- Email: [email protected]
Helping people to help themselves
Education & Computing 8 (1992) 161-166 Elsevier
161
Helping people to help themselves David
Tinsley
Training Standards Advisory Service, Department of Employment, Porterbrook House, Moorfoot, Sheffield, $1 4PQ, UK
Abstract Tinsley, D., Helping people to help themselves, Education & Computing 8 (1992) 161-166 Information technology has enabled a revolution in the management and delivery of learning systems in vocational education and training. Government-supported developments in the UK have recently spawned the Open College and the Open Polytechnic alongside the better-known Open University. At the same time secondary schools are seeking closer partnerships with industry to secure greater relevance for their courses and better preparation of young people for a high technology future. Underpinning these changes are two key trends. The first is the establishment of a national curriculum and a coherent system of vocational qualifications based on industry requirements and standards. The second is the move to release the full energy and commitment of individuals by shifting the emphasis from teaching and lecturing to learning. This learner-centred movement has flourished through the progressive application of informatics to education and training. This paper describes successful implementation in the UK to date and prospects for the future.
Keywords: National information network; electronic mail system; assessment; course management; purchase of learning.
Introduction
Qualification structures
T h e p a s t d e c a d e , t h e U n i t e d K i n g d o m has s e e n a r e v o l u t i o n in t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n p r o v i d e r s o f l e a r n i n g a n d t h e l e a r n e r s themselves. I n s p i r e d by c o n c e r n s o f i n d u s t r y t h a t e d u c a t i o n services h a d lost t h e i r r e l e v a n c e to w o r k i n g life, significant c h a n g e s in b o t h i n s t i t u t i o n a l a r r a n g e ments and supporting infrastructure have s p a w n e d m a j o r initiatives in m e t h o d o l o g y a n d practice. E d u c a t i o n r e f o r m s have i n c l u d e d the i n t r o d u c tion o f a n a t i o n a l c u r r i c u l u m for all 5 - 1 6 y e a r olds, t h e t r a n s f e r to local m a n a g e m e n t by schools a n d colleges o f financial a n d staffing r e s p o n s i b i l i ties f o r m e r l y h a n d l e d by locally e l e c t e d a u t h o r i ties, a n d t h e facility for schools to o p t o u t c o m p l e t e l y f r o m local a u t h o r i t y c o n t r o l a n d r e c e i v e a g r a n t o n a p e r - c a p i t a basis d i r e c t f r o m c e n t r a l government.
In t h e v o c a t i o n a l t r a i n i n g sector, t h e f o r m e r c o m p l e x system of qualifications, which was largely b a s e d on c o u r s e a t t e n d a n c e a n d e n d testing, is b e i n g r e p l a c e d by n e w o u t c o m e s - b a s e d units which f o r m a c o h e r e n t n a t i o n a l f r a m e w o r k of t a r g e t s d e f i n e d by the N a t i o n a l C o u n c i l for V o c a t i o n a l Q u a l i f i c a t i o n s ( N C V Q ) [1]. E a c h unit c o m p r i s e s a n u m b e r o f e l e m e n t s of c o m p e t e n c e which have b e e n i d e n t i f i e d as n e c e s s a r y for effective p e r f o r m a n c e by o c c u p a t i o n a l s e c t o r o r g a n i z a tions k n o w n as I n d u s t r y L e a d Bodies. T h e p r o c e s s o f r e f o r m o f v o c a t i o n a l qualifications by N C V Q is s u p p o r t e d by t h e E m p l o y m e n t D e p a r t m e n t of which t h e a u t h o r is C h i e f I n s p e c tor of T r a i n i n g . C u r r i c u l u m r e f o r m in schools is t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y of t h e N a t i o n a l C u r r i c u l u m Council ( N C C ) with s u p p o r t f r o m t h e D e p a r t m e n t of E d u c a t i o n a n d Science. N C V Q a n d N C C
© 1992 - IFIP
162
D. Tinsley / Helping people to help themselves
are co-operating closely over the reform process to ensure that the outcomes from the national curriculum form the basis for the emerging range of new vocational qualifications. To help explain the emerging relationships between educational and vocational systems and to set the agenda for future action, a government White Paper was published in May 1991 [2] which covers these issues and describes progress being made in the development of learning markets as outlined in the rest of this paper.
