Introduction
As adult schooling programs are certified and drawn into the instructive mainstream they become assembled as strategic components within wide nationwide policies. The standards and values underpinning such policies may be different to the teachersâ own instructive and community beliefs. Tutors themselves tend to have a diminishing amount of power over, or input into, the educational principles that arrange what and how they educate.
The emergence of economic rationalism heralded a shift in focus whereby the education sector was obliged to comply with the needs of industry and productivity by skilling job seekers and providing a support for industry training. The standards and values underpinning these government policies may differ to those standards and beliefs held by the teacher. Whereas once teachers relied to a great extent upon their skills, experience and expertise, now they are very much governed in what and how they educate as dictated by competency-based assessment/regulated curriculum.
The purposes of the CGEA program
The CGEA (Certificate of General Education for Adults), is a set of certified courses to advance the literacy, numeracy and general education proficiencies of adults aged 15 and above. Participants in this program are able to make use of it in various ways, such as advancing their skills in the workplace, furthering their education and training, increase their role in community or perhaps in regard to their own personal learning needs.
The uniqueness of the curriculum of this program is that it has been created with the account of the competency opportunities; in order the students had the possibility to compete while studying language, thus striving to be the best. In competency grounded study, students enhance knowledge, abilities and approaches required to achieve a competency standard. But the fact is that they are pitted against competencies and criteria, not against each other. Students have to express their competence. They may do this at any time – a week after starting a class, 20 weeks or even a year later. (Adult Literacy Basic Education Program, 2007).
The Certificate of General Education for Adults (CGEA) is created to certify non-school training passageways up to tertiary entrance standard. It was adjusted from an earlier adult literacy curriculum program by the Adult Community and Further Education Board (ACFEB) in Victoria with the intention of conforming the requirements of the National Training Reform Agenda. The former frames consisted of four stages of accomplishment and four areas of literacy as social experience: literacy for convenient aims, literacy for experience, literacy for personal expression, and literacy for public disputes. (Adult Literacy Basic Education Program, 2007).
National policies of adult teaching
The national policies and principles include the norms of providing the allover secondary education for everyone working and living in Australia, in order everybody could communicate fully inspite of the differing language and cultural background, or just unfinished education on various reasons. Adults from low socio-economic environments have been classified as the most underprivileged and under-represented cluster of all. Modifications to the endowment of higher education since the 1995-1996 national fairness review might be anticipated to have influenced unhelpfully on admittance to higher education for people from low socio-economic environments, mainly the significant enlargements to and banding of HECS costs, the decreasing of the compensation threshold, and the enlarged numbers and variety of fee paying courses, comprising undergraduate courses.
Overview of the evolution of the program
In 2006 the CGEA set of courses was reworked and recertified. While the new CGEA has preserved the concentration of the prior curriculum, changes have been made in order with VQA principles and in comeback to reaction from applicants, learners and other industry plenipotentiaries. The main changes are the following:
- Each course now has a heart unit on enhancement a learning plan and assortment.
- The classes at Certificates I and II levels also have a center unit on preparation and realizing the project.
- There is greater regulation in choosing optional elements and components.
- The reading and writing and the numeracy and mathematics components have been divided into smaller elements in order to allow attainable results and greater flexibility.
- All characteristics of numeracy have been preserved but the learning results at finicky levels have been changed.
- A new course, 21770VIC Course in Initial General Education for Adults, has been added prior to the Introductory level to correspond the requires of beginning literacy learners. This course has been maintained by tutors working with learners in settings such as alterations, or learners with sensory disabilities. On triumphant conclusion of this course applicants are awarded a Statement of Attainment.
The CGEA included a much more compound frames of four stages of proficiency, four torrents (Reading and Writing, Verbal Communication, Numerical and Mathematical Notions, and General Curriculum Options). âReadingâ and âWritingâ were discretely quantifiable and each separated into four sectors â convenient purposes, knowledge, personal-expression and public discussions. Verbal Communication was also split into the four parts; Numerical and Mathematical conceptions divided into five sectors of mathematical ability; and the General prospectus alternative separated into seven fields.
It should be mentioned, that the CGEA curriculum could be regarded as one of the mo9st efficient, as alongside with the thoroughly elaborated courses and teaching principles, the managers of the program hire highly-experienced tutors. The requirements for the educators are really high. This can be shown even on the example of the few of them.
CGEA teachers must:
- Be able to demonstrate equivalent competencies to those in TAA40104, or
- Hold BSZ40198 Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training from the BSZ98Training Package for Assessment and Workplace Training, or
- Be under the direct administration of an individual who clutches these competencies.
