ivet.edu.au 1300 00 IVET IVET Institute: RTO ID: 40548 Use routine strategies for work-related learning FSKLRG11 This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to identify own learning goals and needs, and develop a formal learning plan to participate in a vocational or workplace learning environment. The unit applies to individuals who need learning skills at Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF) level 3 to undertake a vocational training pathway and/or workplace tasks. STUDENT RESOURCE

CONTENTS Elements and performance criteria........................................................................................................................................3 Introduction.......................................................................................................................................................................................4 Prepare for learning.......................................................................................................................................................................5 Identify work-related learning goals...........................................................................................................................................................................5 Investigate learning pathways........................................................................................................................................................................................ 9 Investigate approaches to achieve goals..........................................................................................................................................................12 Learning barriers ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................14 Use strategies for learning........................................................................................................................................................15 Select work-related goal ......................................................................................................................................................................................................15 Preferred approach to achieving work-related goals............................................................................................................................16 Address barriers to achieving learning goals .................................................................................................................................................18 Propose learning strategies...............................................................................................................................................................................................19 Identify and access a range of reliable support resources.............................................................................................................22 Create a learning plan ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 24 Review your own learning progress......................................................................................................................................27 Monitor plan progress.............................................................................................................................................................................................................27 Seek feedback ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................29 Further learning and training............................................................................................................................................................................................31 Suites 210 – 212 189E South Centre Road Tullamarine VIC 3043 © IVET Created: 16/1/23 Version: 1.0 The content of this publication is produced for educational purposes only. No claim is made to its accuracy or the authenticity of the content. The information in this document is provided on the basis that the reader takes responsibility for assessing the relevance and accuracy of the content. No responsibility is taken for any information or services which may appear on any linked websites. IVET Group does not accept any liability to any person for the information or advice (or the use of such information or advice) in this document or incorporated into it by reference. All content, unless otherwise indicated, is the intellectual property of the IVET Group. 2

ELEMENT PERFORMANCE CRITERIA Elements describe the essential outcomes. Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. 1. Prepare for learning 1.1 Identify work-related learning goals 1.2 Investigate a range of formal and informal learning pathways 1.3 Investigate a range of approaches to achieve goal 1.4 Identify potential barriers to learning 2. Use strategies for learning 2.1 Identify a preferred approach to achieving work-related learning goals 2.2 Identify strategies to address barriers to achieving learning goals 2.3 Propose routine learning strategies to achieve learning goal 2.4 Create and use a learning plan to implement strategies 3. Review own learning progress 3.1 Monitor progress against the plan 3.2 Seek feedback from an appropriate person 3.3 Identify areas for further learning and training FSKLRG11 Use routine strategies for work-related learning Elements and performance criteria Performance evidence Evidence of the ability to: y develop a plan for own learning pathway y review own progress. Evidence must be collected using typical workrelated tasks. Note: Where a specific volume and/or frequency is not specified, evidence must be provided at least once. Knowledge evidence Evidence of the following knowledge must be demonstrated: y strategies for learning y own learning goals y education and training requirements for learning pathway options. For more information on this unit of competency visit: https://training.gov.au/Training/Details/FSKLRG11 3

FSKLRG11 - Use routine strategies for work-related learning Introduction Any area of work that you pursue will require you to have the required skills and knowledge to undertake the role professionally, this is why using strategies for work-related learning is essential. You want to be the best we can be at role or career you have chosen and to achieve this continuous learning is king. In this learning journey you will learn all about the importance of staying current and relevant in your work role and you will discover the strategies that you can apply to further your learning and improve your current skills and knowledge. You will discover how to: y prepare for learning y use strategies for learning y review your own learning progress. As a human you never really stop learning and with so much information and technology at your disposal building your learning progress and journey could be a daily event. Sometimes you might wake up and think about something you have wanted to learn, but for some reason you have put it off time and time again. You need to remember that age is also no barrier to learning. For example, an elderly lady who was approaching her 92nd birthday had always wanted to learn how to play the piano and she had procrastinated all her life, until her family brought her piano lessons. She ended her life with a new skill and happy to know that she had prepared herself for learning and was successful in her learning progress. The thing to take away from this little story as that you should make the most of every day and take up any learning opportunities that come your way. Learning is king and we all want to be kings, right? 4