Learning markets Alongside concern that education services lacked relevance to the needs of industry and commerce, was the notion that a major constraint on the training and education system was the absence of an effective market. Moves towards local management of schools and colleges are expected to improve the cost efficiency of learning providers by removing unnecessary layers of bureaucracy and introducing an element of competition which had previously been present only in the private training sector. But the consequence of such reforms, which enable consumers to make choices in a free market, is that consumers should be sufficiently well informed to be able to exercise choice in a way which benefits the consumer and influences the nature of education and training systems on offer. As one of the key products of any learning system is the qualification achieved, the first requirement for an effective market is that the outcomes, namely the national curriculum targets and vocational qualification levels, should be clearly articulated by providers and fully understood by the consumer. At the same time, consumers need to be informed of the price of each learning pathway which leads to the desired outcome. Herein lies the key difficulty in creating a true learning market within the United Kingdom. By tradition, state provision of education has been largely borne by the tax-payer and funded through institutions in advance of delivery to learners. This mechanism has tended to obscure the true cost of learning for an individual and ignores the considerable variation in learning methods and styles which fit the needs of individual learners. This
paper describes mechanisms which have been introduced to the industrial training sector and which are now also beginning to affect the whole educational service.
Open and flexible learning Following the success of the Open University [3], which has Created a completely new route for adult higher education outside the established universities and polytechnics, the U K Government sponsored a major programme, known as Open Tech [4], which applied similar techniques to technician and supervisor training. More recently, the Open College [5] has developed noninstitutional arrangements for individualized learning in companies and in the home; also the Open Polytechnic [6] is evolving as a publishing house of open learning materials for its partner institutions. All of these initiatives have focused on the benefits for learners of methods which are tailored to individual needs and can be pursued at a time, pace and place to suit the learner. Gradually these systems have begun to permeate traditional learning institutions, in particular the secondary and further education sectors where individualized programmes of study are helping students to achieve reformed outcomes for academic and vocational qualifications. The essential features are flexibility, jointly negotiated targets and arrangements which put the learner in charge with the tutor in support. Much has been learnt about the cost effectiveness of open learning in the industrial training sector and of the benefits of applying new technologies to the process. Particularly effective is the use of computers to manage the process of individualized learning so that the tutor is free to advise and support. Also of significant benefit are interactive video systems which allow exploration of visual sequences under learner command. Not yet achieved is the complete replacement of tutor by computer, nor is the author convinced of its desirability except in certain narrow environments.
Action planning With the shift of emphasis from teaching and lecturing to individualized learning has come the
D. Tinsley / Helpingpeople to help themselves
need for help in setting the learning agenda. In the worlds of U K adult and youth training this has become known as action planning. Encouraged initially by the need for an objective assessment of what trainees already know and can do before funds are assigned to pay for a training process, action planning has been seen as a benefit at all stages of learning both in and out of school. Once the national curriculum and national vocational qualification structures are fully in place, action planning enables both tutor and learner to negotiate a set of achievable targets and to use the action-planning process to review progress and make adjustments to targets over time. Moreover, action plans can be used to specify inputs needed for learning, for example books and audio-visual materials, work experience and practical skill development, tutor support needs and assessment requirements. In the context of the learning market, the action plan enables the cost of each outcome to be specified in a form which can control the use of funds.
Career planning Much of what has been said depends on the willingness of individuals to take responsibility for learning and for planning their learning. This moves a long way from a dependency culture where processes are applied to the individual, whether it be education or training or assignment to a job. In tandem with the concept of action planning goes the need for career planning which helps set the current learning action in the wider context of lifetime development. The best-known element of career planning is the CV or curriculum vitae. Not so well known or understood are the processes which help an individual to chart a career strategy on the basis of prior achievement or to define a learning path to enable next steps to be taken with security. With moves towards coherence between education and vocation outcomes from learning processes comes the need for clearer career paths and objective help for individuals in planning their routes. Much new technology has b e e n applied to the career planning process, notably record systems such as the Young Person's Record System (YPRS) in Birmingham (UK) [3] and the informa-
163
tion p r o g r a m m e s used within careers advisory services, for example micro D O O R S [4]. While such systems are an institutionalized contribution to the needs of the individual, they do not yet provide a portable, personalized mechanism for the individual.
