Candidate Resource Pack
Improving Own Learning and Performance Level 3
AVCE ICT
Improving Own Learning and Performance
Level 3
Candidate Workbook e-Portfolio Template
The e-Portfolio template has been created as a Word document using hyperlinks and bookmarks. Hyperlinks are ‘hot spots’ that when clicked take you to another location (or bookmark) in the same document. A bookmark identifies a location or selection of text that you name.
There are questionnaires and other activities within the pack and a space to insert evidence to meet the assessment criteria for Key Skills IOLP L3. Save the file to your user area and complete the questionnaires and other activities electronically by using the TAB key to navigate through the form fields.
You will need to unprotect the form* before inserting the evidence beneath the explanatory text by using either copy and paste or Insert, File. There is no need to worry about taking up more than one page as each new task has been set to start on a new page and the hyperlink will link to it, as long as the bookmark stays intact. Try not to disturb the structure of the hyperlinks and bookmarks.
Preparation and revision for AVCE ICT Unit 2 – ICT Serving Organisations external assessment provides the opportunity to gather evidence for IOLP Level 3. Your tutor will support you throughout and will give you guidance when completing the Recording Documentation electronically.
Upload the completed pack to your Student Work folder within the AVCE ICT course.
*Show the Forms toolbar (View > Toolbars > Forms) and unprotect the form by clicking the unprotect form icon. Navigate the document using your normal method.
UNIT SUMMARY
Provide at least one example of meeting the standard for LP3.1, LP3.2 and LP3.3 (the example should cover at least three targets). Overall, show you can use at least two different ways of learning to improve your performance.
COMPONENT / REFERENCE(S)LP3.1 – Set targets using information from appropriate people and plan how these will be met. / SWOT Analysis
Your Own Learning
How do you learn best?
LearningStyles
Learning Styles & Personality
Feedback/Time Management
Individual Action Plan – Set Targets
Assessment Record
LP3.2 – Take responsibility for your learning, using your plan to help meet targets and improve your performance. / Learning Log
Tutor Notes
External Assessment Timetable
Unit 2 Mock 1
Unit 2 Mock 2
Learning Modules
Student Markbook
Useful Internet Sites
Assessment Record
LP3-3 –Review progress and establish evidence of your achievements. / Review Date: / Individual Action Plan – Set Targets
Time to Reflect
Discussion
Assessment Record
Personal Statement
ASSESSOR CANDIDATE ___
DATE DATE ___
DATE ______INTERNAL VERIFIER ______
Page Number
IOLP Level 3 allows you to demonstrate that you are responsible for your own learning. You will set targets and plan how these will be met; seeking information from appropriate people on ways to achieve what you want to do. Your individual learning plan should include targets, deadlines, support, identifying how much time you will need and what teaching, coaching or guidance you will need to achieve your goal. (LP3.1). You will take responsibility for your own learning by choosing different ways of learning and decide the methods that suit you best; seeking feedback and support from other people (LP3.2). This will show how you have used learning from one task to help with another, managed your time effectively and give you time to reflect on your learning, identifying ways to further improve your performance (IOLP3.3). Preparation and revision for AVCE ICT Unit 2 – ICT Serving Organisations external assessment provides the opportunity to gather evidence for IOLP Level 3.
LP3.1Set targets using information from appropriate people and plan how these will be met.
Now that you’ve been introduced to the structure of the AVCE ICT course and who will be taking you for each unit; the syllabus and content of Unit 2 – ICT serving Organisations; the grading criteria; and the external assessment timetable set by Edexcel, you must set targets in order to achieve this unit and subsequently pass the overall course with good grades.
In order to set realistic targets you need to think about the skills, experiences you already have and the skills you’ll need to develop to achieve your goal. Provide the following information in as much detail as possible:
Return to Unit Summary
How this qualification will help my future career plans. / Strengths – skills that I already have will help me to achieve this qualification.Weaknesses - skills that I do not have that I will need to develop during the course. / Previous experience or skills that will help me achieve this qualification.
Difficulties that I may encounter that will affect the outcome. / How I will overcome these difficulties.
Your course will involve at least three types of learning: study, practical and independent. You will need to meet these three targets to achieve a good grade:
StudyingPractical Activity
Working Independently
Return to Unit Summary
Your Own Learning
People differ in how they think, how they go about processing information, how they solve problems and how they approach learning. For example, some people like to study on their own in a quiet room at home with no distractions; others prefer a public setting, such as a library where the sight of other people working helps them stay motivated; others still can only concentrate in the middle of the night with music on full blast! There are no rights and wrongs when it comes to learning – it’s just a question of discovering what works for you for any particular task.
