FSWD Workforce Development Project ACT

FOUNDATION SKILLS PROJECT

  1. VET course

HORTICULTURE - Certificate III Landscape Construction

Unit of competency: Construct a soil profile AHCSOL302A

VET Teacher: John Ellis

FS Teacher: Noeline Little

  1. General description of students doing course:
  • The group of students is made up of mainly apprentices aged between 17 and 20, employed day release students, although this may vary from group to group. They are largely male; females make up only about 10%. They are fit and well, horticulture being a vocation needing good health.
  • The socio economic status is variable, from all different backgrounds.
  • Education standard is generally year 10 – 12 with some who have identifiable problems with numeracy and literacy.
  • The group is predominately of English speaking background.English as a second language (ESL) students are rare.
  1. Challenges

Educationally, the main challenges are provided bystudents who have problems withnumeracy and/orliteracyand a small number who struggle with digital technology.

  • The students who have problems with the numeracy/literacy components of the course have largely been left behind at school and thought they would follow a course that required different skills – only to find that a good basic understanding of numeracy and literacy concepts is essential to landscaping practice.
  • The few students who have difficulties with digital technology are generally older students who have had no exposure to the technology, or youngstudents who have had limited life opportunities. The problems in this area are generally quickly addressed.
  • In the classroom situation it has proved difficult to keep the students with good numeracy and literacy skillsinterested while explaining basic concepts to the less able.Nevertheless, it is imperative that the basic concepts are taught because the problem will only become worse if not addressed. The danger is that the students with poor numeracy and literacy skills will drop out of the course, which has actually happened, and the more able students will become bored and turn off.
  1. Proposal

Several possible FS units were considered before deciding on two units

  1. What FS units of competency
  • FSKNUM08: Identify and use whole numbers and simple fractions, decimals and percentages for work – 24 hours
  • FSKNUM09: Identify measure and estimate familiar quantities of

work – 24 hours

  1. How these might be delivered

After discussion the following the following ways of delivery seem at present to be most workable:

  • embed FS units into ‘Construct a soil profile’ unit
  • team teaching on specific sessions
  • FS teacher to help with creating teaching resources for unit.

Implementation stages / Vocational teacher / FS teacher
Students are required to do On-entry assessment on Orientation Day. / Givespaper based test to students, collects completed tests and sends to FS teachers for marking / On-entry test preparation and marking.
Creating teaching resources / Provides expertise in VET context and concepts / Provides expertise in numeracy and literacy concepts and teaching methods.
Embedding of Foundation Skills units / Incorporates FS elements into subject guide for delivery and assessment. Refers to Curriculum ((Sandra Duchnaj) for advice / Has checking role
Teaching / Team teaches with FS teacher on first session of topic on soil volumes, then changes normal teaching practice and reinforces and re-states topic in form of a worked exerciseeach session for the next 5 sessions. / Provides support in team teaching session in first week and helps develop contextual exercises to reinforce topic over following 5 sessions (no attendance for these 5 sessions).
Practicalities - Enrolment / Students will enrol into C1-VO45 Certificate I in Skills for Vocational Pathways FSK10213 and they’ll partially complete this qualification – 2 x units achieved. These units will come up on the student’s transcript in the “Subjects not used area”.

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  1. Timeframe

This is still to be fine-tuned and subject to time and funding constraints but the ideal seen at present is:

  • Team teaching on one session in about week 6, where the main problem area –the topic of soil volumes-will be taught - about 1 hour.
  • In addition, FS teacher to assist in development of resources to embed FS program into VET subject delivery guide. This advisory role for the FSteacher to run from beginning of unit, with most work to be done pre-teaching of the VET subject, and thereafter as needed.
  1. What you have gained

I’ve gained a better understanding of how literacy, numeracy and basic computing skills underpin Horticulture units. Currently I’m working on the Advanced Diploma of Adult Education and have just completed my assignment for the subject Address language, literacy and numeracy skillsbut working on the Foundation Skills project has enabled me to look more closely at the importance of these skills in the context of the Horticulture units and I believe it will allow me to better understand the language, literacy and numeracy issues of the students and improve the outcomes.

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