| I've done the audit - what next?
The audit process will show you:
- Learning outcomes you cover well - great!
- Learning outcomes you don't cover at all
- Learning outcomes where the coverage is very limited
- Learning outcomes that are covered too many times and perhaps in an unco-ordinated way
- Learning outcomes being covered but the approach or materials need updating
Some tips
So now at least you know where you are against the intended learning outcomes. Now you need to get your hands dirty! You need to be developing programmes for each key stage/ Post 16 group that address all the issues above. This will take a considerable length of time and is probably the biggest challenge in the CWQA!
- Do not assume that you will have to find a lot more curriculum time or add lots of extra activities to the programme. Sometimes you can get rid of things! Don't be afraid of throwing out old ideas or activities or events. For example a college has run a traditional style careers convention for many years but now feels it no longer works.
- Try to develop activities that link to several learning outcomes. For example using an equal opportunities exercise that also involves self awareness and decision making skills gained you good value for time.
- Do you make the most of the learning gained during activities days - does it really need a whole day or could a really focussed half day be better?
- Make the most of learning during formal work experience and/or any other formal activity that take place in a work related environment, by ensuring that the learning is planned, the Work Experience Organiser is used and investigation work covers topics such as career paths, health and safety, changing work practices and application/recruitment techniques
- Where you have gaps, can you add in the learning outcome by adapting an existing activity. For example if you don't cover Europe (CEG learning outcome 11) use this as the topic for an information handling session or adapt an IT induction session to include appropriate research
You can drag a horse to water!
You are aiming to have a comprehensive and varied CEG and WRE programme that gives students the opportunity to gain all the intended learning outcomes. NOTE THE WORDING HERE! You are not expected to ensure that every student has learnt everything - we can't do that in Maths or Science either! The learning outcomes themselves are 'big' statements and any assessment of personal or social development based learning is difficult to achieve. How for example can we tell if a student is effectively self- aware? We need to use the learning outcomes as a solid structure for planning activities. If you provide well thought out activities that cover all the learning outcomes you will be providing student with an effective and comprehensive preparation -
- For any transition they may need to make while in school, college, university training or work
- To equip them to cope with a fast changing and unpredictable world of work, education and training
- To support them make informed and effective choices about personal and lifelong development in the future
Audit or Map?
You will need to keep a copy of the original audit in your portfolio but you will also need, later on, to present a map to show how, having developed the programme, you now meet all the learning outcomes.
AUDIT - Original document when you first start the CWQA process.
MAP - a document that shows people, including the assessor, where each learning outcome is covered, now that you have developed the programme in line with ACCAC's guidance.
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