Case study

How a technology enabled PD system empowers teachers at TAFE Gippsland.

The Educator Passport, developed by Chisholm’s Professional Educator College, delivers a user-friendly way for teachers and institutes to plan for and access quality professional development.

Partnership

TAFE Gippsland.

TAFE Gippsland logo 

Background

In the rapidly evolving world of education, it’s more important than ever for teachers to stay up to date with the latest teaching methods and technologies so that they can provide their students with a high-quality learning experience.

This is particularly true for VET teachers, who need to stay current with teaching as well as industry-specific skills. It’s also important for TAFE institutes, which are required to provide evidence of professional educator currency to meet regulatory requirements.

The challenge

While professional development regularly occurs across VET, challenges are often faced with managing these activities. Often teachers struggle to find the specific programs they need to lift capability.

It became clear that Victoria’s TAFE institutes needed a streamlined system that would give teachers a holistic way of identifying their PD requirements, provide information about workshops on key topics and generate reports for administration and auditing purposes. To maximise convenience and usage, the system also needed to be easily accessible and user-friendly for teachers, operational staff and management.

In 2018, Chisholm’s Professional Educator College (PEC) took up the challenge.

The solution

The PEC team began by creating an Educational Excellence Framework that contains capability statements reflecting the knowledge and skills that future-focused teachers need. These statements provide rigour around activities and set a benchmark for what can be achieved.

To deliver the framework, the team developed the Educator Passport app, a one-stop shop that meets teacher, institute and regulatory requirements relating to PD. It’s a holistic solution that’s easy for teachers, supervisors and institutes to use, either on smartphones or desktop computers.

Teachers complete a simple profiling tool that compares their skills with best practice across seven domains: professional practice, digital literacy, design, facilitate, support, assess and review. If there is a gap, they can browse PD programs and choose a workshop or learning journey (series of related workshops) that best suits their needs. Selections are then automatically communicated to their supervisor for approval and points are awarded towards the teacher’s annual PD target.

TAFE Gippsland was part of the Educator Passport pilot in 2018, which involved five TAFE institutes testing the system over a 12-month period. Director of Academic Governance at TAFE Gippsland, Brad Beach, explained why his institute was keen to continue using the program.

“It’s essential that our teachers see themselves primarily as professional educators, and they can do that through ongoing, quality PD,” he explained.

“The Educator Passport manages organisational PD in a systematic, measured way. It allows us to set our own targets for teacher best practice.

“Before, there wasn’t a systematic way to demonstrate professional competency in a way that was compliant with the standards for RTOs. This is a great way to future-proof our institute by equipping our teachers with the skills they need to change students’ lives for the better.”

Results

The Educator Passport is now available to all Victorian TAFE providers. The system is flexible and can be tailored to suit institute needs, including branding, capabilities and PD programs on offer.

New training programs are added to the system each year, and existing programs are refreshed. Each PD package comes with resources including PowerPoints and complementary materials, allowing partners to run their own sessions as required. The PEC team guides the customisation process and provides ongoing helpdesk services.

Additional benefits include partner access to group pricing discounts for PD from external training providers. And opportunities to collaborate on a range of initiatives including PD with high profile guest speakers and other strategic projects.

Mal Burton, a teacher in conservation and ecosystem management at TAFE Gippsland’s ForestTech, is a keen user of the Educator Passport.

“It’s a great way of finding the right PD to help me both in class and academically,” he explained. “I have my favourite presenters, and their workshops have really assisted me to manage behaviours, improve assessments and bring out the best in my students.

“A real benefit is being able to access PD in one place, in my own time. I can plan things out and book ahead, knowing that what I’ve chosen will improve my professional currency.”

To learn more, contact the Professional Educator College on 1300 653 796, email us at PEC@chisholm.edu.au or fill in your details in our enquiry form, so we can get back to you promptly.