Activity
Have a look at this list and see where you feel most confident
Tick a box using a 1-5 scale where 1= very good and 5= poor
How good are you at: 1 2 3 4 5
Listening to and acting on verbal instructions
Following written instructions
Using diagrams
Understanding problems
Memorising information
Reading material for information
Using reference guides/training manuals
Using technology to get information
Analysing information
Asking for help from people you know
Asking for help from people you don’t know
Asking for information over the phone
Dealing with people you know on the phone
Dealing with people you don’t know on the phone
Going to new places for help or information
Writing letters asking for information
What are you going to do about the things you find hard? Think of ways to overcome some of the difficulties – it may be quite easy really! Return to Unit Summary
Follow up: Try to get more practice at some of the tasks that make you feel less confident. Discuss with your Tutor and compare notes with your friends. It doesn’t matter if you are not good at all of these things. Are some of the above more important than others?
How do you learn best?
(Page 1 of 2)
You have already learnt lots of things in the past.
Activity
Think about why you’ve found some things easy to learn and others hard. Pick out an example of something you learnt successfully. Why was it a success?
What helped you to learn: Write down your example in the box below.
I made a success of learning in:
Think about your examples and put a tick for any statement, which applies to you.
I made a success of learning because:I had enough time
I wanted to learn
I was interested in the subject/task
I had good support from other people
I was well prepared and organised
I was in a suitable place
other
/
Sometimes learning wasn’t so successful
- Pick an example of something, which you didn’t succeed in learning. Why didn’t it work out? What went wrong?
- Think about your example then look at the list below and put a tick where it applies to your example.
Other people were telling me to learn
I found the subject boring and pointless
It was too difficult!
I lost interest right at the beginning
I tried, but couldn’t keep up with the deadlines
I had little or no support.
I was unprepared and disorganised.
I was short of time
other
Candidate: / Date:
Assessor: / Date:
How do you learn best?
Activity
You’ve got some new chances now to learn from the past and make this course a success. Use what you have found out to help you see if you can find things that help you do well and things that get in the way.
Tick the boxes that best describe how you like to learn:
Focus – What do you work best with?
peopletechnical things
information
ideas /
Place – Where do you work best?
at homeclassroom, lecture room
in the workplace
anywhere
Time – When do you work best?
morning
afternoon
evening
night
anytime
Role – What parts do you play best when you’re working with others
organiser
leader
technical adviser
team members
planner
What sort of help do you find most useful?
friends
talks
courses
relatives
demonstrations
training events
tutors/trainers / Conditions – What conditions do you like?
inside
with other people
outside
with music
hot
cold
quiet
noisy
unsupervised
supervised
Tools – What do you like using
machinesspecialist equipment
computers
pen and paper
your brain
books
instructions
managers/supervisors
tapes
work books and study guides
videos
CD-Roms
pictures, charts and diagrams
Return to Unit Summary
Candidate: / Date:Assessor: / Date:
Learning Styles
Activity
This exercise will help you to identify the way you learn best. To complete it, you will need to do three things:
- complete the questionnaire (page 8)
- transfer the information from the questionnaire to the diagnostic chart (page 9)
- relate the results of the diagnostic chart to the type of learner – Activist, Reflector, Theorist, Pragmatist (described on pages 10 – 13)
Completing the Questionnaire
The questionnaire contains rows of statements with a box for you to write alongside them. You need to rate each of the statements according to this scale:
4describes your approach to learning best
3describes your approach well
2describes your learning style adequately
1describes your approach to learning least well
Here is an example to help you get started:
I am open to new experiences / / I like to try things out myself / / I am energetic and enthusiastic / / I get involved /Now move on to the questionnaire on the following page:
The Questionnaire
A / B / C / D1 / I like being useful / I take my time
before acting / I am particular
about what I like / I get involved
2 / I am open to new experiences / I look at all
sides of issues / I like to analyse
concepts and
break them down / I like to try
things out
3 / I like to deal with
my feelings / I think about
ideas / I like to watch / I like to be doing
things
4 / I accept people
and situations as
they are / I am aware of
what’s going
on around me / I have tasks / I evaluate
5 / I am logical / I consider
many
questions / I have gut feelings and hunches / I am hard
working and like
to get things
done
6 / I like to be able to
see and touch
objects / I like to be
active / I like ideas and
theories / I like to observe
7 / I prefer to learn in
the here and now / I like to
consider and
reflect on my
observations / I like to see
results from my
work / I tend to think
about the future
8 / I rely on my
feelings / I rely on my
ideas / I rely on my
observations / I like to try
things out
myself
9 / I tend to reason
things out / I am quiet and
reserved / I am energetic
and enthusiastic / I am responsible
about things
A / B / C / D
The Diagnostic Chart
Now that you have completed the questionnaire, you can transfer your scores to the grid below. You only use sixanswers for each type of` learning style – as shown in the grid. When you have filled in the scores, add your totals up and put them in the space at the bottom of each column of the grid.