Prepare for learning Learning is acquiring knowledge and skills. It means moving outside your comfort zone and pushing yourself into new areas away from the things you do well. When skills and knowledge are needed for a specific vocational or work-related purpose, you need to prepare for the learning to ensure it is meaningful and efficient. This involves: y identifying learning goals y investigating the ways you can learn new skills y working out when and how you can achieve your goals y putting measures in place to manage any barriers to learning. Identify work-related learning goals Work-related learning goals may be things you are required to learn to do your job safely and effectively, or things you want to learn because they will help you to progress in your career. To do your job well, you need to have task-specific skills and personal skills. Employability skills are related to personal qualities and are referred to as soft skills or personal skills and attributes. No matter what sort of job you are doing, there are personal skills that all employers like you to have. Some of these are listed below. Communication Employers like workers who can speak and write clearly and, most importantly, listen carefully. Problem-solving People face all sorts of problems in work, some problems are routine, and others are not. Employers like workers who can take the initiative to solve problems on their own, or to identify and report problems to appropriate people. Teamwork While some jobs are carried out by individuals, most jobs require some interaction with others. Employers like workers who can adapt to working with a team, share workloads fairly and respect and communicate well with others. Punctuality Your employer will expect you to get to work on time, work the required number of hours and hand your work in by the deadline. 5

FSKLRG11 - Use routine strategies for work-related learning Honesty Being honest is very important, especially if you are responsible for money. If you make a mistake, you should admit it. You can learn from your mistakes if you think about what went wrong and change the way you do things. Enthusiasm Employers like people who are keen to learn and take on responsibility. People like to work with someone who brings positive energy into the workplace. Ensuring your job aligns with your values and interests will help to maintain enthusiasm. Reliability Good workers do what they say they will do. They work steadily and according to plans and procedures. Your employer wants to know that you will complete the tasks they ask you to do. Discretion In the workplace you will often have access to sensitive information, such as customer details, company financial details and more. Your employer needs to know that this information is safe. There are also privacy laws that you need to comply with. Knowing how to be discrete and not give out information to other people without permission is very important. Task-specific skills are tangible, hands-on skills that help you to carry out tasks and activities. These are known as hard skills or practical skills and could include things such as: y computer skills y operating machinery and equipment y typing y drawing and design skills y customer service skills y cooking y reading instructions y scheduling. Hard and soft skills can all be learned and may form part of your work-related learning goals. When looking to increase your skills through work-related activity, it is useful to write down some ideas you can use to identify some potential goals for your learning. 6

SMART goals A useful way of making goals more powerful is to use the SMART principle. While there are plenty of variations, SMART usually stands for: SMART GOALS S SPECIFIC M MEASURABLE A ACHIEVABLE R RELEVANT T TIME-BOUND Specific What do you want to do? For goals to be successful, they must be clearly stated. Write your goals down. Make sure you answer the following questions: y What do I want to achieve? y Where will I complete the steps to reach my goal? y Who will I need to consult with to reach my goal? Measurable How will you know when you’ve done it? If you can’t measure your goals, you won’t know when you have done them. You must monitor and measure your progress so you can manage goals toward desired outcomes. This may be as simple as ticking off completed items in a todo list, or as complex as measuring academic achievements and grades. This answers the how much, how many, etc. of your goals. Achievable Is it in your power to accomplish it? There is no point in setting a goal that can’t be achieved. Goals should be ambitious, but not outrageous. This means working towards a goal that is challenging but can realistically be achieved. This answers the how of your goals. Relevant Is your goal worthwhile and meaningful to you? To stay motivated to achieve your goals, they need to mean something to you. You need to really want to achieve them. By ensuring your goals are aligned with your values and are a priority for you, you are more likely to stay on track to accomplish them. This answers the why of your goals. Time-bound When exactly do you want to accomplish it? Goals need a target date for completion. Some people spend a lot of time talking about what they want to do; but, without an end date, there is no sense of urgency and no reason to put actions into place. Having a definite date to work toward and a realistic timeframe to work within keeps you motivated and stops you getting discouraged. This answers the when of your goals. 7

FSKLRG11 - Use routine strategies for work-related learning To identify your work-related learning goals, you need to think about where you want your work skills to lead you. This could mean learning about a different industry, or you might want to get a promotion in your current workplace. Think about what you want to achieve, then write down ideas about what you want to do and set these as your goals. Once you have identified your goals, find learning resources that can help you to achieve those goals. Think of a goal you have in your life. This may be something you wish to achieve at school, at work or at home and it may be a short- or long-term goal. Write your goal down following the SMART principle. Specific What do you want to do? Measurable How will you know when you’ve done it? Achievable How do you know it is in your power to accomplish it? Relevant Why is this goal worthwhile and meaningful to you? Time-bound When exactly do you want to accomplish it? LEARNING ACTIVITY 1 Making goals SMART 8

Investigate learning pathways If you get a new job, you will receive some basic training during an orientation period. Some jobs also have a pre-set learning pathway where you receive training on the job and advance through various stages of experience and authority. For most jobs, however, there is no set pathway. It is up to you to work out what skills you have already, what skills you need, and how to close that gap. If you have to have a certain set of skills for a job, you need to work out how you can obtain them. You may also need to develop your soft skills to better manage your work and workplace relationships. This can all be thought of as self-improvement, which may be done through different learning pathways. Learning pathway simply refers the way in which you learn new skills and knowledge. It is a process involving different levels of learning, where one level leads into the next level, which leads to the next level and so on. Some learning pathways may be fairly straight, others will be winding. This is because people learn in different ways and different skills and attributes can be taught in many different ways. In general, learning pathways may involve: y work experience y work exchange or placement opportunities y personal study y volunteering y coaches and mentors y apprenticeship y off-the-job learning, such as classroom, online or distance education. The Australian Government Department of Education and Training provides a fact sheet on learning pathways at the link below. https://www.myskills.gov.au/media/1768/back-to-basics-learning-pathways.pdf The pathways listed above may be formal, informal or a combination. When selecting the right learning pathway for you, assess your goals and work out if you need a formal or informal learning pathway. 9

