Are Individual Learners the Forgotten VET Stakeholders?
Lynne and Cliff attend AVETRA 10th Annual Conference in Melbourne April 2007
A number of TAFE NSW practitioners including Lynne Stallard and Cliff Trood from ICVET presented papers at the AVETRA 10th Annual Conference in Melbourne April 2007
Their paper reported on research that asked the question ‘Is there such a thing as a VET Pedagogy?’and explored the notion that VET practitioners are faced with a range of research on accommodating learners’ needs in different contexts but there is a tension between meeting individual learners’ needs and the requirement for outcomes such as number of course completions for funding. So, is it easier to focus on learners as profiled sub groups in a learning site than to meet individual learner’s needs?
The research, through regular literature reviews and VET /TAFE teacher interviews uncovered a range of teaching and learning approaches and challenges for VET practitioners. A range of approaches used to focus on learners needs in TAFE/VET learning environments were recorded and an annotated bibliography developed from the literature reviews.
Findings
The research found that generally, VET practitioners are placing the learner at the centre of the VET learning environment despite diverse learners needs in different contexts and the demands of the National Training System. An example of this was the teacher who developed and trialled a process to profile student sub groups and their learning needs within different learning sites
Conclusions
The implications arising from the research include the importance of practitioner–led research and the importance of learning through strategic conversation - conversation starter packages successfully combine research and practitioner experience. Dissemination of the findings to TAFE NSW and wider VET audiences is continuing via the ICVET internet website and a conversation starter package.
Also see
AVETRA Conference Paper - Are Individual Learners the Forgotten VET Stakeholders?
Lynne Stallard, Clifford Trood AVETRA 2007
http://www.avetra.org.au/publications/57-Stallard.pdf
TAFE NSW VET Pedagogy Project 2003-6 http://www.icvet.tafensw.edu.au/research/vet_pedagogy.htm
Conversation Starter Pack – Accommodating Learner Needs in TAFE NSW http://www.icvet.tafensw.edu.au/resources/accommodating_learners.htm