The COVID-19 pandemic brought a significant shift towards online delivery in vocational education and training (VET). This transition provided an opportunity to explore effective teaching practices and student support services in online VET. A recent research study investigated the characteristics of online delivery across various qualifications and identified key themes of good practice.
Exploring Effective Teaching Practices and Student Support Services
The findings highlight the importance of simplicity, engagement, communication, flexibility, and personalised student support. However, some qualifications, particularly foundation skills and trade programs, showed mixed views on the suitability of online delivery.
Let’s delve deeper into the study’s findings.
Simplifying Online Learning Clear and Consistent Approach
Effective online VET requires clear, concise instructions, user-friendly technology, and easily navigable course materials. These elements facilitate self-paced learning and ensure students can easily understand and complete their assignments.
Varied and Engaging Learning Materials
Engagement plays a crucial role in online education. Training providers employ diverse learning materials to enhance student involvement, including written content, videos, quizzes, collaboration spaces, images/diagrams, and practical tasks. Adapting these materials to suit online delivery presents challenges that trainers must address, considering diverse learning styles, digital literacy levels, and industry expectations.
Communication and Engagement Strategies
Overcoming learner isolation is essential in online education. Training providers employ various communication and engagement strategies to build relationships and foster participation. These include incorporating personal stories, organising regular meetings, utilising interactive elements, and involving students in learning.
Flexibility for Individual Needs
One of the main advantages of online VET is flexibility. Trainers accommodate students’ work schedules and personal commitments by scheduling live training sessions. Additionally, they adjust due dates and offer alternative options to ensure students can successfully complete their courses.
Proactive and Personalised Student Support
Student support services are crucial for online learners. Identifying students who require additional support in the online environment can be challenging. Training providers employ various methods, including pre-enrolment questionnaires, observation, communication, and monitoring through the learning management system (LMS). Best practice student support is individualised, flexible, and proactive, addressing students’ unique needs.
Divergent Views on Online Delivery
While online VET has demonstrated effectiveness across various qualifications, there are divergent views on the suitability of online delivery for foundation skills and trade programs.
- Foundation Skills: Many training providers expressed reservations about online foundation skills training. Challenges such as building rapport, monitoring practical tasks, inadequate digital literacy, and limited access to technology were cited as reasons for its unsuitability. However, some providers have successfully implemented online self-paced models tailored to the specific needs of their students.
- Trade Programs: The suitability of online delivery for trade qualifications, like the Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician, sparked differing opinions. Some providers delivered the theoretical components online but conducted practical training on-campus with trainer support. Others argued that online delivery could never replace the workshop experience, while a few successfully combined online theory with workplace-based practical training.
The research study emphasises the importance of effective teaching practices and student support services in facilitating successful online VET delivery. Key themes emerged: simplicity, engagement, communication, flexibility, and personalised support. While online delivery has proven effective across a range of qualifications, the suitability of online delivery for foundation skills and trade programs remains a topic of debate. The findings highlight the need for flexibility, innovation, and tailored approaches to meet the diverse needs of students and industry requirements in the online VET landscape.