Course cards and career cards An opportunity now arises with the development of the "smart card" or credit card computer. My own vision of the future lies with two "orthogonal" systems, namely the career card which carries an achievement record (CV) and the current career plan; and the course card which carries the action plan for a current module of learning which will assist in fulfilling the career plan. Rushby [5] has made good progress in developing the course card for applications in management development, although it has yet to be applied across many academic or vocational options. Basically the course card can hold three databases which interact in support of the learner: (a) the materials and systems necessary to support the defined learning process; (b) the pathway through these materials with assessments as defined by the tutor; (c) the optimal learning characteristics of the learner (which change over time). Finally, the course card has the facility to carry cost information on the materials and systems used, such as tutor costs and any institutional charges levied during the learning sequence. With the increasing flexibility and cheapness of smart card systems, it is not surprising that they are actively being considered as a means of managing the costs of learning. An example of leading edge development comes from South London.
Learning credits U K G o v e r n m e n t ministers have recently given approval to a number of pilot initiatives whereby young people are given real buying power to obtain their own career training. This means that school leavers will be well motivated to take the
164
D. Tinsley / Helpingpeople to help themselves
best possible advantage from their training, and opportunities to gain qualifications. Pilots are being run by ten of the new local Training and Education Councils (TECs) which are employer led bodies, recently set up to manage the government's training budgets in England and Wales. A further pilot is taking place in Scotland where the bodies are known as local enterprise companies. Projects focus on 16 and 17 year old school leavers who are given training credits which enable them to obtain approved training. The South London T E C project (SOLOTEC) [7] covers Bexley, Bromley and Croydon. Small service industries dominate the local economy with 90% of employers having fewer than 25 employees in a buoyant labour market. Demand is for service industry and higher level skills. SOLOTEC has decided to call its pilot scheme the soi.oxEc Training Account. To redeem their Training Account, each trainee receives a soI~oxEc Options Card. Each programmable card is unique to its holder and has a maximum value of approximately £2500, depending on the occupational outcome the holder is training towards. It contains three pieces of information: (a) a credit line with a cash value, which may be redeemed for off-the-job training and assessment, (b) a debit line showing the holder how much has been spent and how much remains, (c) an achievement line showing what the holder has achieved in terms of units towards a vocational qualification and related general achievements. Training providers have a simple device which enables the information on each card to be displayed, printed out, and updated at regular intervals. The system also maintains a central record of every trainee's progress and achievements, and enables invoicing and financial auditing to be carried out.
time they leave school. On leaving, each is given a letter of entitlement to a SOLOTEC Training Account. The next step is for the young person to take the IAP and letter of entitlement to an employer or training provider who will prepare a detailed Training Plan. At this point SOLOXEC activates the Training Account and issues the Options Card, making it clear that it is a valuable and important personal acquisition. Trainees then proceed to undertake agreed education and training, usually over a two-year period. Training must be linked to National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) or recognized equivalents, together with core or general competencies. Where relevant to an individual's needs, this includes units drawn from school based vocational or academic courses. Targets for achievement will normally be at NVQ level 2 or above, except for young people with special training needs. Training is purchased by the trainee as it is delivered. Achievements are similarly recorded in NVQ or equivalent units so that trainees can see their progress towards their goals. Progress is reviewed and entries made by "wiping" their Options Card at a minimum of 4-weekly intervals. The account purchases what is normally called "off-the-job" training. A special facility has been devised to enable trainees to pay for "assessment only" units. This means that they can take assessment directly, based on competence achieved through workplace or other prior learning. Achieving NVQs and other units by this means is important for some trainees who can complete qualifications more-quickly because repetition will be avoided. Both training providers and trainees may receive bonuses for early completion of qualification as an encouragement to hard work and high standards of achievement.
