SIR07 Retail Services Training Package

RetailToolbox

Teacher Guide

Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox

Supporting resources for:

SIR20207 Certificate II in Retail

17 November 2009

Part of the Australian Flexible Learning Framework

RetailToolbox

The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth of Australia. This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to Training Copyright, Department of Education Science and Training, GPO Box 9880 Canberra City ACT 2601 or email .

Part of the Australian Flexible Learning Framework

Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox

Table of Contents

Section 1 – About this Toolbox

1.1 Introduction

1.2 About the Teacher guide

1.3 Qualification supported

1.4 Employability skills

1.5 Learners

1.6 Teachers/trainers/facilitators

1.7 Underpinning ideas

1.8 Toolbox Implementation Guide

Section 2 – Organising structure, context and key features

2.1 Units of competency

2.2 Context

2.3 Key features

Section 3 – Using the Retailer Toolbox

3.1 Preparing learners to use the Toolbox

3.2 Online teaching strategies

3.3 Collaboration in the Retailer Toolbox

3.4 Customising the Toolbox

3.5 Assessment strategies

3.6 Mapping to units of competency (Learning map)

Taking it back

Buy now, pay later

How do I look?

First in, first out

Looks a bit ‘sus’!

Change of shift

Emergency!

The customer’s always right

Scenario: I’ll take that too

Scenario: Balancing act

Scenario: Sales snapshot

Scenario: Market share

Scenario: Delivery for you!

Scenario: Will I or won’t I?

Section 4 – Implementing the Retailer Toolbox

4.1 Scenarios

4.2 The Hub

Part of the Australian Flexible Learning Framework

Teacher guide: Retailer Series 12 Flexible Learning Toolbox

Section 1 – About this Toolbox

1.1Introduction

The Retailer Toolbox provides a valuable source of training material for delivery of the newly endorsed SIR20207 Certificate II in Retail.

The Toolbox is based around scenarios that provide learning experienceswhich replicate real life work situations faced by retail operators. The scenarios are supplemented by:

training sessionsthat provide background theory and practical tasks
topics that encourage sharing of ideas and experiences
activities to be completed in the workplace.

1.2About the Teacher guide

This Teacher guide will help you to use the Toolbox in the delivery of SIR20207 Certificate II in Retail. It explains all the activities and supporting resources the Toolbox contains, and offers delivery and customisation strategies.

This Teacher guide is organised into four sections:

Section 1 About this Toolbox
Section 2 Organising structure, context and key features
Section 3 Using the Retailer Toolbox
Section 4 Implementing the Retailer Toolbox.

1.3Qualification supported

This Toolbox supports SIR20207 Certificate II in Retail. The core units of competency addressed are:

SIRXCCS001AApply point-of-sale handling procedures
SIRXCCS002AInteract with customers
SIRXCLM001AOrganise and maintain work areas
SIRXCOM001ACommunicate in the workplace
SIRXICT001AOperate retail technology
SIRXIND001AWork effectively in a retail environment
SIRXINV001APerform stock control procedures
SIRXOHS001AApply safe working practices
SIRXRSK001AMinimise theft.

The elective units of competency addressed are:

SIRXMER001AMerchandise Products
SIRXSLS001ASell Products and Services
SIRXSLS002AAdvise On Products and Services
SIRXFIN001ABalance point-of-sale terminal
SIRXMPR002AProvide Marketing and Promotion Program Support.

Rather than working through element by element, learners are presented with a series of scenarios that mirror tasks they will come across in their everyday work. These have been mapped back to the unit/s of competency so that both learners and teachers can easily monitor progress.

All units have 100% coverage in this Toolbox. A Learning Map detailing the coverage of each unit by the various Toolbox resources can be found in Section 3.6 of this guide.

1.4 Employability skills

Employability Skills are skills that apply across a variety of jobs and life contexts. The Commonwealth of Australia defines them as, "skills required not only to gain employment, but also to progress within an enterprise so as to achieve one's potential and contribute successfully to enterprise strategic directions". (Employability Skills Summary, 30 September, 2009.)

There are eight Employability Skills:

Communication.
Teamwork.
Problem solving.
Initiative and enterprise.
Planning and organizing.
Self-management.
Learning.
Technology.

An Employability Skills Summary that lists the elements of each skill that have been identified for SIR20207 Certificate II in Retail is available. To locate the summary, go to Search for the summary by entering the qualification code.

Employability skills are embedded into the scenarios and supporting resources in this Toolbox. The degree of coverage of a skill will vary depending on:

the type of activity
the teacher’s delivery method
whether the learner is completing the activity individually or in a group
whether the activity is being completed face-to-face or at a distance.

For example,by utilising a social networking tool to plan and conduct a group discussion about emerging technologies used in the retail industry, learners could demonstrate all eight employability skills.

