Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to design and implement a process to assess the language, literacy and numeracy skills of prospective adult learners. The purpose of this pre-training assessment is to determine the most appropriate provision, given the person's current language, literacy and numeracy skills, knowledge and goals, the learning context, and the varying eligibility requirements of adult literacy and numeracy programs.

The unit prepares a practitioner to carry out initial assessments in workplace, training organisation and community contexts, and to maintain knowledge of current provision and requirements in the vocational education and training (VET) sector. The unit also addresses skills and knowledge required to evaluate the assessment process.

No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.

Application of the unit 

This unit applies to adult literacy and numeracy practitioners who design processes to assess the skills of a prospective learner for adult language, literacy and numeracy provision, and who carry out, record and report pre-training assessments.

Prerequisite units 

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge section and the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Design a pre-training assessment process to analyse adult language, literacy and numeracy skills

1.1. Design assessment process within an assessment framework 

1.2. Contextualise assessment process within organisational, policy and legislative framework  and program funding profile 

1.3. Create pre -training assessment kit  that provides opportunity for candidates to demonstrate their range of language, literacy and numeracy skills

1.4. Select location  for the assessment that meets the needs of candidate and assessor

2. Conduct the assessment

2.1. Clarify assessment process  with candidate, including context and purpose

2.2. Note and record conditions of assessment

2.3. Tailor assessment process  to meet individual needs of candidate , particular context and requirements of assessment

2.4. Select and use questioning and self-assessment strategies to assess oral communication and learning

2.5. Select and use range of reading and writing tasks for assessment purposes

2.6. Select and use range of numeracy tasks for assessment purposes

3. Analyse data to establish candidate's language, literacy and numeracy skills

3.1. Compare responses to interview questions with benchmarks in relevant frameworks  to analyse oral communication and learning

3.2. Compare responses to reading material with text features and performance strategies to analyse reading skills

3.3. Compare samples of candidate's writing with text features and performance strategies to analyse writing skills

3.4. Compare responses to numeracy tasks with numeracy features and performance strategies to analyse numeracy skills

4. Provide effective advice on suitable program options

4.1. Provide feedback  to candidate on assessment outcomes emphasising strengths and positive strategies

4.2. Apply current knowledge of VET provision in discussions with candidate

4.3. Apply current knowledge of options  suiting specific needs of candidate when discussing future options for skill development

5. Report outcome of assessment

5.1. Maintain records of assessment process, evidence collected and outcome according to policies and procedures of the training organisation and/or funding body

5.2. Report  outcome of assessment process to relevant parties  in required format and manner and in line with confidentiality requirements

6. Evaluate the assessment process

6.1. Collect feedback on the pre-training assessment process from relevant parties

6.2. Improve assessment processes in response to evaluation

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills 

• communication skills to:

• negotiate complex spoken exchanges by establishing a supportive environment
• ask a mix of open-ended and closed questions to give candidates opportunity to demonstrate competence
• paraphrase to clarify meaning and encourage further discussion
• display depth of understanding of complex oral texts, which may include multiple and unstated meanings

• initiative, enterprise and creativity to:

• assist candidates to perform in unfamiliar contexts
• design a range of assessment tasks which cover all levels of the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF), and relevant personal, social and employment-related contexts of learners
• identify changing dynamics of interview situation and vary assessment processes accordingly

• interpersonal skills to:

• provide feedback on assessment outcome in a constructive and sensitive manner
• interact with a diverse range of candidates
• negotiate successful assessment processes

• planning and organising skills to:

• plan and maintain collection of assessment resources of relevance to assessment context and to the range of client interests and needs
• plan and maintain system to record and report assessments

• reading and writing skills to:

• design assessment activities and resources which:

• allow for fair, valid and reliable assessment of candidates' adult language, literacy and numeracy skills
• provide the basis for judgements about the best outcome from the assessment process for individuals

• identify, analyse and interpret information from a wide variety of sources, such as:

• course accreditation documentation
• funding arrangements and eligibility requirements for program
• units of competency

• interpret results from assessment
• take notes on information presented orally
• document the assessment process to meet the requirements of a number of interested parties

• research skills to access and evaluate research into factors that effect language, literacy and numeracy development

Required knowledge 

• adult language, literacy and numeracy research, for example:

• range of social, psychological, physical, economic and cultural factors that influence language, literacy and numeracy development in learners
• levels of adult literacy and numeracy in the Australian community

• issues and challenges that typically arise in the context of assessing language, literacy and numeracy skills
• knowledge of non-standard Australian English to be considered when assessing oral communication, such as local dialects and creoles
• legislation, codes of practice and national standards, such as:

• ACSF
• Assessment Guidelines of TAE10 Training and Education Training Package
• equal opportunity legislation
• policies of government departments that affect placement of learners into programs
• Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) requirements, including understanding assessment theory and principles

• organisational philosophy and guidelines, for example:

• own role and responsibilities
• risk management strategies

• range of factors that impact on adult language, literacy and numeracy development, such as:

• physical and sensory factors
• specific learning difficulties
• changes in cultural and linguistic contexts
• socioeconomic factors
• social and mental health issues

• range of provision in the VET sector available to meet candidate learning needs
• variables that interact to determine the level of difficulty of literacy and numeracy tasks, such as:

