Developing a Fast-track
Learning Program
Some ideas to make your delivery
successful
© Wodonga TAFE 2012
Introduction
• What is fast track
• Fast track is a Blended approach to delivery where students attend one
class per month. It is delivered in Certificate 4, diploma and advanced
diploma across the Business Management faculty.
• As an example, a student doing a Diploma in business Management
attends one class most months for one year during a standard academic
year.
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What Problems have we had?
• Numbers of attendees.
• Resources
• Moodle access
• Content
• Assessment
• Feedback
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How do we make the program better?
Identify the target market.
• Who attends a fast track group?
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Working full time
Mostly older students (post 25)
Have done previous study (may be required)
They want low cost and low time requirements
• There is a need to determine student needs and requirements
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Preparation is the key.
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Make attendance compulsory
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Determine the required time for classes
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Set pre-reading and clarify resource requirements well before the class
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Contact students before the class and ensure they are attending and have what
they need
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This includes moodle access
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Make sure content is not too flexible – is this BL or OL
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Set content requirement
• Set and require pre-reading
• Look at flipping the delivery – possibly pre assess and make the attendance
day a tutorial
• Use technology to support – e.g short videos, pod casts
• Determine if the content is to be different for different groups – is it able to
develop one program that can be F2F BL and OL
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Constructivist
• What is constructivist learning?
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It is developing built up knowledge
Not only based on study
Self paced and independent
Not just learn/assess/forget (Roscoe, 2012)
• Use methods such as portfolios and reflective practice
• Teach through assessment – make it interesting (Sharma, 2007)
• Make learning and assessment relevant
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Delivery schedule
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Determine the time required in class
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Determine the time till assessment is due and stick to it
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Ensure the class is covering what needs to be covered face to face such as
practical or hands on requirement
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Make sure class and online is not a dumping ground
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Class must reinforce online learning
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Develop a relationship
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Community of Learning
• Technology used to support students
• Community develops through:
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OL is an extension of the classroom (Commeaux, 2003)
Teacher is still central to the group (Steel, 2009)
Learning however is student centered (DeZure, 2002)
Need to help non traditional students settle n and understand practices
• The group needs to interact in class and online. They need to support each
others learning so the teacher does not have to.
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Follow up
• First provide constant feedback
• Feedback on receipt of assessment – stop students worrying
• Feedback on assessment
• Possibly provide face to face feedback before the commencement of the
next group session
• Need to note absences and treat them accordingly
• Develop Forums and email groups. Keep posts simple
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Teacher perception of learning
• Teachers need to be trained in how to design and develop
• Traditionally BL has been taken up by those who prefer technology but this
needs to change and is changing
• Teachers need to understand that roles are changing and adapt to this
• Teacher practice will need to change. This in not F2F or OL.
• Teachers need to support students and be supported by peers/superiors
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Assessment
• Needs to be authentic, true to training package and use constructionist
content if that is the developed platform
• May need to conduct some assessment face to face
• Can use workplace related assessment
• Use technology – make some assessment self marking
• Set consistent assessment throughout the units
• Provide quality feedback to allow learning to continue after the assessment
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Other Factors to consider
• Cost factors
• IT skills – need to be taught not assumed
• Access to IT – needs to be accessible across the cohort
• Can this be developed for PD or short courses – certainly.
• Can allow for multiple deliveries of the same content
• E.g geographic. Tailored groups or delivery methods
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Conclusion
• This is about our future direction
• We we will report back on how we develop future programs that have
different content levels
• Need to ensure the program is not seen as a ‘cereal box’ qualification
• Good students will succeed no matter what the environment
• We need to ensure that we do not let the majority take up all our time
while we just let the poor students be casualties of our delivery
• Be true to the literature and ensure student satisfaction is as high for Fasttrack (BL) as it is for face to face
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Reference List
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