It should be noted that activities in this Toolbox are not intended to be final assessment items. A trainer should be using a variety of assessment methods and instruments to assess skills, knowledge and employability skills.

1.5Learners

While young females still make up around 70% of all learners in this industry, there is an increasingly broadening demographic. Learners now include many women in their 30s and 40s wishing to re-enter the workforce or looking for a change of career.

Learners generally are on work placement, or are already employed in retail, so they usually have a workplace to provide context, opportunities for practice, and extension of classroom learning.

Prior knowledge

It is desirable that learners have:

adequate literacy and numeracy levels
basic computer skills
some experience using online communication tools such as email, discussion lists and chat rooms
access to current or simulated workplaces in the retail industry.

Practical requirements

To complete ‘On the floor’ activities,learners need access to a retail workplace or a simulated workplace.

All learners need to have a basic induction into online communication and the importance of following etiquette in their interactions with others.

1.6 Teachers/trainers/facilitators

This Toolbox may be useful for:

workplace trainers in one-on-one or group training situations
teachers and/or trainers in face-to-face learning environments
facilitators of online learning programs.

1.7 Underpinning ideas

Action-based engagement strategies have been chosen to suit the learner profile and include:

holistic scenarios covering elements of more than one unit of competency to reflect what actually happens when dealing with a customer or situation
graphic content that reflects real life situations
tasks requiring learners to look for solutions to situations that they can apply when faced with real customers
opportunities for practical application of background knowledge
prompts for collaboration between learners to help consolidate learning, to allow application of theory to practice, and to promote transferability of skills between enterprises
catering for a range of learning styles and purposes by providing multiple entry points
an interface that allows learners to navigate in a variety of ways, maximising accessibility.

1.8Toolbox Implementation Guide

A copy of the Toolbox Implementation Guide can be found at

The Toolbox Implementation Guide has been designed to help you get started with your Toolbox project and is based on the experiences of training providers nationally who have been working with Toolbox products over the last few years. The guide focuses mainly on supporting teachers involved in Toolbox product implementation, but will also be a useful reference for technical, support and other staff.

It contains four main sections:

Finding your way around Toolbox products – things you should know
Different ways you can use your Toolbox product for training delivery and support
Planning for the implementation of your Toolbox product
Further reading and helpful websites.

Section 2 – Organising structure, context and key features

2.1Units of competency

In many cases, this Toolboxuses scenarios that cover elements of more than one unit of competency. This scenario based approach allows for a real life study of the course, placing learning in a context that would actually apply to a retail outlet rather than channelling learning through individual units of competency.The Learning Map in Section 3.6gives you detailed information about which units of competency are covered by which scenario. It also identifies any gaps that exist that teachers will need to address another way.

2.2 Context

To provide an authentic learning context, the scenarios in this Toolbox are located in the fictitiousRetailer Shopping Centre. Learners can explore various shops and work through scenario tasks, complete training sessions and/or do activities in their real workplaces.

2.3 Key features

The Retailer Shopping Centre floorplan provides a realistic learning context in which learners can explore what is happening in four shops using either the floor plan or the menu.

By setting the scenarios in four shops, the Toolbox provides a range of contexts, allowing learners to more easily identify with the learning. This approach also promotes transferability of skills.

Home page

The home page of the Retailer Toolbox is shown below.

The floorplan provides links to:

each of the four shops
The Hub activities
information/glossary.

The menu provides links to:

a Scenario home page that includes links to all scenarios
a Training Room home page that includes links to all training sessions
a Glossary containing important industry words and terms
a Learning Map showing the elements of the units of competency covered by each scenario and associated training session topics.

Scenarios

The ‘Taking it back’ scenario page is shown below.

Each scenario in the Toolbox includes:

a page in which learners are introduced to a situation
tasks to enable the learner to address the situation (often sequential to meetindustry requirements)
a workplace activity called ‘On the floor’ that can be done in addition to, or instead of, the scenario tasks
links to specific training session topics that are relevant to the scenario, providing relevant background theory and activities on a ‘just in time’ basis
discussion topics in The Hub to promote collaboration and sharing of ideas and experiences
star retailer tips, where relevant, containing relevant information and content, weblinks and additional explanations to assist the learner to complete the activity

On the floor

Following on from each scenario is an ‘On the floor’ activity, which is intended as an extension/application activity for learners to take into their workplace. It could be used in a range of ways depending on learner needs, for example practice and repetition, practical application of theory learned in the scenario, workplace assessment and recognition of prior learning.

The ‘On the floor’ section includes a brief summary of what was learned in the scenario for learners to refer back to when applying the task on the job. It also contains a worksheet thatis completed as the learner applies the task in the workplace. A checklist is also included to show what the learner has covered in completing these tasks.

You could complement this section in other ways to enable learners to gather evidence for assessment. For example, you could ask your learners to keep a diary of what happened and how the situation was handled each time they receive a customer complaint.

