Welcome to Assessment and Programme Design

^{Over the last ten years I have been engaged in continuous professional development.  As a director and principle tutor of a sports college, it is of utmost importance that programmes mirror and meet industry needs.  However, I am also the first to admit that I have at times payed lip service to “learner centred” training without truly considering all who sat in the classroom (Cullen et al, 2012).  The assessment programme and design module has taken me out of the “fitness cocoon” I often reside in, reminding me of the current landscape of higher education, Bologna, ECTS and the various ways of learning and assessment.  Becoming familiarised with the drivers of policies has given me the knowledge to question policies and procedures of organisations I work for and with, highlighting internal contradictions (Brookfield, 1995).  Designing a module as part of the assessment process was enjoyable as it linked directly with a module I was designing in partnership with an education partner.  This module was enjoyable as the classroom was packed full of peers, all with opinions and challenging views.  It is not very often that you can sit back and argue, excuse me, discuss an element of training and education!  It is also nice to realise we are all part of a “bigger picture”.}

^References

^{·         Brookfield, S., 1995. Becoming a critically reflective teacher, 1st ed. ed, The Jossey-Bass higher and adult education series. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.}

^{·         Cullen, R.M., Harris, M., Hill, R.R., 2012. The learner-centered curriculum: design and implementation, First edition. ed, The Jossey-Bass higher and adult education series. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA.}

This report will consider two elements of the current higher education and best practice landscape which informed the design of this module; 1) Technical vs. Non-Technical Skills and 2) Teaching, Learning and Assessment Strategies.  As owner/director and policy maker of the National Sports College, statements of NSC or the author are one and the same.

The role of a strength and conditioning coach is both technical and non-technical.  Technical skills, those necessary for competent functioning within a particular discipline (Sherer et a, 1987), such as knowledge of biomechanics or human anatomy, are complemented by non-technical skills such as oral communication, writing or arithmetic.  These skills are further complemented by interpersonal skills such as cooperation and teamwork and the self-drive and responsibility of the individual (Cotton, 2001).  The courses presented by the National Sports College are part-time vocational qualifications that give the learner the opportunity to enter the health fitness and complimentary therapy industries.  NSC strongly supports applied education using “real life” presentations and assessments where possible.  Cotton (2001) found, through extensive reviews of key employability issues, that employers favour general, non-technical “employability skills”.  The National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 (2011) stated jobs are “becoming increasingly skill-intensive”, and greater employment prospects are more likely in areas when people are highly trained.  However, it is this authors’ belief that non-technical skills must be addressed in line with technical skills, arguably supported by Quality Qualifications Ireland (QQI), which list as part of their goals, to help develop education and training programmes with clear occupational purposes and lifelong learning pathways for personal, social and professional development (qqi.ie, 2016).  Entry requirements for the S&C award in this paper require strong non-technical elements - UV20523: Know how to support clients who take part in exercise and physical activity, UV20424: Health, safety and welfare in a fitness

Environment, UV30541: Delivering personal training sessions (VTCT AF30079, 2016).  Modules in the award itself, while emphasising the importance of technical knowledge, also highlight the necessity of non-technical skills such as client relationships, goal setting, and working unsupervised.  Non-technical skills are observed during health/fitness screening and coaching elements of the programme.  When in employment, non-technical skills are often learned a part of informal or non-formal learning.  Informal learning, often defined as non-conscious learning, is not measured against a construct.  There may be a learning objective but no assessment occurs.  Non-formal learning is structured, consciously engaged and may have a learning objective.  Again however, there is no judgement or evaluation (National Professional Development Framework, 2016).

In recent years, through continuous professional development, the National Sports College has recognised the importance of a teaching, learning and assessment strategy.  A TLA strategy sets evidence driven strategic goals, ensures the process is student centric and supports teaching staff in their professional development.  If asked how can one improve standards and assure these standards are “up to standard”, the answer I would give would be to actively engage in best practice and compare your processes/standards to others in your field.  You will always learn from observing others - the TLA Strategy from Griffith College is a short, to the point, readable, well referenced document which clearly outlines strategic goals and core values.  The 2017 NSC TLA Strategy will be influenced by this document and QQI Validation Policies and Criteria (QQI, 2016).  NSC does not envisage developing QQI endorsed programmes as its current academic partner, the Vocational Training Charitable Trust (UK), offers numerous QQI recognised programmes in the health fitness and complimentary therapies sector.  One latter element of the TLA strategy, assessment, seems to be an area which is constantly in review with varied views from academia.  The first question asked by many learners, including this author, on the first day of a training programme is, “what way will this module be assessed”.  The assessment quickly dominates the learning experience, often to the detriment of the learning process – “criteria compliance” replaces “learning” (Torrance, 2007).  It is vital that assessment procedures are put in place to encourage learning, rather than assess learning.  Formative assessment procedures should build confidence in the learner and include feedback focused on helping the learner to improve.  Summative assessments should allow the learner to demonstrate achievements and progress through a module (Black et al, 1998, Shepard, 2000).  Investigations of post-secondary education in the UK has noted that key elements of formative assessments have been in play for many years, however, it has been found that these elements have been interpreted very narrowly with a dominant focus on criteria compliance and award achievement (Torrence, 2007).  Today, more learners are staying on in post-compulsory education, or returning to education as a mature student (National Strategy, 2030).  There are more graduates leaving third level education with degrees, masters and Phd’s.  The question is, is the overall learning experience overly narrowed, are we making adequate progress from assessment of learning to assessment for learning.  Time will tell.

References

1.     Black, P. & William, D. (1988), Assessment and classroom learning, Assessment in Education, 5(1), 7-74)

2.     Cotton, K. (2001), Developing Employability Skills, Northwest Regional Education Research Laboratory, Portland, OR, available at: http://educationnorthwest.org/sites/default/files/DevelopingEmployabilitySkills.pdf (Accessed 30.12.16)

3.     National Professional Development Framework for All Staff Who Teach in Higher Education (2016).  National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.

4.     National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 (2011), Department of Education and Skills.

5.     Shepard, L. (2000), The role of assessment in a learning culture, Educational Researcher, 29(7), 4-14.

6.     Sherer, M. and Eadie, R. (1987), “Employability skills: key to success”.  Thrust, Vol. 17 No. 2 pp.16-17.

7.     QQI Validation Policies and Criteria (QQI, 2016).  Dublin: QQI.

8.     Torrance, H., Assessment as learning? How the use of explicit learning objectives, assessment criteria and feedback in post-secondary education and training can come to dominate learning (2007), Assessment in Education, Vol. 14, No. 3, pp. 281-294.

9.       http://www.qqi.ie/Articles/Pages/Mission,-Values-and-Goals.aspx Accessed 30.12.16

10    http://qualifications.vtct.org.uk/finder/qualfinder/qual.php?qual=AF30079 (Accessed 30.12.16)