Building Connections

The course consists of a range of topics from which learning programs will be developed. Learning programs will address both the compulsory topics, and optional topics selected to meet the specific needs of individual learners. The sequence in which topics are delivered and assessed is not prescribed. It is not intended that each topic and/or its sub-topics be delivered and assessed as discreet or separate ‘units’. Concurrent delivery and assessment will occur when there are obvious connections between topics/sub-topics. 

Compulsory Topics:

• interpersonal communication
• reading and writing
• working with numbers
• education and employment options.

Optional Topics (select at least 2):

• functional relationships
• self-esteem
• health and well-being
• basic computer use
• community engagement 
• time/task management.

Learners will develop two core skill sets within the context of both compulsory and optional topics:

• basic problem solving skills
• finding information.

This course is designed to provide learners with fundamental skills for life and understanding of social behaviours, the lack of which may have contributed to their cessation of schooling and education.    

Learners may have been disengaged for short or long terms. Some learners may have specific learning needs and/or other barriers that have interfered with a regular educational pathway. 

This course is suitable for learners who need to develop very basic literacy and numeracy skills, generic social skills, and acceptable social behaviours that will advance opportunities for their future, both as citizens and potential employees. 

This course aims to assist young people to re-engage with education and training and to identify employment options. It aims to help young people who have not completed, or are at risk of not completing compulsory schooling to make the transition back to education/training.

While it will require course participants to consider employment and career options, it is not designed as a preparation for employment course. Its primary focus is development of the skills and behaviours that support young people in successfully participating in education and training.

On successful completion of this course, learners will be able to:

1. interact with others on everyday matters in a way that contributes to sustaining positive relationships
2. understand the personal and contextual factors that contribute to successful learning in an education institution
3. understand the impact that various choices have on personal success in education
4. identify positive and realistic education and employment options for themselves
5. apply basic learning skills of reading and writing
6. apply basic mathematical skills of calculation and measurement in real life situations
7. listen, evaluate and appropriately respond to guidance and direction from authority figures
8. deal with conflict situations by using strategies that are acceptable to both parties
9. apply basic problem solving skills to real life situations
10. apply basic skills to locate information.

This course has a level of complexity preliminary to that of Level 1. 

This course has a size value of 10. 

Tasmanian Certificate of Education: Qualifications gained in this course have a level of complexity preliminary to that of Level 1. Achievement of a qualification does not, therefore, contribute credit points towards meeting the participation and achievement standard of the Tasmanian Certificate of Education qualification.

Qualifications Certificate: Qualifications gained in this course can be listed on the Qualifications Certificate issued by TASC.

Methods of delivering the learning program will be flexible and designed around the needs of the participants. This will include a primary focus on individuals, but be within a group context. Wherever possible, delivery will engage the participants with relevant others: their family; community service personnel; or representatives from education and training institutions. 

Much of the knowledge and skill development will be structured around the completion of practical, real-world tasks. Wherever possible participants will be encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning program. People delivering the course will have a background in working with young people and training in youth work, social work, education, or other relevant fields. 

Learners will: 

• participate in classes and group learning activities
• complete individual research
• engage in work placement (where appropriate)
• join excursions and off-campus activities.

Basic Problem Solving Skills

Learners will gain understanding of simple problem solving skills and strategies (e.g. identify problem; look at possible solutions; make decision; implement decision and evaluate). These skills and strategies will be applied to real life situations and be contextualised within the topics of this course.

Finding Information

Learners will gain understanding of simple skills and strategies for the location of information they require (e.g. phrasing questions to gain the required information, and using simple internet search strategies). These skills and strategies will be applied to real life situations and be contextualised within the topics of this course.

Programs of learning will be developed from the four (4) compulsory topics and at least two (2) of the optional topics:

COMPULSORY TOPICS:
Interpersonal Communication

Learning activities and assessment will address the following sub-topics. Additional sub-topics may be addressed:

• active listening 
• respect for others’ point of view
• basic conflict resolution strategies 
• contributing to group discussion 
• clear meaning – in speaking and listening 
• body language. 

Reading and Writing 

Learning activities and assessment will address the following sub-topics. Additional sub-topics may be addressed:

• reading for everyday use (e.g. signs, recipes, advertisements, messages, maps)
• completing forms (e.g. employment forms, government forms such as TFN applications, time sheets)
• reading simple work-place documents (e.g. signs, simple procedures)
• reading for pleasure (e.g. magazines, interactive webpages, graphic novels)
• writing for everyday purposes (e.g. notes, simple messages, addressing an envelope).

Working with Numbers 

Learning activities and assessment will address the following sub-topics. Additional sub-topics may be addressed:

• understanding place value in whole numbers (e.g. reading, naming and writing whole numbers, comparing whole numbers)
• using money amounts (e.g. comparing values, rounding to nearest 5 cents)
• performing simple calculations with whole numbers and money amounts (e.g. totalling measurements of costs, calculating unused materials or change, budgeting)
• recognising common fractions, decimals and percentages, and their relation to each other (e.g. ½ = 0.5 = 50%)
• using calculators in simple calculations
• recognising basic metric units of measurement for length, area, mass and volume
• describing the difference between types of measure (e.g. length vs area)
• using basic measurement equipment (e.g. tape measure, scales, measuring cup)
• estimating and checking solutions.