FSKLRG11 - Use routine strategies for work-related learning Formal learning pathways Formal learning pathways are highly structured, with government-controlled standards, training resources and assessments. An example of a formal learning pathway is the qualification levels that you can gain in courses as you work your way through an industry, for instance: Certificate III in Business Administration Certificate IV in Business Administration Diploma of Business Administration Advanced Diploma of Business As you can see, there is a clear pathway that you can follow to reach an Advanced Diploma of Business. TAFEs, universities, and Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) provide many different training courses that will lead to a qualification or formal statement of attainment upon successful completion. They may also provide short courses to help you develop a specific skill. The link below is the national training information website. It provides information about apprenticeships, traineeships, courses and training providers. https://training.gov.au/ Imagine you want to get into accounting. You don’t want to become a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA), and you’d rather be able to work at the same time as training towards a qualification. So, you decide a vocational training pathway would be your best option. 1. Go the following link: https://training.gov.au/Training/Details/FNS 2. Read the information provided on the webpage. 3. Click on links to different qualifications to learn more. 4. Answer the questions below. a) What is the highest qualification level available for an accounting qualification? ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... b) Does the lowest qualification level have employment outcomes? ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... c) Which qualification is likely to be offered as part of a VET in Schools program? ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... d) If you want to complete a Diploma of Accounting, what qualifications or skill sets do you need to do first? ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... LEARNING ACTIVITY 2 Formal learning pathways 10

Informal learning pathways An informal learning pathway is where you get experience from hands-on work. There is no real structure to this type of learning, and there is no clear pathway to your final goal. However, it is useful in that it can give you real experience in what you want to learn. You could volunteer to work for a person who is involved with the type of work you are interested in, help them with their tasks, and learn by observing what they are doing. Eventually, when you have made progress, they will allow you to take over the tasks, with supervision, at first, until you are confident in working alone. For example Work experience and exchange opportunities These are an excellent way to explore another dimension of your occupation and learn a great deal from being in a new environment. Many organisations and businesses find internal exchange programs to be very valuable and an excellent way for employees to gain on-the-job professional development. If you are already in a job, you can ask your employer to give you additional training, extra duties or a chance to job-shadow other workers. This helps you to experience other areas of the business and shows you are enthusiastic about your industry. Coaches and mentors Coaching and mentoring involve using the skills of one person to teach or educate another. It is about transferring knowledge from one individual to another through explanation and demonstration in the workplace. An employee being mentored or coached benefits through learning new skills, developing confidence and enhancing their opportunity for further career development. The coach or mentor also benefits from the experience, through developing their leadership and instructional skills. You may also be able to find a coach or mentor outside of a workplace. Coaches are people who can teach you a specific skill or task, while a mentor can provide guidance and role-modelling on behaviour, attitude and career direction. Personal study This is a self-paced, self-directed way of learning new things. You may do this by reading books or journals, watching videos or demonstrations (e.g. on YouTube) or seeking guidance from experienced people. Local adult education centres provide informal short courses or workshops and demonstrations. These organisations may include your local library or organisations such as the Centre for Adult Education, which offers courses in a wide range of areas, including: y Art y Business y Languages y Personal development y Workforce training y Computer software applications y Communication Visit the Centre for Adult Education at the link below. https://www.cae.edu.au/ 11

FSKLRG11 - Use routine strategies for work-related learning Investigate approaches to achieve goals Once you have selected a learning pathway, it is important that you investigate the ways that you can achieve your goals. Everyone learns in different ways and has different challenges and commitments in their lives. The approaches you take to reach your goals will often be quite different to your colleagues, classmates, friends and family. The website below discusses some strategies you may find useful for achieving your goals. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/284783 Setting priorities A key to achieving your goals is to set priorities for them. Prioritising is about determining the order of something based on its level of importance. Prioritising tasks or activities is a decision-making process. You can set priorities by: y making a list of the things you need to do y establishing deadlines for each task y assessing tasks to identify if there are better ways to do them (faster, cheaper, higher quality, etc.) y weighing up consequences of not completing tasks. The order most people prioritise tasks in real life is: 1. Important and urgent. 2. Urgent but not Important. 3. Not urgent and not Important. 4. Important but not urgent. A good balance between your most important goals and those that you want to complete first will help you to create a simple plan to achieving your goals. When you have decided on the most important goals, you need to start working on them. You can investigate a range of approaches that can be used to achieve these goals. These approaches may include: y Using milestones – this means setting timelines when you want to achieve your goals, usually by breaking down the goal into smaller sections. y Creating rules to follow – for example, if you are studying a new course, set yourself some rules that you will commit a certain number of hours to learning per day/week. y Make sure your goals are realistic, you don’t want to start working towards a goal, only to find that you are unable to complete it. y Set a variety of goals – with long-term goals, try to mix in a few short-term goals to help keep yourself from burning out or getting bored working towards one goal. 12

