More developement ideas for CCEL

What works well and what doesn't?
I have added a lot of references to a similar course we run with our diploma students in this previous posting .
It is difficult to really detail what works well and what doesn't with this course as it is a completely new course - and therefore I have nothing to refer to, other than the similar course offered with the Diploma programme.
Students have enjoyed the hands on time with clients in the salon simulation, they enjoy working with members of the public and getting to experience a range of clientele. The students have reported that it makes them more confident and keeps their focus on time management skills.
Students have also indicated that by using the salon environment it makes them appear more confident when they are seeking work in the "real" world - especially when they may have to do a trade test to show their skills.
Since implementing the blog that I developed for the flexible learning course - students on the Certificate Programme have expressed a great deal of interest in this type of "extended" learning opportunitues - and therefore I feel the use of moodle for the new course will enhance their learning experience and enable the students to feel that they have a place to go for help and further study

Stakeholders!

International exams involve students sitting a 50 question externally provided MCQ closed book theory test and a % based practical assessment for each of the treatments they have studied. For example, the student's on the Certificate Programme will sit a total of 9 theory papers and 8 practical assessments – all of which are marked by external examiners - these exams are all optional - but - if students are seeking to work in the industry we highly recommend that they undertake them.

Employers in the industry place a strong focus on the international qualifications and therefore they really set the benchmark for the students and us as tutors.

Aoraki polytechnic has a strong focus on the industry expertise of the tutors: the following is a statement from the website

"We offer a wide range of courses and programmes at certificate and diploma level that can help you achieve your career goals and support you in becoming all that you can be. If you are entering tertiary education for the first time, returning to study, or simply wishing to up skill in a specific field, we can help.
We have excellent supportive tutors and small class sizes. Our qualifications have been developed in collaboration with experts in relevant industries, professions and trades. They are practical; student focused and have excellent employment outcomes"

As stakeholders - students will expect to be "work ready" at the end of their training.

Two of the aims stated in the polytechnic's charter are that:

To achieve our mission, we are committed to the values of:
Lifetime learning
• through the provision of learning opportunities relevant to all our students

Success
• by supporting students to succeed in their chosen pathway of learning

both of these statements are related to my new course - by encouraging students to undertake more practical, supervised and supported learning and by offering some new options to enhance their learning through the use of moodle - hopefully we will be able to achieve another one of the goals! that of retention!!

I am now going to try and work out how to work this .eXe thing! my learning outcome for tonight!!!

The importance of pronunciation!

Learning outcomes and activities

"This photo by D Sharon Pruitt"

So, a little more detail needed about how these Learning outcomes can be taught and delivered and assessed!

Our second year Diploma students currently run a clinic, with members of the public booking in for the full range of treatments that the students have studied over their 2 years with us.

The aim of the new course that I am planning is to give our 1^st year students an insight into the "real" world of work! Where they will not have 2 hours to do a facial and an hour to wax complete a manicure – with morning tea and lunch times too!!

Many of the students in our 2^nd year Diploma course are already working in industry and therefore have the experience of the "real" world, but for others they complete their training in the first year and then don't do anything at all with those skills for the 2^nd year and could end up being a little rusty and thrown in the deep end when they manage to gain employment at the end of the course. So, feedback from the students at the end of their second year in regard to their clinic days has been incredibly positive.

So there are number of teaching strategies that have worked with this group of students that should quite easily transfer to the first year students:

• The clinic is run by the students, one of the students is manager for the day and is responsible for the smooth running of the clinic for that session, each student is rostered onto clinic for one day, if for some reason they are absent that day it is their responsibility to organise a replacement staff member for the clinic manager - very much creating their own learning but with the support of tutor
  


• The salon manager organises the students duties for start of clinic and end of clinic ensuring that each therapist is available and has their work area prepared - again creating their own learning
  


• Each therapist is responsible for their client's welfare and care from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave, students are expected to seek clarification if they are unsure of any contra-indication that the client may present with – and a tutor is always in the room supervising the clinic and assisting students where needed.
  


• For the first few weeks of clinic practicum students maybe paired together to work on certain treatments to ensure that the client is not delayed – this also has proved good for students confidence when students who may struggle with some aspect of the practical are paired with a student who may be a bit stronger in that area.
  


• Students use their own consultation forms and write up a report of the treatment that they gave – this encourages self –reflection and gives them ideas for areas that they may need to work on to improve their treatments
  


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  Professional appearance and presentation are an International standard requirement for the Beauty therapy industry – our students undertake International exams at the end of their training – these are externally assessed and the appearance mark for these exams can be the difference between a pass and fail for them.
  
  
  

  Within this learning outcome we give the students strict guidelines on how they should be dressed and how they should appear this is detailed here on the http://www.itecworld.co.uk/ website on their marking crtieria page
  We would use these guidelines to mark the appearance part of learning outcome 2, I would support this learning with links to relevant information on the internet, I would get the students to research the standard requirements for appearance and get students to produce a case study/poster/model of required appearance - I could even use a pre-test on moodle to ensure students were up to speed prior to assessment. and they could be asked to find a relevant video such as this one



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  Role play is another option for this learning outcome - particularly in relation to the "behaviour" wording - I could set-up audio or video clips showing "professional" and "unprofessional" behaviour for students to view and comment on - this could be done individually or as a group as a class activity



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  Learning outcome 1 assessment would be completed as practical observation of the range of treatments – each treatment would be observed – this would be a competency based assessment with competency given to students who complete the treatments in the commercially acceptable time. Timing guidelines are again an International standard or are governed by the manufacturer of the product, these time frames would be pre-tested over the weeks leading up to this course - and much practise would be done on each of the treatments in the range - this could be done at home with video evidence taken - a sequencing test could be prepared for moodle to ensure students were ready for the assessment