, based on the tutor/assessor’s grade and the volume of learners they tutor/assess Sample Volume Grade • Tutors/assessors would require the following IQA support: • 1 observational support visit for every learner registered • Mandatory 1 desk-based review for each learner, prior to certification claim • Tutors/assessors would require the following IQA support: • 1 observational support visit for every 10 learners • Recommended 1 desk-based review for each learner, prior to certification claim • Tutors/assessors would require the following IQA support: • 1 observational support visit for every 15 learners • recommended 1 desk-based review for each learner, prior to certification claim For tutors/assessors that do not exceed the above registered learner amount, a minimum of 1 annual observation visit is required.

30. IQA traffic light system Step 3 – sampling plan Create and maintain an IQA sampling plan that: • provides an audit trail of learners • provides a sampling plan for the IQA • provides an outcome for each IQA sample Available from the members’ download area.

31. IQA traffic light system Step 4 – sampling report Complete an IQA sample report for each activity, e.g. observation, desk-based, etc. This sample can look at any of the following: • the delivery of the qualification • the assessment of the qualification (theory and practical) • the completion of the assessment pack Available from the members’ download area All of which help to support the development of teachers/assessors and improve the delivery and assessment of the qualification.

32. Standardisation When to do it: • if the teacher/assessor is new to the post • when there is more than 1 teacher/assessor • if there is a change in the programme specification • if there are issues following external quality assurance Standardisation meetings should be recorded and conducted quarterly as a minimum.

33. Benefits of standardisation All involved contribute to the continuous improvement of any programme Maintains an audit trail of continuous improvement External Quality Support will ask for it.

34. External Quality Support (EQS) • Required by regulators to quality assure the qualification & centres • EQS is a support mechanism for centres and their workforce • EQS officers are employed by Highfield Qualifications EQS is carried out by: • Desk-based review • EQS engagement visits All assessment and internal quality assurance paperwork must be maintained for a period of 3 years.

35. Any questions?