National databases Operation of the scheme The scheme starts long before a trainee actually receives an account. All young people are assisted, through careers staff in schools and careers offices, to develop individual action plans (IAPs) setting out broad future intentions by the
Underpinning the work of advisers who help with individual action planning are a number of databases which combine to provide information about curriculum developments, vocational qualifications and courses available both nationally and locally. Progress is being made to ensure
D. Tinsley / Helping people to help themselves
compatibility between databases through the publication of national standards [8]. One of the main databases currently available within the U K is MARIS [9], which provides information about open and flexible learning materials, training development services, college based short courses and learning materials. Focusing more on the school sector is NERDS [10] which contains information for teachers on a wider range of learning resources including guidance notes on the National Curriculum and educational software which encourages cross-curricular activities. NERDS is available as a national on-line service or on a CD ROM. In higher education, ECCTIS [11] provides information about university courses and the progress routes available to students. Finally, Training Access Points [12] (TAPs) form a network of terminals in libraries, colleges, supermarkets, career service offices and high street sites where individuals and companies can gain information about education and training opportunities. TAPs are backed up by impartial advice and support services which help people to make maximum use of the databases.
Impact on schools
The main focus of this paper has been on systems to support the vocational training sector. In parallel with these developments has been a major government programme to help all schools provide a curriculum which will enhance students' capabilities for an increasingly high technology world of work. Known as the Technical and Vocational Education Initiative (TVEI), this programme will by 1997 have injected a billion pounds of extra resource into the schools system, much of which is concentrated on provision of equipment, training of teachers and development of the curriculum. Within schools, T V E I has had considerable impact on the development of Information Technology (IT) courses and applications, particularly in support of school policies which help to integrate IT into the curriculum as a whole [13]. But most relevant to this paper have been applications of computer systems to record achievement and support action planning.
165
Conclusion
Information services, records of achievement, action planning, modular courses, clearly defined outcomes and continuous assessment procedures - - a l l provide the background framework for the operation of an education and training market. Information technology has provided mechanisms to enable much of modern U K practice to flourish and holds promise of greater coherence for individuals and their aspirations by removing barriers and opening up opportunities for all. A key responsibility for future systems developers is to ensure convergence of the various elements towards a set of services which informs learner choice, assists with advice on options and ensures a record of achievement which grows throughout life. The future lies with information technology as an enabling resource which helps people to help themselves to the richness of learning possibilities and the benefits of lifetime learning.
References
[1] Guide to National Vocational Qualifications (National Council for Vocational Qualifications, 222 Euston Road, London NWl 2BZ, March 1991). [2] Education and Training for the 21st Century (Her Majesty's Stationery Office, PO Box 276, London SW8 5DT, UK). [3] YPRS (Birmingham Education Department Careers Service, Margaret Street, Birmingham B3 3BU, UK). [4] micro DOORS: information pack available from COIC, Employment Department, Moorfoot, Sheffield S1 4PQ, UK. [5] Rushby, Twining, Twining, Devin, The Learning Credit Card, Interactive Learning International 6 (3) (July 1990). [6] Open Polytechnic, The Malborough Building, 383 HoIloway Road, London N2 0RN, UK. [7] SOLOTEC,Lancaster House, 7 Elmfield Road, Bromley BR1 1LT, UK. [8] ADSET,HMS President, Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0HJ, UK. [9] MARLSON-LINELtd, Bank House, 1 St Mary's Street, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB7 4ER, UK. [10] NERlS, C/O Maryland College, Woburn MK17 9JD, UK. [11] ECCTIS, Fulton House, Jessup Avenue, Cheltenham, Glostershire GL50 3SH, UK. [12] TAPs, c/o Geoff Hembrow, IASU, St Mary's House, Moorfoot, Sheffield, $1 4PQ, UK. [13] P. Dutton, Progress with IT, in: WCCE'90 World Conference on Computers in Education (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1990).
166
D. Tinsley / Helping people to help themselves
David Tinsley is the United Kingdom's Government's Chief Inspector of Training. He was appointed as the founding Director of the Training Standards Advisory Service (TSAS) in September 1986 after a two year period as Director of Manpower Services Commission's Open Tech Programme. TSAS is responsible for quality assurance for the Youth Training Scheme and the Employment Training Programme. David Tinsley studied mathematics at Wadham College, Oxford. He has been Head of Mathematics Department of St. Edward's School in Oxford, Director of Field Trials for the IBM Schools Computer Experiment and Head of the Public Education Sector at the National Computing Centre, Manchester. He joined Birmingham Local Education Department in 1973, and held the posts of General Inspector (Schools) and Staff Inspector (16-19 year olds) before becoming Education Officer for Further and Higher Education in 1982.