ReflectorReflective
Thorough/methodical / Theorist
Abstract
Perfectionist / Pragmatist
Active
Keen to test out / Activist
Enthusiastic
Flexible/open minded
B1 / C2 / A1 / A2
C3 / B3 / D3 / A3 `
D6 / D4 / B6 / A4
B7 / A5 / C7 / C5
C8 / B8 / D8 / A7
B9 / A9 / D9 / A8
Total Score
/Total Score
/Total Score
/Total Score
Return to Unit Summary
The highest score will indicate to you what type of` learner you are. Look at the next page to see your type:
Activist
Activists involve themselves fully and without bias in new ideas.
They enjoy the ‘here and now’.
They are open-minded, not sceptical, and this tends to make them` enthusiastic about anything new.
Their philosophy is ‘I’ll try anything once’.
They tend to act first and consider the consequences afterwards.
Their days are filled with activity.
They tackle problems by brainstorming.
As soon as the excitement from one activity has died down they are busy looking for the next.
They are gregarious people constantly involving themselves with others but in doing so; they seek to centre all activities around themselves.
Strengths:- Flexible and open minded
- Happy to have a go
- Happy to be exposed to new situations
- Optimistic about anything new and therefore unlikely to resist change
- Tendency to take the immediately obvious action without thinking
- Often take unnecessary risks
- Tendency to do too much themselves and hog the limelight
- Rush into action without sufficient preparation
Reflector
Reflectors like to stand back to ponder experiences and observe them.
They collect data, both first hand and from others, and prefer to think about it thoroughly before coming to any conclusion.
They tend to be thorough so they tend to postpone reaching conclusions for as long as possible.
Their philosophy is to be cautious.
They are thoughtful people who like to consider all possible angles and implications before making their own points.
They tend to adopt a low profile and have a slightly distant, tolerant unruffled air about them.
When they act it is part of a wide picture which include the past as well as the present and others’ observations as well as their own.
Strengths:- Careful
- Thorough and methodical
- Thoughtful
- Good at listening to others and assimilating information
- Rarely jump to conclusions
- Tendency to hold back from direct participation
- Slow to make up `their minds` and reach a decision
- Tendency to be too cautious and not take enough risks
- Not assertive – they aren’t particularly forthcoming and have no ‘small talk’
Theorist
They think problems through in a vertical, step-by-step logical way.
They tend to be perfectionists who won’t rest easy until things are tidy and fit into a rational scheme.
They like to analyse.
They are keen on basic assumptions. Questions they frequently ask ‘Does it make sense?’ ‘How does this fit with that?’
Their approach to problems is consistently logical. This is their ‘mental set’ and they rigidly reject anything that doesn’t fit with it.
Strengths:- Logical ‘vertical’ thinkers
- Rational and objective
- Good at asking probing questions
- Disciplined approach
- Restricted in lateral thinking
- Low tolerance for uncertainty, disorder and ambiguity
- Intolerant of anything subjective or intuitive
- Full of ‘shoulds, oughts and musts’
Pragmatist
Pragmatists are keen on trying out ideas, theories and techniques to see if they work in practice.
They positively search out new ideas and take the first opportunity to experiment with applications.
They like to get on with things and act quickly and confidently on ideas that attract them.
They tend to be impatient, down to earth people who like making practical decisions and solving problems.
They tend to respond to problems and opportunities ‘as a challenge’. Their philosophy is ‘There is always a better way’ and ‘If it works, it’s good’.
Strengths:- Keen to test things out in practice
- Practical, down to earth, realistic
- Businesslike – gets straight to the point
- Technique oriented
- Tendency to reject anything without an obvious application
- Not very interested in theory or basic principles
- Tendency to seize on the first expedient solution to a problem
- Impatient with waffle
- On balance, task oriented, not people oriented
What kind of learner are you? Peter Honey and Alan Mumford have identified four main learning style preferences. In a new browser window key in the URL shown below and take a look at the Campaign For Learning website which also looks at learning styles and helps you identify your preferred learning style? Which one are you?
References:
Revans, Reginald About Action Learning (undated) accessed 12 November 2004
Cox, Stephen, researched by Pattinson, Natalie Principles of Learning (undated) accessed 12 November 2004
Learning Styles & Personality Type
If you liked the previous chart try this one: it explores links between learning style and your personality type. Put a Tick where you agree with the statements.
Are you a Practical person?
Do you enjoy learning by:Making presentations
Using research
Do you dislike:
Open-ended discussion
Listening to a lecture/lesson
Group discussions
Do you learn best from:
Practical groupwork
Team projects and activities
Planning a project
Do you dislike:
Working at a slow pace
Working outside a friendship group
Do you learn best from:
Coaching
Feedback from tutors
Demonstrations
Other peoples who act as role models
Practical action planning /
Are you an Active person?