This is part one of a two part special care package of extra supporting material that you can dip into as you need to relating to Assessment 1 and the New Zealand Context for Literacy and Numeracy.

This post updates any earlier support information relating to Assessment 1 the NCALNE (Voc).

Saving trees by not printing the NCALNE (Voc) Unit Standards

First though, just a quick note: we have stopped printing some items like the NZQA unit standards that we assess you against as well as some of the readings. The reason for this is that we found that people weren’t actually reading these resources.

Skip this short section if you don’t care about the unit standards. If you want them we’d encourage you to go to the links below and download them. Just read them on your computer.

Think about whether you need to print them out as the details are reproduced in a more useable format in your ALEC Assessment Guide.

The National Certificate in Adult Literacy and Numeracy Education (Vocational/Workplace) has 40 credits at level 5. Unit Standards 21204, 21196 and 9685 make up the 40 credits of the NCALNE (Voc).

• Download Unit Standard 21204
• Download Unit Standard 21196
• Download Unit Standard 9685

Template for Assessment 1: NZ Context

We can send you the Word Doc template for the report which is Assessment 1. This is the same as the online template in Pathways Awarua. If you want to use it you should do a “save as” onto your computer and type straight into it.

Here are a few other bits and pieces. Some of this will take you to Pathways Awarua or this blog which is where the most up-to-date information is at the moment. Here you go…

Pathways Awarua

Make sure that you are registered to use Pathways Awarua. The latest version of our entire ALEC course for the NCALNE (Voc) is now online in the Pathways Awarua platform. It’s free to register if you haven’t already.

• There are instructions here on what to do to register. Contact assess@alec.ac.nz to use our ALEC join code and go straight to Step 2 of this process. Once you’ve registered may have to complete a couple of short modules on how to use the Pathways platform and then you’ll have access to all of the content modules for the NCALNE (Voc) as well as two of the Assessment modules. If you want to know more about how the NCALNE (Voc) works on Pathways watch this short YouTube Clip.
• Remember: You can complete Assessment 1 via the word template OR via the online assessment template for Module 1. If you’re working on in Pathways Awarua for your assessment tasks, if you haven’t already you will also need to complete the online ENROL module before you can submit your work to us through Pathways Awarua.

Don’t forget the printed matter

Don’t forget to review what’s in your ALEC Study Guide and Assessment Guide if you have the printed versions. It’s easy to overlook this, but your Study Guide, Assessment Guide, and any readings that we’ve sent you contain everything that you need to complete the assessment for this part of the course.

• Take notes or highlight while you skim the section relating to the NZ context.

Assessment 1 requirements

Familiarise yourself with the requirements for Assessment 1. You can listen to me talking through the assessment tasks in short audio-only podcasts here on his blog.

All the assessment podcasts are on the same page on the blog so scroll down to the audio for Assessment 1, click it and listen to it. If you have a smartphone these podcasts will run on your phone if you have a data plan or are in Wi-fi. These audio files are also in the Pathways Awarua Assessment Modules.

Questions to ask yourself while you’re reading and thinking

Good readers always have good questions when they’re reading. Ask yourself the following questions as you work your way through the material.

1. Definitions: What are the established definitions for adult literacy and numeracy? What’s an embedded approach? What about from a Maori perspective?
2. Initiatives: What are some of the historic and current initiatives that are relevant to your training and learners?
3. Reasons and impact: Why do we have low levels of adult literacy and numeracy? And what’s the impact of this on learners, study, work, communities, industry, and the nation?
4. Resources and organisations: What resources are out there to help strengthen adult literacy and numeracy? What organisations?
5. Recommendations: What do you think would make a difference? What would you suggest to address the issues around low adult literacy and numeracy in relation to your work?

Other resources and reading

Here’s some other things you can do to get started on this first assessment.

1. Watch the short YouTube clips on the New Zealand Context on our ALEC Youtube Channel. You can access the playlist for Assessment 1 here.
2. Work your way through Content Module 1 on the New Zealand Context in Pathways Awarua. You’ll have to do some reading and some writing, but there are some interactions as well. Working your way through this module will set you up for the assessment task. This content is the same as the latest ALEC Study Guide for the NCALNE (Voc).
3. Read the brief overview of Literacy and Numeracy in New Zealand by John Benseman. It’s a PDF download that you can find here and a good overview that builds on what we discussed.
4. Read up on the various TEC funded national initiatives that support literacy and numeracy. Full text is here from the TEC in their own words.
5. Find out more about the State of the Nation with regards to national literacy and numeracy surveys including the current PIAAC and the 2006 ALLS.

Getting started on Assessment 1

Remember you’ve got two choices: EITHER you can click on the Assessment Module 1 in Pathways Awarua and do it online. The Assessment modules are below the orange ribbon (the content modules are above the ribbon). OR you can work from the template in the ALEC Assessment Guide and attached below.

If you’re not sure what to do then get in touch with us. Hit reply and send an email to assess@alec.ac.nz or ring or txt Graeme. Email us if you need Graeme’s mobile number.

We can support you further with:

• Guidance around how to write a report
• A model in terms of what we’re expecting for your response
• Extra information as needed

When you’re finished

When you’re finished, make sure you do a final proof read. Then send your completed assessment task to us at assess@alec.ac.nz. Well… that’s all for now. Stay in touch.