161
Helping people to help themselves David
Tinsley
Training Standards Advisory Service, Department of Employment, Porterbrook House, Moorfoot, Sheffield, $1 4PQ, UK
Abstract Tinsley, D., Helping people to help themselves, Education & Computing 8 (1992) 161-166 Information technology has enabled a revolution in the management and delivery of learning systems in vocational education and training. Government-supported developments in the UK have recently spawned the Open College and the Open Polytechnic alongside the better-known Open University. At the same time secondary schools are seeking closer partnerships with industry to secure greater relevance for their courses and better preparation of young people for a high technology future. Underpinning these changes are two key trends. The first is the establishment of a national curriculum and a coherent system of vocational qualifications based on industry requirements and standards. The second is the move to release the full energy and commitment of individuals by shifting the emphasis from teaching and lecturing to learning. This learner-centred movement has flourished through the progressive application of informatics to education and training. This paper describes successful implementation in the UK to date and prospects for the future.
Keywords: National information network; electronic mail system; assessment; course management; purchase of learning.
Introduction
Qualification structures
T h e p a s t d e c a d e , t h e U n i t e d K i n g d o m has s e e n a r e v o l u t i o n in t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n p r o v i d e r s o f l e a r n i n g a n d t h e l e a r n e r s themselves. I n s p i r e d by c o n c e r n s o f i n d u s t r y t h a t e d u c a t i o n services h a d lost t h e i r r e l e v a n c e to w o r k i n g life, significant c h a n g e s in b o t h i n s t i t u t i o n a l a r r a n g e ments and supporting infrastructure have s p a w n e d m a j o r initiatives in m e t h o d o l o g y a n d practice. E d u c a t i o n r e f o r m s have i n c l u d e d the i n t r o d u c tion o f a n a t i o n a l c u r r i c u l u m for all 5 - 1 6 y e a r olds, t h e t r a n s f e r to local m a n a g e m e n t by schools a n d colleges o f financial a n d staffing r e s p o n s i b i l i ties f o r m e r l y h a n d l e d by locally e l e c t e d a u t h o r i ties, a n d t h e facility for schools to o p t o u t c o m p l e t e l y f r o m local a u t h o r i t y c o n t r o l a n d r e c e i v e a g r a n t o n a p e r - c a p i t a basis d i r e c t f r o m c e n t r a l government.
In t h e v o c a t i o n a l t r a i n i n g sector, t h e f o r m e r c o m p l e x system of qualifications, which was largely b a s e d on c o u r s e a t t e n d a n c e a n d e n d testing, is b e i n g r e p l a c e d by n e w o u t c o m e s - b a s e d units which f o r m a c o h e r e n t n a t i o n a l f r a m e w o r k of t a r g e t s d e f i n e d by the N a t i o n a l C o u n c i l for V o c a t i o n a l Q u a l i f i c a t i o n s ( N C V Q ) [1]. E a c h unit c o m p r i s e s a n u m b e r o f e l e m e n t s of c o m p e t e n c e which have b e e n i d e n t i f i e d as n e c e s s a r y for effective p e r f o r m a n c e by o c c u p a t i o n a l s e c t o r o r g a n i z a tions k n o w n as I n d u s t r y L e a d Bodies. T h e p r o c e s s o f r e f o r m o f v o c a t i o n a l qualifications by N C V Q is s u p p o r t e d by t h e E m p l o y m e n t D e p a r t m e n t of which t h e a u t h o r is C h i e f I n s p e c tor of T r a i n i n g . C u r r i c u l u m r e f o r m in schools is t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y of t h e N a t i o n a l C u r r i c u l u m Council ( N C C ) with s u p p o r t f r o m t h e D e p a r t m e n t of E d u c a t i o n a n d Science. N C V Q a n d N C C
© 1992 - IFIP
162
D. Tinsley / Helping people to help themselves
are co-operating closely over the reform process to ensure that the outcomes from the national curriculum form the basis for the emerging range of new vocational qualifications. To help explain the emerging relationships between educational and vocational systems and to set the agenda for future action, a government White Paper was published in May 1991 [2] which covers these issues and describes progress being made in the development of learning markets as outlined in the rest of this paper.