Action plans Writing down your goals helps you to plan and organise how to achieve them. It involves identifying the steps and sub-steps you need to take and the resources you need. Follow the steps below to construct an action plan. 1. Write down your work goal. Make sure it is as specific as possible. 2. List each step you need to do to achieve the goal in order of priority. You may need to break down steps further into sub-steps. 3. List the people and resources you need for each step. 4. Describe how you will measure your success. 5. Specify the dates or times to complete each step. An action plan template is provided below. GOAL Steps Sub-steps People and resources needed Measures of success Deadline For example 13

FSKLRG11 - Use routine strategies for work-related learning Learning barriers Not all approaches to learning and reaching your goals will be valuable. There will be strengths and limitations to every approach. You must be able to identify and leverage the strengths and ensure the limitations are not a barrier to your success. A strong approach is one that keeps you motivated and engaged and enables you to succeed with as little negative impact as possible. A limited approach is the opposite. For example, some people may find that setting a variety of goals helps them to stay excited and prevents boredom, while for others it just creates confusion and a lack of focus. Even the way you set goals can have limitations. While SMART is a great acronym to guide you, it is not a sure-fire method of success. The website below discusses the advantages and disadvantages of setting goals. https://www.theclassroom.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-goal-setting-5619267.html Identify potential barriers to learning When learning new skills, you will often encounter barriers to your learning. A barrier is anything that prevents, delays, or makes learning difficult. If you can identify these barriers before they become a problem, you can put strategies in place to better manage them and stay on track to achieve your goals. Some of the most common barriers to learning include: y Fear – fear of learning, fear of failure, fear of success, etc. y Stress or pressure to do everything right y Financial issues – may not be able to afford training, resources, books, etc. y Language, literacy and numeracy problems – difficulties with reading, writing, numbers, expressing your thoughts, etc. y Lack of knowledge or motivation for what you want to learn y Family or other commitments y Trauma – physical and emotional y Health issues y Learning difficulties y Disabilities. Learning Checkpoint 1 1. How does the phrase ‘to move outside your comfort zone’ relate to the learning process? 2. Why is it important for goals to be SMART? 3. What is the difference between a formal learning pathway and an informal learning pathway? 4. What is a learning barrier? Knowing what is holding you back from learning a new skill is the first step in overcoming it. The next step is to get help, from friends, family, your supervisor,health professional or other relevant people. These people will be able to help you to pinpoint exactly what barriers are holding you back and help to come up with some ideas to overcome these barriers and achieve your goals. From here, you will be able to start looking into some strategies that you can use to achieve your workrelated learning goals. 14

Use strategies for learning The previous section focused on exploring work-related goals and ways you might achieve them. This section will look at putting your plans and strategies into action. Select work-related goal You will now have a good idea of the things you need to learn to do your job and/or advance in your career. Remember, these goals may relate to task-specific skills or personal skills. Ensure that you have clearly defined your goals and written them down using the SMART principle as a guide. Some examples are shown below: ‘To learn how to write a standard operating procedure using the correct workplace format and terminology by the end of September.’ ‘To become an assistant manager in the warehouse by the end of the year.’ ‘To learn how to use a chainsaw to chop firewood safely and effectively by mid-autumn.’ ‘To fully understand and be able to use the company filing system at the end of the week.’ For example 15

FSKLRG11 - Use routine strategies for work-related learning Preferred approach to achieving work-related goals As mentioned earlier, different people need to use different approaches to achieve their goals. The strengths and limitations of approaches will depend on the strengths, weaknesses and needs you have as a learner. You must be able to identify and consider your strengths, weaknesses and needs when selecting learning options. SWOT analysis One way to do this is through a SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for: y Strengths y Weaknesses y Opportunities y Threats The technique is quite simple in that you brainstorm your current situation (strengths and weaknesses) and the external opportunities and threats of your goals and learning options. Some prompting questions may be used to assist you with brainstorming as many aspects as possible, as shown below. STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES y What do you do well? y How have you successfully learned things in the past? y What would other people say your strengths are? y What can you do better than anyone else? y What are your advantages? y What actions do you do well? y What positive traits to you have? y What sets you apart from others? y What do you need to improve on? y What don’t you do well? y What challenges or ‘failures’ have you faced in previous learning? y What are others likely to see as your weaknesses? y What are your negative traits? y What negative feedback about you (work ethic, abilities etc) have you received in the past? OPPORTUNITIES THREATS y What opportunities are open/available to you? y How could you turn your strengths into an opportunity? y What opportunities are there today? y Who can support/assist you? y Can you change or rearrange anything in your life or work schedule to make more time and space for learning? y What threats could affect you and stop you from reaching your goals? y What threats do your weaknesses expose you to? y Who/what could cause you problems? y What obstacles do you or will you face? y Are there any obligations or circumstances that may affect your ability to succeed? A SWOT analysis helps you to identify the skills you have and the skills you need to gain, and also helps you work out what things in your life could impact on your goals i.e. barriers. 16

