November 2005

1. Blake's Parliamentary Listed Developing SolutionsFrom a e-vocational perspectivePerformance Based testing (Practical Competence)R SmartManaging Director PaperFree Systems Ltd Providing E-Vocational Technology Since 1996 November 2005

2. What are the real Issues! • Technology? • Access, Platform (web verses stand alone), Skill Set of Users. • Cognitive Understanding? • How do I use it?, Ingrained Mindset!! • Ability to Assess? • Most, if any have been taught to assess in the first place, Auditor mentality! • Ability to e-Assess? • Different Skills, What is e-assessment in a vocational context? • Ability to change? • Tough Nut if the workplace wont adapt! • Battle the change mentality? • Management verses Practicality! • Candidates? • Still have same issues as before . . . Enthusiasm! • Software Dynamics and Flexibility? • Needs to be broad, needs to be Easy for the right people! • Just because it can, then it must? • Perceptions verses Practicality. IT’S A NEW JOB!DIFFERENT SKILLS!

3. What did we have to do to make it work. • Accept that the weakest link (IT) is the Assessors, Internal Verifiers and External Verifiers. Anything that needs good IT skills to use, then staff have major issues more so than the candidates. • Candidates should be removed from the bureaucracy in lower level awards (1,2 and 3). This should include portfolio building if necessary. (meeting the needs of the candidates must come first, and not pushed through a process!) • Assessors must be re-trained to think and assess correctly and dynamically. We have retrained over 2,400 assessors in electronic assessment awareness. Accept that some can’t change! • Support the External Verifiers (AEV, A/Bodies). Hold Workshops • Inspectors must not impose own standards on inspection (ingrained mindset again!). Personal preference must be eradicated. (fit for purpose must prevail) • Systems should be fit for purpose, Web verses Stand Alone. (we have both systems, but clients (98%) opt for Stand Alone for flexibility in these lower skill areas), Higher Skills 4+ web no problem! • 5 Systems are needed to cover all commercial and educational requirements. • Non-web, Web, On-line/off-line, Developmental creator and PDA for portability.

4. What are the results (2001 – 05) • 100,000 candidates • 2,600 Assessors • 200 centres / clients (98% S/Alone) • 9 different countries including National European Pilot. • 452 Occupational Areas • Levels 1 – 5, Key skills, Basic Skills, GCSE’s, Betec Awards, VRQ’s and RVQ’s, ITQ’s etc • Over 820 e-assessment training days delivered. • Software Knowledge and Assessment Knowledge must be combined • System has gone through 27 revisions since 2001, due to compliance and development. • Cost of development approx £2.4 million and 28,000 development Hours. • Results: • An Average of 91% retention and Achievement across the board. • Some have achieved 100% for 4 years running! • Achievement in approximately 61% of the time of a traditional delivery model. • Some can complete in 25% of the time (Quality improved as well!) • National Care Pilot 88% Achievement, Level 2 in 4 months (average) • Early Years 31/33 and 79/82 (lv 2 and some Lv2 and 3 in 12 months) • Of the 25 Providers 19 + 95% (1 provider dragged rest down!) • Higher Grades in FE. No Portfolio time, in College delivery (UPK)

5. Summary How Efficient will the centre be? Must fill the Holes! • Only as good as the the weakest link. • You must address all the issues. It is a completely new skill and use of technology. • You must understand the Process as well as the technology needed or it fails. • Product must be Assessor / Verifier Friendly First. • System needs cross process use or a provider could end up with many systems to cover all their approvals / inspection requirements.

6. Blake's Parliamentary Listed Developing SolutionsFrom a e-vocational perspectiveR SmartManaging Director PaperFree Systems Ltd Providing E-Vocational Technology Since 1996 November 2005