- Should have assumed expert study in educating adult literacy and numeracy if educating core abilities for reading and writing or numeracy
- Must have applicable employment competencies, no less than to the level being assessed. (Adult, Community and Further Education 2007)
Aims and objectives of the program
The aims and objectives of the CGEA are to meet the needs of learners in developing pathways to further education, training and employment.
In 1992 the Australian government introduced policies to boost the countryâs economic standing. The inception of The National Training Reform Agenda (NTRA) signalled a new national system of training which brought with it new regulatory authorities and funding programs. The two salient features of the NTRA were the introduction of award re-structuring and the requirement that all training be competency-based. Concurrently, the establishment of The Australian Language and Literacy Policy (ALLP) was purposed towards investing in human capital and increasing the productivity of industry as well the employability of workers. (Stevens & Mcguinn, 2004)
The subsidiary, but no less important â the creation of the networks of the members of these programs for further cooperation, experience and information exchange. To support general public viewing different examines offered by various stages of government services.
Pedagogical underpinnings of the curriculum
The theoretical background of the curriculum involves the pedagogical approaches of teaching English to adults, often including the components of âEnglish as a foreign languageâ approach. Adults who learn English get to the task an adult behavior, enduring educational training, an enhanced brainpower, a claim to get what they desire, reasonably clear aims, and above all strong stimulus to make as quick progress as possible. These are redoubtable requirements which far outweigh any shortcomings, and make teaching adults a demanding and rewarding experience. (Huddleston & Unwin, 2002)
The teaching methods, being based on the principles of competency, use the theory of collective teaching, as one of the new approaches in teaching, which challenges the methodology of personal teaching approaches. Team education and interdisciplinary study are frequently chased to create a superior sense of educational community and appointment and to build better curricular rationality for students. Team education and interdisciplinary study can supply an integral counterpoint by fetching multiple corrective perspectives jointly to understand compound issues. Team education and interdisciplinary training also make sense to those who consider that miscellaneous, multidisciplinary standpoints are compulsory for understanding the densities of the contemporary world. (Prichard & Sawyer, 1994)
Relating the academic theories, it is argued, that in this fast-moving sector it is anticipated that learning technologists keep up to date with existing study and theory by reading periodicals, joining appropriate mail lists, going to and participating in e-learning symposiums and preserving a network of contacts. This is normal performance for academic workers and is viewed as an essential part of their task. In the education technology sector, nevertheless, it is not always recognized, either through contractual circumstances or throughout the maintenance of line managers. (Oliver, 2002)
Brief overview of the target audience
In the CGEA and other competency-grounded curriculum, the competency standards are referred to as learning outcomes.
As the CGEA is a curriculum frames allow flexible and modified programs to correspond the needs of a varied range of students. It is used with adults who:
- Desire to advance their literacy, numeracy and general education opportunities
- Have not completed secondary school
- Come from language backgrounds other than English.
It is increasingly used with groups of young adults. (Adult Literacy Basic Education Program 2007)
Principle of delivery
The main principle of training is the flexibility. Flexible delivery is meant to use a flexible and discussed advance with students as well as being flexible to admission and delivery.
Flexible delivery supposes the applicants:
- Do not have to be present at certain times
- Can join up at any time
- Can learn for a long or short period of time
The applicants of the program
As it has been pointed above â the program has been elaborated for the adults above 15. The additional requirements for the learners are the desire to continue education, have at least Basic English language skills, as the program involves the principles of tutoring of English language to those, who has another language background. The common information which is provided on the issues of potential learners usually includes the data on what the applicants may do having the certificates of the CGEA graduation. Except participating in the public discussions or just communicating with the others, revealing the acquired competency experience, the learners may apply for the higher educational levels, which include the getting of the advanced knowledge in various spheres, but mostly in numeracy, literacy, communicational language, and some specific knowledge in the sphere of disputing.
After the finishing of the courses, applicants are registered in the NRS (National Reporting System), which is nationally recognized mechanism for reporting results of adult English language, literacy and numeracy programs, and being registered, they have the better opportunity to be hired for the high-salary job.
The learners of the program are usually the working people, as the curricula are always designed with possibility of flexibility. The relations among the learners are also the key issue in the success of the study, so it is usually anticipated, that the applicants will maintain the contact, and several systems of it had been worked out. This not only helps to maintain the studying process, but helps to shape the imagination about personal characteristics of every applicant.