Learning markets Alongside concern that education services lacked relevance to the needs of industry and commerce, was the notion that a major constraint on the training and education system was the absence of an effective market. Moves towards local management of schools and colleges are expected to improve the cost efficiency of learning providers by removing unnecessary layers of bureaucracy and introducing an element of competition which had previously been present only in the private training sector. But the consequence of such reforms, which enable consumers to make choices in a free market, is that consumers should be sufficiently well informed to be able to exercise choice in a way which benefits the consumer and influences the nature of education and training systems on offer. As one of the key products of any learning system is the qualification achieved, the first requirement for an effective market is that the outcomes, namely the national curriculum targets and vocational qualification levels, should be clearly articulated by providers and fully understood by the consumer. At the same time, consumers need to be informed of the price of each learning pathway which leads to the desired outcome. Herein lies the key difficulty in creating a true learning market within the United Kingdom. By tradition, state provision of education has been largely borne by the tax-payer and funded through institutions in advance of delivery to learners. This mechanism has tended to obscure the true cost of learning for an individual and ignores the considerable variation in learning methods and styles which fit the needs of individual learners. This
paper describes mechanisms which have been introduced to the industrial training sector and which are now also beginning to affect the whole educational service.
Open and flexible learning Following the success of the Open University [3], which has Created a completely new route for adult higher education outside the established universities and polytechnics, the U K Government sponsored a major programme, known as Open Tech [4], which applied similar techniques to technician and supervisor training. More recently, the Open College [5] has developed noninstitutional arrangements for individualized learning in companies and in the home; also the Open Polytechnic [6] is evolving as a publishing house of open learning materials for its partner institutions. All of these initiatives have focused on the benefits for learners of methods which are tailored to individual needs and can be pursued at a time, pace and place to suit the learner. Gradually these systems have begun to permeate traditional learning institutions, in particular the secondary and further education sectors where individualized programmes of study are helping students to achieve reformed outcomes for academic and vocational qualifications. The essential features are flexibility, jointly negotiated targets and arrangements which put the learner in charge with the tutor in support. Much has been learnt about the cost effectiveness of open learning in the industrial training sector and of the benefits of applying new technologies to the process. Particularly effective is the use of computers to manage the process of individualized learning so that the tutor is free to advise and support. Also of significant benefit are interactive video systems which allow exploration of visual sequences under learner command. Not yet achieved is the complete replacement of tutor by computer, nor is the author convinced of its desirability except in certain narrow environments.
Action planning With the shift of emphasis from teaching and lecturing to individualized learning has come the
D. Tinsley / Helpingpeople to help themselves
need for help in setting the learning agenda. In the worlds of U K adult and youth training this has become known as action planning. Encouraged initially by the need for an objective assessment of what trainees already know and can do before funds are assigned to pay for a training process, action planning has been seen as a benefit at all stages of learning both in and out of school. Once the national curriculum and national vocational qualification structures are fully in place, action planning enables both tutor and learner to negotiate a set of achievable targets and to use the action-planning process to review progress and make adjustments to targets over time. Moreover, action plans can be used to specify inputs needed for learning, for example books and audio-visual materials, work experience and practical skill development, tutor support needs and assessment requirements. In the context of the learning market, the action plan enables the cost of each outcome to be specified in a form which can control the use of funds.
Career planning Much of what has been said depends on the willingness of individuals to take responsibility for learning and for planning their learning. This moves a long way from a dependency culture where processes are applied to the individual, whether it be education or training or assignment to a job. In tandem with the concept of action planning goes the need for career planning which helps set the current learning action in the wider context of lifetime development. The best-known element of career planning is the CV or curriculum vitae. Not so well known or understood are the processes which help an individual to chart a career strategy on the basis of prior achievement or to define a learning path to enable next steps to be taken with security. With moves towards coherence between education and vocation outcomes from learning processes comes the need for clearer career paths and objective help for individuals in planning their routes. Much new technology has b e e n applied to the career planning process, notably record systems such as the Young Person's Record System (YPRS) in Birmingham (UK) [3] and the informa-
163
tion p r o g r a m m e s used within careers advisory services, for example micro D O O R S [4]. While such systems are an institutionalized contribution to the needs of the individual, they do not yet provide a portable, personalized mechanism for the individual.
