Australian TAFE Assessment Practices: Confusing Relevance and Responsiveness

Abstract

There are two contrasting world views discernible in contemporary Australian government skill-formation literature: one which recognises the need for the development of underlying cognitive structures and interpersonal attributes for the workplace; and one which values the development of pre-specified observable skills, as in competency-based training. This study examines TAFE assessment practices across Australia, as an indicator of the extent to which each view is represented in practice. The study found that, for initial vocational courses, some practices accord more with the latter world view than with the former; but, for non-vocational courses, there was a greater balance in approaches to assessment and relatively more emphasis on assessing some increasingly important workplace attributes. The implications of some current practices are that TAFE graduates entering the workforce may be inept when required to adapt, solve problems or innovate.