- Initial meetings, enrolment days, residentials (residentials can be pricey and difficult to arrange – but extremely worthwhile)
- “At home” days – when applicants are invited to attend the centre to meet each other.
- A weekly lettering
- A regular student newsletter – involving letters and articles from applicants, book reviews, photos, news of literacy curricula on TV, etc. (This could include audio cassette back up for students working at level 1 and even level 2 in reading and writing.
- Pen-pals, net-pals, phone-pals – no matter what medium is chosen, as a way to connect on-site and off-site applicants and give an opportunity for authentic Literacy/Verbal experience.
- Telephone link-ups – between two off-site applicants or among an on-site and an off-site learner. Many phone schemes are allowing setting up a three way conversation, without the need for operator aid. Once more, this can be part of the Verbal component of the curriculum, so it has a reason and direction.
As for the abilities of the applicants (another feature that can be said on the issue of the characteristics of the learners), that it is rather preferable for them to be familiar with the global net, as some assignments require the search of the materials in internet, or in the cases of team works and projects â the information exchange by the means of e-mail.
If analyze the age groups of the learners, then, it could be said, that every age group has its own purposes of studying. The program mostly designed for the immigrants, and people who did not have an opportunity to continue or finish the secondary education on various reasons, but now have the great desire and opportunity to accomplish it. It would be rather difficult to define some common reason which can be relevant to everybody, but the purpose, with which the applicants start the program, is the only â to continue education for the further employment, or passing of the exam for attaining the citizenship. But all the applicants may be divided into several categories:
- Inquirers-they develop their ordinary inquisitiveness. They obtain the skills compulsory to conduct query and research and show sovereignty in learning. They vigorously take pleasure in learning and this love of education is usually constant throughout their lives.
- Knowledgeable -they discover notions, ideas and issues that have local and worldwide implication. In so doing, they obtain in-depth knowledge and enhance understanding crosswise a broad and impartial range of subjects.
- Thinkers-they experience initiative in applying thinking abilities critically and imaginatively to recognize and advance complex problems, and make consistent, decent decisions.
- Communicators- they realize and articulate ideas and information assertively and imaginatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication. They work successfully and eagerly in partnership with others.
- Principled- they act with honesty and candor, with a strong sense of evenhandedness, impartiality and admiration for the dignity of the personage, groups and communities. They take accountability for their own actions and the outcomes that go along with them.
- Open-minded â they realize and are pleased about their own cultures and individual histories, and are open to the standpoints, values and customs of other individuals and societies. They are familiarized to seeking and evaluating a variety of points of view, and are enthusiastic to grow from the practice.
- Caring- They show sympathy, consideration and high opinion towards the requirements and feelings of others. They have an individual commitment to overhaul, and act to make a constructive difference to the lives of others and to the surroundings.
- Risk-takers- They loom unknown situations and indecision with courage and consideration, and have the freedom of spirit to discover new roles, ideas and strategies. They are courageous and articulate in protecting their beliefs.
- Balanced- They realize the significance of rational, physical and emotional stability to accomplish individual well-being for themselves and others.
- Reflective- They give considerate contemplation to their own knowledge and experience. They are able to assess and understand their powers and restraints in order to sustain their education and personal expansion.
References
Adult, Community and Further Education 2007 âImplementation Guideâ the Department for Victorian Communities
Adult Literacy Basic Education Program 2007.
Competency Based Curriculum 2007 CGAE.
Jill Sanguinetti 2001 â Pedagogy, Performativity and Power: Teachers engaging with competency-based literacy educationâ International literacy conference
Target Groups 2007 CGEA.
Broughton, Geoffrey, et al. Teaching English as a Foreign Language. New York: Routledge, 1980.
Levy, Yonata, ed. Other Children, Other Languages: Issues in the Theory of Language Acquisition. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1994.
Prichard, Keith W., and R. Mclaran Sawyer, eds. Handbook of College Teaching: Theory and Applications. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1994
Byram, Michael, ed. Routledge Encyclopedia of Language Teaching and Learning. London: Routledge, 2001
Huddleston, Prue, and Lorna Unwin. Teaching and Learning in Further Education: Diversity and Change. London: RoutledgeFalmer, 2002.
Stevens, David, and Nicholas Mcguinn. The Art of Teaching Secondary English: Innovative and Creative Approaches. New York: RoutledgeFalmer, 2004
Oliver, M. What do learning technologists do? Educational Developments, 3, 2, 19-21. 2002