• familiarity of context
• length and complexity of text language and structure
• degree of inference the reader is required to make or how explicit a text is
• kind of information in a text, for example concrete compared to abstract
• extent of support required to respond to a text

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit 

Evidence of the ability to:

• outline the assessment process, including own role
• develop a pre-training assessment kit that:

• is consistent with AQTF requirements
• is customised to meet needs of particular learner group, funding body, industry or workplace
• demonstrates significant depth of knowledge of:

• range of social, psychological, physical and cultural factors that influence language, literacy and numeracy development in learners
• how these issues have been considered in the design of the assessment process

• provide records of assessments (confidentiality protected)
• provide current information about the range of adult literacy and numeracy options available to learners
• provide records of evaluations of the process and the assessment kit
• provide evidence of changes made to the assessment process as a result of feedback.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment must ensure access to:

• candidates to be assessed
• standards to be assessed against, such as ACSF or Training Package unit
• suitable assessment venue
• standard recording and reporting forms.

Assessment must also ensure the use of culturally appropriate processes, and techniques appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy capacity of the candidate and the work being performed.

Method of assessment 

A range of appropriate assessment methods should be used to determine competency. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

• direct observation or video recording of candidate's adult language, literacy and numeracy practice
• evaluation of a portfolio of evidence comprising:

• samples from a pre-training assessment kit developed by the candidate
• records of interviews and assessments
• current information about options and outcomes of the process

• questioning to establish required knowledge.

Guidance information for assessment 

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

• TAELLN701A Analyse and apply adult literacy teaching practices
• TAELLN702A Analyse and apply adult numeracy teaching practices.

RANGE STATEMENT 

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Assessment frameworks  may include:

• ACSF
• Assessment Guidelines in Training Packages
• International Second Language Proficiency Rating (ISLPR) scale
• those tied to accredited curricula.

Policy and legislative framework  may include:

• access and equity principles
• AQTF standards
• confidentiality requirements of government agencies
• Disability Discrimination Act
• program eligibility rules of commonwealth and state departments, such as Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) visa categories.

Program funding profile  may include:

• funding sources that determine specific eligibility of candidates for programs based on immigration, employment or social status, such as eligibility requirements of the:

• Language Literacy and Numeracy Program (LLNP)
• Workplace English Language and Literacy (WELL) program

• eligibility requirements of state training authorities.

Pre -training assessment kit  may comprise:

• questions to elicit information on learner's educational history and issues that may have affected learning
• resources and materials to assess a wide range of language, literacy and numeracy skills, such as:

• numeracy materials drawn from genres familiar to candidate, and drawn from candidate's immediate social or training environment
• reading samples, drawn from genres familiar to candidate, and drawn from candidate's immediate social or training environment
• sample questions to:

• assess oral communication skills
• identify learning strategies or styles
• identify candidate's purposes in attending assessment

• writing tasks and associated materials

• tasks and materials that are aligned to levels in the assessment framework.

Location  may include:

• space where confidential information can be provided
• space where the assessment can be the main focus of attention
• environment with a wide range of resources within close proximity
• environment where personal risk factors have been mitigated.

Features of assessment process  may include:

• confidentiality conventions about the nature and extent of information which may be disclosed to third parties, such as:

• employers
• government or other officials

• feedback on the assessment provided with various options for candidate consideration
• extent to which communication supports, such as interlocutors, translators and calculators, may be used by candidate during assessment process.

Ways in which assessment process may be tailored  may include:

• allowing for differences in communication styles, preferences and levels of confidence, by:

• allowing sufficient time for the assessment process to proceed at the pace required by candidates
• encouraging questions
• explaining unfamiliar concepts

• providing a support person of candidate's choice where appropriate
• selecting materials at an appropriate level, while keeping the range sufficiently broad to allow candidate to demonstrate full range of skills
• selecting materials of relevance to the candidate
• using culturally appropriate processes when assessing Indigenous students, such as:

• including community members as part of the process whenever possible and practicable
• using appropriately qualified Indigenous assessors

• varying the process if necessary to accommodate such things as confidentiality considerations.

Individual needs of candidate  may include:

• physical and sensory factors
• specific learning difficulties
• changes in cultural and linguistic contexts
• socioeconomic factors
• social and mental health issues.

Benchmarks in relevant frameworks  may include:

• information from each level of the ACSF, including:

• context
• level of support required
• text type
• text complexity

• text features and strategies from ISLPR
• information about text features and strategies contained in units of accredited courses.

Providing feedback  may include:

• allowing plenty of time so that the session is not rushed
• ensuring candidate is confident to ask questions
• focusing on positives
• using feedback as a learning opportunity.

Options  may include:

• program at appropriate level and focus within accredited or non-accredited adult literacy and numeracy course
• program involving an adult literacy and numeracy mentor
• vocational program with a literacy and numeracy component
• referral to other agencies or services, such as Refugee Support Services, Community Health Services, and youth networks
• referral to other training organisations offering more appropriate adult English language, literacy and numeracy courses or courses with a different focus
• workplace-based support.

Reporting  may include:

• hard copy or electronic written reports using commonwealth government proformas
• internal reporting procedures
• verbal reports to officers of other government and non-government agencies.

Relevant parties  may include:

• government officials, such as Centrelink staff
• counsellors
• other training organisation staff
• practitioners not involved in the assessment process
• youth workers.

Competency field 

Language, literacy and numeracy practice

Co-requisite units