Think about your goal from Activity 1. Follow the SWOT technique and relevant prompting questions listed above to analyse your current situation and the opportunities and threats that will impact on your goal. Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats LEARNING ACTIVITY 3 Complete a SWOT analysis 17

FSKLRG11 - Use routine strategies for work-related learning Address barriers to achieving learning goals Your learning barriers may be personal barriers, and there may be barriers that are specific to your workplace. In every case, you need to put strategies in place to address the barriers. The webpage below discusses some barriers to workplace learning and ways to overcome the barriers. https://www.talentlms.com/ebook/learner-engagement/learningbarriers#%3A~%3Atext%3DOpen%20plan%20offices%252 Personal barriers Many personal barriers are psychological, such as the fear of failure or sense of pressure to do everything right. It can be helpful to discuss these barriers with a close friend or mentor. It is very important to understand that making mistakes and reaching plateaus is part of learning. Try not to put unnecessary pressure on yourself. Other barriers are situational and will require time management and communication with the people around you. You may find that you are struggling to find enough time to study or practice new skills. If so, you must look at your schedule and see what tasks you can rearrange, delegate to someone else, ask for assistance with etc. What barriers are there to you achieving your goal from Activity 1? Using the Threats identified in Activity 2, as well as further brainstorming and discussion with your teacher, identify potential barriers and strategies to address them. Record your ideas below. Barrier Strategy LEARNING ACTIVITY 4 Learning barriers There is often a very simple strategy to overcome barriers, but sometimes it is hard to see it when you are the one dealing with it. So, talk to other people, they can often identify solutions to problems that may seem unsolvable to you. The class you want to take is on Friday afternoon from 1-5pm. If your barrier to learning is that you must pick your children up from school at 3.30pm, you could ask about after school care or have a relative or friend pick the children up from school. For example 18

Propose learning strategies Learning pathways describe the overall way in which you will gain the required skills and knowledge. Learning strategies are more targeted and personal and relate to the way in which you absorb and retain new information. Learning styles There are many websites and other sources that describe learning styles. These sources suggest that most people will use all the different learning styles, but there will be one that they find easiest and prefer. They will also say that it is important to determine your learning style as it will make learning easier if you can adopt it. y Visual (by the eyes) – this means you will learn better and remember the most if you see instruction. For example, your supervisor might show you how to use a piece of equipment. y Auditory (by the ears) – this means you will learn better and remember the most if you hear instruction. For example, your supervisor might tell you how to use a piece of equipment. y Kinaesthetics (by touching) – this means you will learn better and remember the most if you do the task. For example, your supervisor might show you how to use a piece of equipment and then you copy their actions. While these styles can be a bit of a guide, there is no real evidence that every person fits neatly into just one or two styles. In reality, the best learning happens by using a range of techniques and supports and as many of your senses as possible. Learning process The learning process for most people involves learning the general idea, then filling in extra details with additional learning. There are six useful learning strategies you can use to assist with your learning process and help you achieve your learning goals: Outline Divide Vary Incubate Revise Engage 19

FSKLRG11 - Use routine strategies for work-related learning Outline Outlining is where you start the learning process by looking at a basic summary of what you will be learning about. This gives you a framework of the basic learning you will be following, which allows you to then get additional details and see the full picture. The best way to use this strategy is to order your information from the most general information to the more detailed information, and work through them one by one. Divide When undertaking your learning, a good strategy is to divide larger learning tasks into a series of smaller tasks. You work through these smaller tasks, with a small break between them, allowing you to keep working for longer without burning out. Vary Try to vary your tasks as you are performing them. If you are doing the same thing for hours on end, you may start to lose concentration and interest. By changing your tasks every so often, usually from high concentration tasks to more routine ones, you will be able to introduce a bit of variety and increase your concentration and motivation. Incubate This strategy is useful when you have a problem that needs solving, or you are trying to read some information that you are having trouble with. When you get stuck on something for too long, leave it and move on to another task and then return to the original task later. This allows your brain time to process this new information, and when you go back to the first task, you may have a new insight into how to proceed. Revise Taking notes and reviewing them is one of the most helpful strategies for ensuring you retain the information that you have learned. By reviewing your notes, you will be remembering key information about the topic that you are learning which will help you store that information in your memory. Ensure you revise your notes soon after taking them. If you have used shorthand to take notes, it is recommended that you write them out again in full. This prevents you from forgetting what the shorthand meant as well as reinforces the information as you read and write it. Engage One of the best ways to learn new information is to read about it, and then put it to use. This strategy involves what is known as active studying. Active studying is essentially the process of doing more with the information you are reading, rather than just reading it. This means taking notes, highlighting relevant information, making charts or information graphs, or anything that involves taking the information and using it for another process. This will give you something to do while studying that won’t break your concentration and is more productive than just reading endless texts. The link below discusses other learning strategies you may find useful. https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/learning-strategies/ 20