Course cards and career cards An opportunity now arises with the development of the "smart card" or credit card computer. My own vision of the future lies with two "orthogonal" systems, namely the career card which carries an achievement record (CV) and the current career plan; and the course card which carries the action plan for a current module of learning which will assist in fulfilling the career plan. Rushby [5] has made good progress in developing the course card for applications in management development, although it has yet to be applied across many academic or vocational options. Basically the course card can hold three databases which interact in support of the learner: (a) the materials and systems necessary to support the defined learning process; (b) the pathway through these materials with assessments as defined by the tutor; (c) the optimal learning characteristics of the learner (which change over time). Finally, the course card has the facility to carry cost information on the materials and systems used, such as tutor costs and any institutional charges levied during the learning sequence. With the increasing flexibility and cheapness of smart card systems, it is not surprising that they are actively being considered as a means of managing the costs of learning. An example of leading edge development comes from South London.
Learning credits U K G o v e r n m e n t ministers have recently given approval to a number of pilot initiatives whereby young people are given real buying power to obtain their own career training. This means that school leavers will be well motivated to take the
164
D. Tinsley / Helpingpeople to help themselves
best possible advantage from their training, and opportunities to gain qualifications. Pilots are being run by ten of the new local Training and Education Councils (TECs) which are employer led bodies, recently set up to manage the government's training budgets in England and Wales. A further pilot is taking place in Scotland where the bodies are known as local enterprise companies. Projects focus on 16 and 17 year old school leavers who are given training credits which enable them to obtain approved training. The South London T E C project (SOLOTEC) [7] covers Bexley, Bromley and Croydon. Small service industries dominate the local economy with 90% of employers having fewer than 25 employees in a buoyant labour market. Demand is for service industry and higher level skills. SOLOTEC has decided to call its pilot scheme the soi.oxEc Training Account. To redeem their Training Account, each trainee receives a soI~oxEc Options Card. Each programmable card is unique to its holder and has a maximum value of approximately £2500, depending on the occupational outcome the holder is training towards. It contains three pieces of information: (a) a credit line with a cash value, which may be redeemed for off-the-job training and assessment, (b) a debit line showing the holder how much has been spent and how much remains, (c) an achievement line showing what the holder has achieved in terms of units towards a vocational qualification and related general achievements. Training providers have a simple device which enables the information on each card to be displayed, printed out, and updated at regular intervals. The system also maintains a central record of every trainee's progress and achievements, and enables invoicing and financial auditing to be carried out.
time they leave school. On leaving, each is given a letter of entitlement to a SOLOTEC Training Account. The next step is for the young person to take the IAP and letter of entitlement to an employer or training provider who will prepare a detailed Training Plan. At this point SOLOXEC activates the Training Account and issues the Options Card, making it clear that it is a valuable and important personal acquisition. Trainees then proceed to undertake agreed education and training, usually over a two-year period. Training must be linked to National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) or recognized equivalents, together with core or general competencies. Where relevant to an individual's needs, this includes units drawn from school based vocational or academic courses. Targets for achievement will normally be at NVQ level 2 or above, except for young people with special training needs. Training is purchased by the trainee as it is delivered. Achievements are similarly recorded in NVQ or equivalent units so that trainees can see their progress towards their goals. Progress is reviewed and entries made by "wiping" their Options Card at a minimum of 4-weekly intervals. The account purchases what is normally called "off-the-job" training. A special facility has been devised to enable trainees to pay for "assessment only" units. This means that they can take assessment directly, based on competence achieved through workplace or other prior learning. Achieving NVQs and other units by this means is important for some trainees who can complete qualifications more-quickly because repetition will be avoided. Both training providers and trainees may receive bonuses for early completion of qualification as an encouragement to hard work and high standards of achievement.
