Learning manufacturing in workplace innovation teams
TAFE NSW VET Pedagogy Project, Part C of Phase 1
WORKPLACE LEARNING - ASSESSMENT CASE STUDIES | Russell Browne, Innovation Project Manager Kangan Batman Institute of TAFE, Victoria
Feedback tools are being developed to map and measure the difference made to learners through a partnership with the Australian Manufacturing Centre of Excellence (South Australia).
Russell Browne
Training Packages
Automotive Industry Manufacturing (AUM00)
Automotive Industry Retail, Service & Repair (AUR99)
Learning Environment
‘In-factory’ workplace training for car manufacturing sector facilitated through teacher-driven ‘innovation teams.’
Teaching Approach
Russell Browne is facilitating a whole-of-department approach involving over 100 automotive teachers, who are all members of smaller “innovation teams”. The core goal of the group is to reinvigorate teaching practice. All levels of management are represented in these teams from the CEO to course coordinators and teachers.
The larger team (of all 100 teachers) is working with both a purpose-built new campus site and “in-factory” workplace training to develop curricula, assessment and resources that are up-to-date and replace the 20 year-old practices formerly in use.
Evaluation Methods
The larger project has been formally evaluated as part of an ANTA study and through a process of continual evaluation and reflection the innovation methodology developed by Russell and his team continues to undergo ongoing and constant development.
Positive Difference to Learning
Excellent results have been produced for Kangan Batman TAFE’s (KBT) automotive students through:
- project orientated delivery, and
- building teams of students.
This has in turn reinforced KBT’s teachers awareness that new ways of training delivery can work.
New teaching methods also require new learning materials and KBT are committing substantial funds in this area this year (2003). Russell highlights the strong support within the Victorian State Government via its Office of Training and Tertiary Education (OTTE) for this work. Their approach has been pivotal to its success.
Update
KBT was used as the case study model by ANTA in its 2002 publication 'Six degrees of innovation: a practical guide for building an innovative organisation'. Part of this study involved forming innovation teams to focus on reviewing current training methodologies and content. As a result they have changed both (content and methodology) in some areas, and developed new qualifications.
See Also
Case
Studies Innovative and Excellent Practices in VET Teaching and
Learning 2003 (426 Kb) are also available as one
downloadable file.
