Assignment 2: Written proposal for Literacy/Numeracy ...



Assignment 2 – Written Proposal for Literacy/Numeracy and Learning Project3012VTA – Literacy at WorkCourse Convenor: Dr Ann KellySubmitted by: David MartinStudent #2636349david.martin3@student.griffith.edu.auDate Submitted: 13 August 2007 Introduction: Focus and ScopeThe proposed project will address specific literacy needs of students undertaking the nationally recognised competency Produce Business Documents (THHGGA04), specifically a Report on Office Equipment and Documentation. Addressed will be skills required to perform the tasks involved in basic research, analysing information and using a word processor to create a document in an accepted format. It will be taught as a component of a cluster of competencies and builds on technological literacy skills taught in Produce Simple Word Processed Documents, Use Business Technology and Perform Office Procedures. However, this project will concentrate on the Prepare Business Documents competency only. RationaleThis project addresses several challenges that face students in formal education and vocational settings, and specifically, skills required to complete the nationally accredited course ‘Prepare Business Documents’ from the tourism and hospitality delivery package. Functional and technological literacy are large components of skills in this area. Critical literacy is also required of the student, not only to define the focus and scope of the assessment item, but to successfully find and integrate information from a variety of resources. As part of the delivery package, this group of competencies is part of the core or foundation subjects that give students the skills required to successfully complete the rest of the course and participate in the workplace. This project will continue the process of tuning and testing delivery methods for teaching this subject at TAFE, using a variety of reading and reference material. Writing in plain English will be used where possible, using ideas from “English: Plain or simple” (Eagleson, 1990). Inclusive curriculum ideas based on Gee’s Discourses (Gee, 1996) will also be used to help with the design of additional teaching resources. For some writing and researching tips, and samples of a completed assessment item, “The Business of Communicating” CITATION Nut90 \l 1033 (John & Gillian, 1990) will be used. While learning outcomes and criteria are based on national standards, assessment ideas will be researched using “Assessment: Making a difference in adult literacy and numeracy learning” CITATION Cum961 \l 1033 (Cumming & van Kraayenoord, 1996). Multimodality and techniques of enhancing learning materials with web-based design and multimedia learning materials will be analysed, using some ideas from “Approaches to Media Discourse” (Kress, 1998). For further information and technological pedagogy and literacy design “Using information and communication technologies in adult literacy education: new practices, new challenges” CITATION Sny05 \l 1033 (Snyder, Jones, & Lo Bianco, 2005) , “Technology Literacy Applications in Learning Environments” CITATION Car05 \l 1033 (Carbonara, 2005), and “Developing Vocational Expertise” CITATION Dev03 \l 1033 (Stevenson, 2003) will be referenced. A learning support staff member will also be consulted with a view to improving learning resources and teaching methods.MethodologyThis will be the fourth time I have delivered and assessed these units in the TAFE environment. In this time I have developed a number of strategies on my own, including changing from self-paced learning to a more directed teaching style; collation of resources into a web-site style interface and the creation of specific tasks and teaching aides. These changes are based around my increasing confidence and growing knowledge of student needs and requirements. This project will further this knowledge and process.There will be several methods of assessing students’ capabilities and progress. First, a survey has been created that includes specific learning outcomes that are assessed as part of the THHGGA04B competency, as well as specific computer literacy tasks. The entire group participates in the survey anonymously. The first survey is performed after the unit overview, assessment methods and delivery methods have been discussed, but nothing has been taught. The second survey is to be done after the participants have completed the competency by performing their own research and creating a simple business style report. Observation of in-class research and basic technology literacy activities will be performed during the teaching process. The students are set an assessment item where they are required to research and report on common business technology and document types. A draft copy of the assessment item is analysed before the final submission. Feedback is a continual process and questions and queries are answered on the spot or via email. Teaching topics introduce basic research skills for the workplace and for study purposes. This will include both web searches, specific web sites of interest, library catalogues as well as referencing and acknowledging material from these sources. Time will be spent on critical literacy, analysing both the requirements of the assessment and the validity of information found on websites and in printed materials. A sample of the assessment item will be provided as well as a demonstration of creating a simple layout and using word processing tools such as page numbering, tables of contents, spelling and grammar checker functions.A report will be assembled after the project is complete to gauge the effectiveness of the teaching methodology, resources, assessment and other key criteria. QuestionsNo questions at this time.Literature to be Used BIBLIOGRAPHY Carbonara, D. (Ed.). (2005). Technology Literacy Applications in Learning Environments. Idea Group Inc.Cumming, J. J., & van Kraayenoord, C. E. (1996). Assessment: making a difference in adult literacy and numeracy learning. In J. J. Cumming, & C. E. van Kraayenoord (Eds.), Adult literacy and numeracy: assessing change (pp. 8-17). Melbourne: Language Australia.Eagleson, R. (1990). Plain English: Simple of simplistic. Vox (4), 106-110.Gee, J. P. (1996). Discourses and Literacies. In J. P. Gee, Social linguistics and literacies: Ideologies in Discouses. Second Edition (pp. 122-129). London: Taylor & Fancis.John, N., & Gillian, W. (1990). The Business of Communication Second Edition. Sydney: McGraw Hill.Kress, G. (1998). Front pages: (the critical) analysis of newspaper layout. In A. Bell, & P. Garrett, Approaches to Media Discourse (pp. 186-219). Blakwell: Oxford.Snyder, I., Jones, A., & Lo Bianco, J. (2005). Using information and communication technologies in adult literacy education: new practices, new challenges . Retrieved August 11, 2007, from , J. (Ed.). (2003). Developing vocational expertise : principles and issues in vocational education. Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin. ................
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