National databases Operation of the scheme The scheme starts long before a trainee actually receives an account. All young people are assisted, through careers staff in schools and careers offices, to develop individual action plans (IAPs) setting out broad future intentions by the
Underpinning the work of advisers who help with individual action planning are a number of databases which combine to provide information about curriculum developments, vocational qualifications and courses available both nationally and locally. Progress is being made to ensure
D. Tinsley / Helping people to help themselves
compatibility between databases through the publication of national standards [8]. One of the main databases currently available within the U K is MARIS [9], which provides information about open and flexible learning materials, training development services, college based short courses and learning materials. Focusing more on the school sector is NERDS [10] which contains information for teachers on a wider range of learning resources including guidance notes on the National Curriculum and educational software which encourages cross-curricular activities. NERDS is available as a national on-line service or on a CD ROM. In higher education, ECCTIS [11] provides information about university courses and the progress routes available to students. Finally, Training Access Points [12] (TAPs) form a network of terminals in libraries, colleges, supermarkets, career service offices and high street sites where individuals and companies can gain information about education and training opportunities. TAPs are backed up by impartial advice and support services which help people to make maximum use of the databases.
Impact on schools
The main focus of this paper has been on systems to support the vocational training sector. In parallel with these developments has been a major government programme to help all schools provide a curriculum which will enhance students' capabilities for an increasingly high technology world of work. Known as the Technical and Vocational Education Initiative (TVEI), this programme will by 1997 have injected a billion pounds of extra resource into the schools system, much of which is concentrated on provision of equipment, training of teachers and development of the curriculum. Within schools, T V E I has had considerable impact on the development of Information Technology (IT) courses and applications, particularly in support of school policies which help to integrate IT into the curriculum as a whole [13]. But most relevant to this paper have been applications of computer systems to record achievement and support action planning.
165
Conclusion
Information services, records of achievement, action planning, modular courses, clearly defined outcomes and continuous assessment procedures - - a l l provide the background framework for the operation of an education and training market. Information technology has provided mechanisms to enable much of modern U K practice to flourish and holds promise of greater coherence for individuals and their aspirations by removing barriers and opening up opportunities for all. A key responsibility for future systems developers is to ensure convergence of the various elements towards a set of services which informs learner choice, assists with advice on options and ensures a record of achievement which grows throughout life. The future lies with information technology as an enabling resource which helps people to help themselves to the richness of learning possibilities and the benefits of lifetime learning.
References
[1] Guide to National Vocational Qualifications (National Council for Vocational Qualifications, 222 Euston Road, London NWl 2BZ, March 1991). [2] Education and Training for the 21st Century (Her Majesty's Stationery Office, PO Box 276, London SW8 5DT, UK). [3] YPRS (Birmingham Education Department Careers Service, Margaret Street, Birmingham B3 3BU, UK). [4] micro DOORS: information pack available from COIC, Employment Department, Moorfoot, Sheffield S1 4PQ, UK. [5] Rushby, Twining, Twining, Devin, The Learning Credit Card, Interactive Learning International 6 (3) (July 1990). [6] Open Polytechnic, The Malborough Building, 383 HoIloway Road, London N2 0RN, UK. [7] SOLOTEC,Lancaster House, 7 Elmfield Road, Bromley BR1 1LT, UK. [8] ADSET,HMS President, Victoria Embankment, London EC4Y 0HJ, UK. [9] MARLSON-LINELtd, Bank House, 1 St Mary's Street, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB7 4ER, UK. [10] NERlS, C/O Maryland College, Woburn MK17 9JD, UK. [11] ECCTIS, Fulton House, Jessup Avenue, Cheltenham, Glostershire GL50 3SH, UK. [12] TAPs, c/o Geoff Hembrow, IASU, St Mary's House, Moorfoot, Sheffield, $1 4PQ, UK. [13] P. Dutton, Progress with IT, in: WCCE'90 World Conference on Computers in Education (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1990).
166
D. Tinsley / Helping people to help themselves
David Tinsley is the United Kingdom's Government's Chief Inspector of Training. He was appointed as the founding Director of the Training Standards Advisory Service (TSAS) in September 1986 after a two year period as Director of Manpower Services Commission's Open Tech Programme. TSAS is responsible for quality assurance for the Youth Training Scheme and the Employment Training Programme. David Tinsley studied mathematics at Wadham College, Oxford. He has been Head of Mathematics Department of St. Edward's School in Oxford, Director of Field Trials for the IBM Schools Computer Experiment and Head of the Public Education Sector at the National Computing Centre, Manchester. He joined Birmingham Local Education Department in 1973, and held the posts of General Inspector (Schools) and Staff Inspector (16-19 year olds) before becoming Education Officer for Further and Higher Education in 1982.