Techniques to reinforce learning As well as these learning strategies applied at different stages of the learning process, you can apply a range of techniques to reinforce learning. These may include: Mnemonics – tools and triggers that help you to remember and recall information. There are many types of mnemonics, for example, using the first initials of a list of words to make an acronym or tell a story (e.g., Every Good Boy Deserves Fruit is a common mnemonic used in music theory; My Very Earnest Mother Just Served Us Nachos is a way to remember the names of the planets in our solar system). The webpage below discusses nine types of mnemonics that you may find useful. https://www.learningassistance.com/2006/january/mnemonics.html Visualising – creating a picture in your head of the information you are reading or listening to. Neuroscientists have shown that this stimulates neural pathways as effectively as if you were performing a task and helps you to understand concepts and accelerate your learning. The link below discusses different visualisation exercises you might like to try out. https://videomaker.simpleshow.com/visualization-improve-speedunderstanding/ Rehearsing – ‘practice makes perfect’. Practising a task or repeating information over and over actually stimulates your brain to lay down new neural pathways, form stronger connections between neurons and makes performing a task easier and easier. It is the way that habits are formed. When someone says that something has become ‘second nature’ it means that the brain has such a strong neural pathway for the task that a person no longer needs to think through each step of the task. Summarising or explaining to someone else When you explain a concept or show someone else how to do a task, you can identify if there are any gaps in your knowledge and reinforce the information you have retained. Tools to support learning As well as strategies and techniques, you may need to use different tools to support your learning process. Learning tools include things like: y dictionaries and glossaries y filing systems y reference materials, textbooks, etc. y fact sheets y videos. These may be tools you have developed or found for your personal use, or ones supplied by your workplace or teacher. 21

FSKLRG11 - Use routine strategies for work-related learning Identify and access a range of reliable support resources You are more likely to succeed in your learning and achieve your goals if you have the right support. Support resources may include some of the tools discussed above, as well as individuals, organisations or information sources relevant to your learning needs. Whatever support resources you use, it is important that they be reliable. Reliability For an individual or organisation, reliability means they are available when you need them. It means they have the skills, knowledge and experience you can draw on to help you in your learning. It may be that they are an experienced work mate who has been doing the work task for a long time. Or they may be a teacher or trainer who understands the learning process and can help you to identify and implement the best learning strategies. For an information source, reliability refers to the accuracy, validity and credibility of the information. The internet, in particular, has endless sources of information, but not all of them are valid. When finding out information from a website or book, you need to work out if: y it is based in fact or opinion y the author/s have relevant qualifications and experience y it is relevant to your learning needs and specific context. 22

Support for LLN If you have challenges with language, literacy or numeracy, there are many different support services available to assist you. There may be an LLN specialist in your workplace or training organisation or you can access a third party service. Many such services are listed at the Reading Writing Hotline webpage below. https://www.readingwritinghotline.edu.au What can you use to help you in your learning? Think about the weaknesses you identified in Activity 2. What tools, techniques and supports can you use to improve in your weak areas? Record your ideas below. Weaknesses Tools, techniques, supports LEARNING ACTIVITY 5 Tools, techniques and supports 23

FSKLRG11 - Use routine strategies for work-related learning Create a learning plan You have now identified and defined your learning goals, selected a suitable learning pathway, considered the barriers that may hold you back from success and discovered a range of tools, techniques and supports to help you achieve your goals. It is now time to put this all together in a formal learning plan. Creating a learning plan has benefits such as: y it gives you clearer ideas about the life you want to live y it gives you greater confidence in your own choices y it will place you in a better position to compete for jobs y you will be more able to discuss your personal and professional qualities y it will help you develop positive attitudes and approaches. The learning plan will detail all the information that you need throughout your learning process. The plan should include: y your goals y a timeline y potential resources you can use y your skills y areas you want to improve on y strategies to help your learning process. You can also include future estimations of where you would like your progress to be, up to completion, and then follow this learning plan throughout your learning process, adapting it and adding to it as you progress. There is no standard format for a learning plan. Your workplace or training organisation may have a template you could use, or you could find one online, or make your own. A learning plan template may look like the example below. 24