You may also incorporate intoyour lesson plans a mandatory use of the ‘On the floor’ tools, asking your learners for example, to complete the task five times with five different transactions/customers.

More details are provided about individual scenarios in Section 4 of this guide.

Training sessions

When learners enterthe Training Room, they can select from a pool of training sessions. They can work through each session by choosing topics using tabs at the top of the page.

The introductory page of the Point of Sale transactions training session is illustrated below.

Once learners have chosen a topic, they can choose to learn more about the topic, see a demonstration of the topic or do a practical activity using the Learn, See and Apply menus. The Refund topic introductory page is illustrated below.

The Hub

In The Hub, learners are presented with a range of collaboration activities organised by scenario. These activities are also embedded within each scenario and are intended as opportunities for collaboration between learners. They will also assist learners to apply learning in the scenario activities to their own workplaces.

You could also use these topicsas stand-alone learning objects. For example, if you are delivering content around a refund but are not using the scenario in the Toolbox, you could complement your own training with these collaboration topics as appropriate with minimal or no customisation. For information about how to use these topics with your learners, see Sections 3 and 4 of this guide.

The Hub home page is illustrated below.

Skill store

The Skill Store is a self assessment RPL pathway where learners are provided with tools to help them determine if they should consider RPL for any of the units rather than completing them via the scenarios.

Learners are presented with three case studies which have been developed to reflect the range of demographics in the target learner audience. Each case study describes the individual’s background and the way they used the Skill store to help them self assess.

Alternatively, learners can go directly to the self assessment tools and complete the checklist to get an idea about which units they should consider for RPL.

The Skill Store home page is shown below.

Section 3 – Using the Retailer Toolbox

3.1 Preparing learners to use the Toolbox

It is important to prepare learners to use the Toolbox. The following tips for trainers and learners highlight important information you should consider when introducing the use of Toolboxes into your courses.

Set aside adequate time to familiarise yourself with the Toolbox so you can properly support your learners.
Plan ahead and obtain management support, set realistic timeframes for implementation and gain support from the learner’s employer before introducing the Toolbox.
Be aware of legislation that may impact on flexible delivery of the Toolbox, for example learners working at home, traineeship agreements and enterprisebased arrangements.
Integrate the Toolbox into your teaching delivery, just as you would any new teaching resource. Flexible delivery is not about leaving learners alone to learn for themselves, but about using a new medium as a part of an overall teaching delivery structure.
Where possible, provide an orientation to the Toolbox in a practical, facetoface session with learners actually using the Toolbox.In this session, include clear directions on how you want the learners to work through the Toolbox and define the methods of communication that will be used throughout the course.
If you choose to do The Hub activities via a discussion board, you will need to set up discussion threads prior to commencing the activity.
You may need to provide instructions to the learners on how to use communication tools such as email, discussion board or chat.
If you are delivering the program online, email may be the primary method of communication with your learners, so ensure that you have a clear system of email folders for managing the traffic.
If you are not meeting learners face-to-face on a regular basis, keep in contact using your agreed communication method.
Be clear about timeframes by setting targets for learning. These can help you with your online lesson planning. You will need to set frameworks so your learners know what to do and when to do it.

3.2 Online teaching strategies

Collaboration and interaction using Toolboxes

Teaching in an online environment focuses on facilitating and guiding the learner’s progress. Learners have significant learning resources available to them in the Toolboxes, in the workplace and on the World Wide Web. Helping your learners to navigate this information and pinpoint the relevant materials to meet performance criteria is your central role. It requires a clear statement of learning objectives and regular feedback from you on learner progress. Email and discussion boards are powerful communication tools when applied in this context.

Toolboxes are designed to encourage learner collaboration through communication tools and you should decide how to set up this collaboration. The activities are customisable depending on requirements. For example, you might set up a discussion board topic that includesa start and finish date and a proportion of final assessment weighted to participation. You might notify your learners of these requirements by email, as well as through an initial posting on the discussion board. The discussion board (along with other tools) is a useful record of learner contributions for assessment purposes.

Online discussions will only work if there is a sense of team collaboration and it is important that you consider how todevelop this team environment. Here are a few tips.

Starting together as a group – online icebreakers

You can use an online icebreaker in a computer training room or with learners who are at different locations.
If you intend your learners to collaborate online (using email, a learning management system or a web discussion board), it is important to give them a chance to become familiar with each other by using the medium before they get down to the serious part.
Go to for some ideas. Follow the link from Free Resources to the Freebies page, then choose Training games.
Set group projects based on the workplace task sheets.

The downloadable worksheets that are accessed throughout the Toolbox, most commonly in the ‘On the floor’ section of each scenario, can be used to undertake group activities. Learners are commonly asked to list observations of their workplace and then share these with their fellow learners.