Project Oveview

The Electromechanics department curriculum coordinator at Rosemount Technology Centre (RTC) approached the vocational training education consultant at the Provincial Organisation of Continuing Education, English (PROCEDE) for help with a centre initiative to standardize the department’s exam bank.  The goal was to create 3 different exam versions for sanction purposes for each competency by June 30, 2023.  Since many of the teachers in the department are new and do not have access to the BVE, they are missing prerequisite pedagogical knowledge and skills.  Currently, they are developing coping mechanisms to adapt to teaching, but the missing pedagogical skills means they approach teaching and learning situations with natural aptitudes and support from more experienced colleagues.  Although the department has grown, it is still stretched with all teachers working overtime to meet the teaching hours on the schedule.  This adds to the heavy workload of the experienced teachers to mentor and support the newer teachers in their journey. 

Based on initial discussions between the Electromechanics curriculum coordinator, the Assistant Centre Director and PROCEDE’s VT education consultant, and then further discussions with school board pedagogical consultants, a desire to collaborate on an expandable project was expressed.  This project was (is) an iterative process, with moments planned where stakeholders contributed their ideas and feedback in order to put emphasis on the professional development needs of the teachers as crucial in achieving the goal.  

From fall 2022 to spring 2023, the project's itinerary was constantly shifting, but it grew and members felt that their contributions mattered. The accumulation of the year’s work to accompany the teachers on their learning journey is complied in this website, and in the accompanying document.  To get to the point where teachers can contribute positively to exam creation will be a learning journey for them with multiple facets to address in order for them to feel a sense of worth and validity to the exercise.  To achieve this goal of assessment creation, activities were created for teacher professional development and targeted different aspects of the missing pedagogical knowledge.  Care was taken to ensure inclusivity for the different stakeholders at different steps in this process:  

• ADDIE is used as a framework to ensure a systematic and holistic approach

• discussions, processes and development of resources was documented and shared in the assessment and design phase

• space for the teacher’s voice was incorporated into each activity

• feedback after each activity was solicited, assessed and incorporated into the next activity

• the activities were adjusted to accommodate the learning needs of the teachers

• worked, applied examples congruent with the reality of the trade were incorporated into each activity.

Tasks associated with contributing to assessment creation that the teacher needs to do are:

• use context-specific education vocabulary

• describe the different parts of the program of study and a competency

• identify mandatory elements in the documentation for an evaluation for sanction purposes

• identify the core skills of a competency in relation to the practice of the trade and the program of study

• identify current performance expectations of entry-level skills in the workforce and situate this in the program of study

• describe, using clear and familiar language, what ideal performance expectations look like at workforce entry-level, and at different levels of competency acquisition

• differentiate fundamental concepts in assessment:

  • the role of feedback

  • metacognition

  • in support of learning

  • for sanction purposes

These tasks will be verified and developed through different interventions.

What the project is

• A co-creation situation where all stakeholders were given space to contribute meaningfully and have a voice; 

• Adapted to the different stakeholder realities (consultants, centre, teacher)

• Emphasis is put on the collaborative journey to achieve the goal 

What the project is not

• A stand-alone professional development workshop

• An efficiency-driven model for goal achievement