PERSONAL LEARNING PLAN Learning goal/s: Gap/s in knowledge/skills: Actions Target date Date completed Criteria for success: Barriers to learning Management strategy Learning tools, techniques and supports: Further development: For example You may wish to add details such as your name, your teacher or work supervisor’s name and contact details, name or description of the formal learning pathway (e.g., the qualification or name of the course you are undertaking), or anything else that will help you communicate and monitor your plan. 25

FSKLRG11 - Use routine strategies for work-related learning Does your organisation have a formal learning plan template or preferred format? Do some research to find out and record your findings below. You may wish to attach a copy of a formal learning plan. Some ideas to help you: y Ask your workplace supervisor y Contact the Human Resources department for assistance y Is there a dedicated crew trainer or Learning and Development Manager who could assist you? y Does your teacher or faculty head use a formal learning plan for classes or individuals? My findings: ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... LEARNING ACTIVITY 6 Learning plans Learning Checkpoint 2 1. Why is it important to be aware of your current skills and knowledge? 2. What does SWOT stand for? 3. What techniques can be used to reinforce learning? List four examples. 4. What does reliability mean in regard to support resources? 5. What information should be included in a formal learning plan? List six important items. 26

Review your own learning progress After putting your learning plan into action, you need to monitor your progress. Reviewing your learning progress involves comparing the skills and knowledge you have gained so far with the planned goals, reflecting on the actions you have taken and their outcomes, and identifying where improvements can be made. Monitor plan progress As you reach your milestones and progress through your learning, you need to monitor your progress to ensure you are heading in the right direction. You will be monitoring whether you are keeping up with the timelines you set, whether your skills are improving, and whether you are making clear progress toward your end goal. Reflect on actions and outcomes No one can read your mind. Your supervisor or colleague may be able to see when you can perform a task to a certain standard, but they won’t necessarily be able to tell if you have acquired the underpinning knowledge or if you have managed to stay on track toward all your learning goals. This is why you need to monitor your own progress actively and regularly. Ask yourself the following questions to review your progress against the plan. Review your progress against planned outcomes Did I complete milestones on time? Were the resources I needed available? Did I use the support resources effectively? Have I closed the gap/s in my skills and knowledge? How well did I manage problems and barriers? Did I learn from my mistakes? Did I identify my strengths and weaknesses accurately? Could I have done anything safer, faster, better? 27

FSKLRG11 - Use routine strategies for work-related learning Identify options for improvement By gathering information through self-assessment and feedback, you can identify gaps and opportunities for improvement. Planned goal IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITY Actual outcome Wherever there is a difference between the planned goal and the actual outcome, there is an option for improvement. Opportunities for improvement may apply to every stage of the exploration, planning and implementation of your learning pathway, all of which may suggest a need to adapt your formal learning plan. y You may not have accurately identified your strengths and weaknesses, which resulted in not having the right tools or supports for your learning. y Your original goal may have been too ambitious or your deadline for completion too optimistic, resulting in falling behind your planned deadline. y You may even have set goals or deadlines that were too easy, resulting in you losing motivation because you had no real sense of achievement. For example Whatever the case, it is essential to identify where and how to adapt your learning plan to ensure you achieve your learning goals. Improvements through PDCA The Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle is a problem solving and continuous improvement method that can be used for all workplace and personal improvements. 1. Plan Identify your improvement goals by finding the gaps between the planned and actual outcomes. Determine the ways you can achieve those goals (e.g. asking others to coach you, finding better supports, etc.). 2. Do Complete the actions you identify during planning. Try out the new supports. Spend more time with your coach. Practice the skills and apply the knowledge. 3. Check Perform the same checks and assessments as you did before. Ask for feedback on your performance. 4. Act Use the feedback and the results of checks and self-assessments to identify where you have improved and where you still have gaps in your skills and knowledge. 1 PLAN CHECK DO ACT 3 2 4 28

Seek feedback An advantage of work-related learning is that your supervisor or other relevant personnel can assist you with monitoring your progress. This can be done by discussing some key points with them, such as: y Are your goals still current? y Are you moving towards your goals? y Is there any advice given by your support person? y Are there any recommendations for assistance? When you ask for feedback, expect honest responses and respect the responses given. Don’t react defensively; but with an attitude that reflects a desire to learn. Ask for information on specific situations (e.g. you may ask what you did well or poorly when using a new piece of equipment or interacting with a customer etc.). Feedback is an essential tool in gauging both what you are doing well and what you could be doing better. If you receive negative feedback from an experienced and respected person, you should view it as constructive. It is an opportunity for you to grow and evolve both professionally and personally. Feedback in the workplace may be formal or informal. Formal feedback Formal feedback may be given to you in a performance review or meeting with your supervisor. Your supervisor will usually tell you what you are doing well, and where they feel you could improve. If there are no performance reviews in your workplace, you may need to actively seek out feedback from your supervisor. Examples of formal feedback include: y surveys y feedback forms y peer analysis y performance reviews. Informal feedback Examples of informal feedback include: y direct questioning y probing during conversation y analysing the success of relationships. Informal feedback can also be useful in identifying gaps, but it should be validated before you act on it. For example, a fellow worker may mention that you are a bit slow when entering data into a spreadsheet. You would first evaluate this information by asking yourself the following questions: y How experienced is the person giving me feedback? y How closely do I work with them? y Has this person observed my performance over time, or have they made a snap judgement? y Do other workers have the same opinion? y Does this feedback relate to any formal feedback I have received? If you think the feedback is valuable, you should take it on board and adapt your activities accordingly. 29