Education and Employment Options

Learning activities and assessment will address the following sub-topics. Additional sub-topics may be addressed:

• preferred learning styles 
• education/training choices
• learning gained from non-institutional settings
• how to determine suitable employment options
• paid and volunteer work 
• what do employers expect of employees
• appropriate attitudes in relation to work ethics and habits
• workplace learning experiences available in the community. 

OPTIONAL TOPICS (SELECT AT LEAST TWO (2)):

Functional Relationships

Learning activities and assessment will address the following sub-topics. Additional sub-topics may be addressed:

• assertive communication 
• conflict resolution 
• dealing with negative behaviour 
• qualities of friendships and other types of relationships 
• respect for the feelings of others 
• strategies to cope with changing relationships. 

Self-esteem

Learning activities and assessment will address the following sub-topics. Additional sub-topics may be addressed:

• self-awareness
• strengths and weaknesses
• coping strategies 
• trying new activities. 

Health and Well-being

Learning activities and assessment will address the following sub-topics. Additional sub-topics may be addressed:

• safe living practices 
• risk taking behaviour 
• protective behaviour 
• sources of reliable advice and support 
• workplace health and safety roles and responsibilities
• dealing with unforeseen circumstances and incidents.

Basic Computer Use

Learning activities and assessment will address the following sub-topics. Additional sub-topics may be addressed:

• creating, saving and opening simple files
• word processing
• using the internet (e.g. safe use of social media)
• emails intended for an individual recipient with no attachments.

Community Engagement 

Learning activities and assessment will address the following sub-topics. Additional sub-topics may be addressed:

• what makes communities work 
• what do young people expect from their communities 
• what can they contribute to their communities 
• what services are available. 

Time/Task Management 

Learning activities and assessment will address the following sub-topics. Additional sub-topics may be addressed:

• working out how long a task is likely to take 
• identifying the factors that influence staying on task 
• taking responsibility for own ability to commit to and complete tasks 
• completing tasks in a given time frame.

Assessment will be based on two forms of evidence: a general collection of learners’ responses to a range of assessment tasks; and a compulsory Personal Development Profile.

General Assessment Tasks

Providers will set a range of assessment tasks that provide evidence of learner achievement against the award standards identified in this course document. Assessment tasks may include, but are not limited to:

• questions requiring a short written answer
• questions requiring an oral response
• discussions 
• production of items
• practical demonstration of skills
• participation in group activities.

Providers will maintain records of the achievement demonstrated by each learner in each assessment task. 

Personal Development Profile

Each learner – in collaboration with a significant other appointed by the provider – will create a Personal Development Profile. A ‘significant other’ may be a learner’s teacher, course facilitator, case-worker or case manager. The Profile will consist of four parts:

• a self-evaluation made by the learner at the start of the program
• an evaluation of the learner made by the significant other at the start of the program
• a self-evaluation made by the learner at the end of the program
• an evaluation of the learner made by the significant other at the end of the program.

Each evaluation will focus on the learner’s: 

• understanding of the personal and contextual factors that contribute to successful learning in an education institution 
• understanding of the impact that various choices have on personal success in education
• identification of positive and realistic education and employment options for themselves.

The learner’s self-evaluation may be in a variety of forms such as:

• word lists or short paragraphs
• recorded oral responses (e.g. digital recording of actual words, notations made by another person of the learner’s oral responses)
• collections of images and/or words collected from magazines, the internet etc.

The significant other’s self-evaluation may be in a variety of forms such as:

• a formal written report
• a collection of notes
• a digital recording.

The Personal Development Profile will provide evidence of whether or not the learner has met the following specified standards. The learner’s self-evaluations will be used as evidence of the self-awareness implicit in these standards:

Preliminary Achievement standard element: 

• lists some of the main factors that have impacted on their own success in education, including their own actions.

Satisfactory Achievement standard elements:

• lists the basic personal and contextual factors that contribute to success in their education
• identifies their own preferred style and context of learning
• identifies the main barriers to their own learning. 

The following processes will be facilitated by TASC to ensure there is:

• a match between the standards for achievement specified in the course and the skills and knowledge demonstrated by learners
• community confidence in the integrity and meaning of the qualification.

Building Connections (with the award of):

PRELIMINARY ACHIEVEMENT   (PA)

SATISFACTORY ACHIEVEMENT  (SA)

The Department of Education’s Curriculum Services will develop and regularly revise the curriculum. This evaluation will be informed by the experience of the course’s implementation, delivery and assessment.

In addition, stakeholders may request Curriculum Services to review a particular aspect of an accredited course.

Requests for amendments to an accredited course will be forwarded by Curriculum Services to the Office of TASC for formal consideration.

Such requests for amendment will be considered in terms of the likely improvements to the outcomes for learners, possible consequences for delivery and assessment of the course, and alignment with Australian Curriculum materials.

A course is formally analysed prior to the expiry of its accreditation as part of the process to develop specifications to guide the development of any replacement course.

Version 1 – Accredited on 4 December 2013. This course replaces Building Connections (PRE008108) that expired on 4 August 2013.