LCVP CONFERENCE

1. LCVP CONFERENCE March 3rd 2012 Siobhan Ring CAE

2. Candidature Number of candidates sitting Link Modules 2007 - 2011

3. Performance of Candidates Percentage of candidates achieving each grade in Link Modules 2007 - 2011

4. Portfolio Core Section Popularity(%)Ave mark • C V 100 20 • Action Plan 99 26 • Career Inv 99 27 • Summary Rep 98 29

5. Portfolio Option Section Popularity(%)Ave mark • Diary 90 32 • Enterprise Rep 16 33 • My Own Place 14 31 • Interview 85 39

6. Portfolio observations • The overall standard of layout and presentation was good. Portfolio’s in general are well laid out and bound. ( Note: plastic sleeves are not accepted) • Having a limit on the quantity of work presented is in general adhered to. Student in the majority have all items typed. • Some students do not submit full portfolios for correction. • Using a large size font is a waste of paper and is also in breach of guidelines. • Marks are lost for poor spelling, grammar and punctuation.

7. There is an increase in the number of items being disallowed. Action Plans and Summary Reports based on non-LCVP activities were disallowed. Also Work Experience Diary's where dates are outside the two year time frame of the programme. • Marks are also lost for information missing/brevity of information/ activities not being described well. • Failure to evaluate or give conclusion/recommendations lost marks. • Restrictions broken. • Material submitted outside the two year program. Note new portfolio dates for 2013.

8. Written Exam Observations • Marks are lost for not reading questions correctly or misinterpreting the requirements. • Also students not responding adequately to the verb used in the question i.e.. describe, list, outline, explain. • Failure to expand/develop points given. • Repeating points already stated. • Giving insufficient analysis and evaluation where required. • **Failure to link the learning from their portfolio to the written exam.

9. Examination - Written Popularity(%)Ave mark Sect A 100 22 Sect B 100 16 Sect C Q1 94 15 Q2 64 13 Q3 68 12 Q4 56 13 Q5 60 15 Q6 80 16

10. Section A: Audio visual Students perform well. Listen carefully and develop answers appropriately. • Section B: Case Study Students who prepare well are duly rewarded. Read the questions asked carefully. Answer all parts. Students should give good explainations or detail in their answers. Develop their answers well. • Section C: General questions Give appropriate detail pertaining to the question asked. Develop answers. Give the required number points asked for in the question. No repetition of points already given in a question.

11. Portfolio items –RecommendationsCurriculum Vitae • Check for presentation, layout and word processing errors. • Make sure a skills/qualities section is present. • Include in the educational qualification section the year on both the JC/LC. Also Link Modules is taken at common level. (Note L.C.V.P. or L.C.V.P. Link Modules or Links not accepted as the subject name) • A title/position, an address and telephone number should be part of the referees given. Two required. • Students should provide an address/date/duties for any work experience they have completed. • Students frequently list an e-mail address as a personal detail; these can very often be of an inappropriate nature. • Keep the CV length to a max of two pages.

12. Enterprise/Action plan • Check for presentation/layout and word processing errors. • Check tenses- Aims/objectives, action steps, schedule of time/costs, evaluation methods- Future tense only. Research methods – Past or future tense. Analysis of research – Past tense only. • A personal objective is required in a group activity. • List some duties pertaining to the day of the event in the action steps. • Make sure the evaluation methods are present and include how the evaluation would be apparent. • Plans submitted must meet the criteria of being a link module activity. Principal objective should show this link. • There should be a link to slo’s or future career plans etc, so that plans meet criteria.

13. Career Investigation • Give sufficient detail on the duties involved in the career. • A skills and qualities section needs to be included. • Information given on the two different path ways needs to include..... • Students in the majority do not give details of the course content. A brief outline of one course is acceptable. • A link with their own aptitude, leaving certificate subjects and out of school learning needs to be evident. • Evaluate the career itself AND the career investigation process. • Students are given the opportunity to show real research and individual work.

14. Summary Report • Include a personal aim in a group activity. • Check that reports submitted are not too short and that objectives relate to the body of the report. • Headings within the body of the report are required. • Conclusions should link to the aims/body of the report. • Recommendations on should be valid to the reportsubmitted.

15. Record/Log/Diary • Personalised detailed accounts of the work experience placements should be given. • The reasons for choosing a work placement and the description of the placement should be well covered. Candidates need to discuss their aptitudes/link with their own Leaving Certificate subjects/their career plan. • Analyse their own performance should be included and given in detail through out the Diary. • Evaluation of their work experience should be included. • Career aspirations, future studies and how candidates could apply their learning in the home, school or the community .

16. Enterprise Report • An author’s name and table of contents should be evident. Also charts, tables or diagrams should be included. These diagrams should be clear/labelled and support the content. • A personal objective needs to be included. • A personal/individual contribution paragraph should also be included. • Include a summary of the report ( this should read well). • Submit reports on group enterprise activities only. • Check the length of the report. • Watch for repetition of the action plan given in the core section again in the body of the report.

17. My Own Place • Include a Table of contents for the report . • Many reports concentrate on one area of their community or area investigation and fail to give an over view of their complete investigation. This overview should be included. • Key areas such as identifying their individual contribution should be included. • The analysis of a key issue/ suggestion for improvement must be included and well developed – in some reports it appeared that if this analysis was discussed it was more stumbled upon, rather than being actually considered.

18. Recorded Interview • Students often lose marks for poor appearance. • Most centres keep within the time frame allowed for the video presentation i.e. 5 minutes. • Students should be well prepared and show good knowledge and communication skills. • In some instances interviewers do not ask searching enough questions so that a student is given the opportunity to extend him or herself.

19. Administrative/Technical problems • Play DVD’s that are being submitted to the SEC for viewing on a DVD machine and a laptop. • Make sure good quality DVD’s are used. Mini discs should not be submitted. • Make three copies of each DVD submitted. • Exam Numbers should be seen for the complete interview. • Make sure DVD packaging is sufficient for post arriving in the SEC. • Students missing recordings i.e.. First or last few interviews on the DVD. Check all students are present on the DVD. • Check sound & profile are appropriate. • Poor interviewers are apparent for some interviews. • Sequences sheets filled according to the running order on the DVD should be included. A copy of the sequence sheet should also be included.

20. And Finally! • Portfolio items show a wide variety of activities. Some fabulous portfolio are submitted by students showing their experience the world of work or enterprise in action. • It is clearly identifiable students who receive good direction as to the makeup and marking of the portfolio items. • Thank you to all who examine. • Finally thank you to all, who through your teaching inspire/encourage LCVP students.