FSKLRG11 - Use routine strategies for work-related learning Effective feedback For feedback to be effective, it needs to be: Specific Feedback should be relevant to the information provided. Timely Collect feedback as soon as possible. Feedback provided at the wrong time may be more harmful than helpful. Descriptive Provide facts when giving feedback and ensure that you are getting the facts when receiving feedback. Sensitive If emotions become heated, make sure that you provide a cooling off period before you address the individual. Ask for a break if you feel yourself getting upset when receiving feedback. Do some breathing exercises and come back when you are feeling calm again. Framing feedback as an opportunity for learning and improvement, rather than as a mark against your character, will help you to view feedback in a positive light and help to avoid becoming too emotional. If the feedback is negative, ensure that you provide opportunities for the individual to make improvements and that they have goals to aim for. Constructive feedback is the best type of feedback, as it will explain what is working and what isn’t as well as providing you with ideas for potential solutions to fix what isn’t working. 30

Further learning and training As you are working towards your goals, be on the lookout for anything that could help to expand your learning and provide you with further training. This could be specialist fields within the industry that you are learning about or some additional information that could help you to improve some of your weaker skills. Future learning and training could be achieved by: y seeking formal education towards a qualification y undertaking professional development y joining an industry association y reading industry magazines or subscribing to a newsletter. Apply the same exploration and planning methods to identify areas for further learning and training as you did for planning and reviewing your formal learning plan. Work-related competencies You may wish to assess your skills and knowledge against the competencies required for your current or desired job. Relevant competencies are the tasks, duties or Key Selection Criteria listed in a position description or job advertisement. Competencies are also described in Units of Competency within qualifications and nationally recognised skill sets. Depending on your learning pathway or preferred career direction, you may use one or a combination of these to identify the skills, knowledge, and attributes you need and assess if you have them or need to develop them. Using checklists Checklists may be a simple format where you tick yes or no against listed skills and qualities. Yes No Practical skills Typing Searching the internet Answering the telephone Scheduling Personal Skills Can solve problems Good communication skills Teamwork Attributes Honest Reliable Organised 31

FSKLRG11 - Use routine strategies for work-related learning They may also involve giving yourself a rating, e.g. 1 = low level of skill; 5 = highly skilled, and then identifying any skill gaps. SELF-ASSESSMENT FOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICER POSITION Tasks to be completed in job role Skills required to be competent Required skill level Current skill level Skill gaps identified Maintaining and updating company databases y Typing with speed and accuracy y Using Excel spreadsheets 5 3 Have only limited experience with Excel Formatting documents, reports and presentations y Using Microsoft Word y Reading and following style guide 4 4 Booking meeting rooms, printing and photocopying y Using business technology y Reading and transferring company schedules 5 2 Have only used a home printer and paper-based diary If you are assessing your skills against a job description, you could create your own list or simply print out the job description and use a highlighter to mark off the skills you need. If you are assessing your abilities against a unit of competency or qualification, you could print the unit and highlight skills; or, you could search training organisation websites for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) self-assessments for the relevant unit. (Note: Some organisations may refer to Recognition of Current Competency). These self-assessments will also prompt you to think about the evidence you could provide to show how you have developed and maintained the relevant competency. The following link provides an RPL kit for the Certificate III in Business Administration qualification. See pages 18 to 42 for examples of self-assessments for units of competency. https://tlctrainingsolutions.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/RPL-Candidate-Kit-CertificateIII-in-Business-Administration-V1.0-13-01-2017.pdf 32

Think about how you have progressed through this unit of competency. Have you achieved your learning goals or made successful steps towards them? Using the questions below as a prompt, as well as discussion with your teacher or workplace supervisor, reflect on your learning and identify options for improvement. 1. What was the original goal for this unit of competency? What did you want to achieve by completing it? ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 2. Did you accurately identify the gaps in your skills and knowledge before starting this training? What areas could be better defined? ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 3. What learning strategies, techniques, tools and supports did you use? How could you have used them more effectively? Are there any better ones to use? ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4. How have you used feedback from others to help you in your learning? ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5. What further study or practice should you do before commencing your assessment tasks for this unit? ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. LEARNING ACTIVITY 7 Reviewing learning progress Learning Checkpoint 3 1. Why is it important to review your learning progress against the plan? 2. What methods can you use to monitor your progress? Give two examples. 3. What is an opportunity for improvement? 4. How can you avoid getting upset when receiving negative feedback? 33

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