Motivating and developing staff

Focus of Coventry Adult Education Service’s programme to motivate and develop tutors and line managers in the implementation of RARPA

Coventry Adult Education Service, RARPA – Motivating and developing staff- February 2006

Introduction

When the Service began to plan for RARPA we were confident that we could build on existing good practice. We established a core development group consisting of the Head of Service, the Staff Development Officer and curriculum leaders from targeted curriculum areas.

The curriculum areas identified for RARPA development were Sport and Leisure, Special Interest courses, Visual and Performing Arts, Languages and Personal Development. While RARPA was relevant to other curriculum areas, they already had existing methods that met the requirements of the Staged Process.

The core group spent invaluable initial thinking time which was crucial to making good decisions about implementation. We started by mapping the Staged Process against our existing practice and this helped us to review our current procedures and re-examine them as a whole. Then we grappled with familiar issues: these included re-thinking the educational language of aims and objectives and how to explain educational jargon in tutor-friendly language; the practicalities of recording; how to introduce non-bureaucratic processes that would really benefit tutors and learners; how proposed procedures related to existing ones; the difficulty of capturing feedback and soft outcomes; how to administer RARPA and use it in quality processes. We really believed that RARPA could underpin good educational practice, and benefit tutors and learners.

The Service ensures that all tutors have a line manager with expertise in their curriculum area, and the line manager's role was crucial in supporting tutors and monitoring RARPA processes. Our staff development support programme for tutors and line managers has had this role as its central focus.

As the process rolled out, each new group of people needed time to think through the key issues for themselves. Line managers found that RARPA had to take its place among their many responsibilities, and tutors, often teaching only one or two classes a week, needed time to see RARPA as being at the heart of their teaching practice, rather than just another piece of paper to complete.

Main messages from the Service to staff, and methods we used to motivate and develop staff

We identified tutors and line managers as being crucial to the successful implementation of RARPA. We knew that many of our tutors were already recording and recognising progress and achievement in their record-keeping and feedback to learners. We approached RARPA positively by :

  • Valuing the professional skills and attitudes of all our tutors
  • Building on existing good tutor practice in recognising and recording the progress of individual learners. The development of our methods grew out of methods tutors found worked for them and their learners. Those tutors later helped us introduce RARPA across the service
  • Involving line managers in working with tutors to promote consistent procedures, and encouraging them to see RARPA as an integral part of quality development.

Alongside the national aims for RARPA as a fit-for-purpose, non-bureaucratic process to support quality development, our strategy for developing RARPA methods was also underpinned by the following additional principles which enhanced staff motivation:

  • RARPA methods should demonstrate and support professional teaching skills
  • RARPA should be a means of enabling tutors to develop the quality of teaching and learning and would be used by the service as a quality tool
  • RARPA should be about dialogue between tutors and learners
  • RARPA should be an important method of providing evidence achievement within the Service, as well as to external bodies.

The Staff Development Process

The development and introduction of RARPA processes occurred in a series of phases. All workshops and training sessions were held in well-appointed venues, which showed the importance the Service attached to RARPA.

Phase One

Workshops paired fifteen line managers with tutors, who had been identified as operating good practice, to understand the Staged Process, share the variety of methods used to record progress and achievement across a range of curriculum areas, and to relate them to the Staged Process.

Tutors' involvement in the RARPA development workshops was a positive recognition that they had good practice to contribute, which was made explicit in relation to the Staged Process. (It also highlighted when the Staged Process was not being evidenced). With their line managers they developed methods to fully meet the requirements of the Staged Process. A range of methods were distilled into two main models: an Individual Learning Plan and Initial Assessment form, and a grid to record tutor evaluation of group progress, and learner feedback. These models were included in a Guide for Tutors and Line Manager (version 1), along with many examples of evaluation methods.

Outcome – Guide for Tutors and Line Managers containing a range of methods was distilled from workshops

Phase Two

Methods developed in Phase 1 and contained in the Guide (Version 1) were introduced to a wider group of 25 tutors and line managers in a workshop, and subsequently trialed and evaluated by them. Tutors and line managers within different curriculum areas developed methods which were customised for different groups of courses.

Outcome – Guide for Tutors and Line Managers was finalized. (See attached)

Phase Three

Introduction to the whole Service

A series of training sessions were arranged to introduce RARPA to all line managers and tutors in curriculum areas which did not have existing methods of recognising and recording progress and achievement. The training embodied very positive messages about RARPA from the management of the Service. One session was provided specifically for line managers. This was followed by a series of sessions for tutors and line managers. (A total of 21 line managers and 106 tutors attended these meetings).

The training sessions consisted of a general introduction to RARPA and the Staged Process: curriculum leaders, and tutors who had participated in the development phases provided a range of examples of good practice. The RARPA Guide for Tutors and Line Managers was introduced to all participants. At the meeting for line managers issues for working to support tutors in implementing the process were discussed and addressed. At the tutor meetings, tutors worked with line managers in their own curriculum area to develop their own methods of recording. Tutors who had participated in the developmental phases contributed very positively to these meetings. They emphasised the fact that the process had helped them to focus more closely on the individual needs of the learners in their classes. They were able to see more clearly the links between the aims and objectives for their course and lesson plans; the aims of individual learners ascertained through initial assessment; and on-going dialogue with learners.

Issues from the training sessions were followed up as agenda items in Adult Education Team meetings, and at the annual September Tutor Induction meetings. Through these means everyone in the Service was made aware of RARPA requirements and processes.

Phase Four

Monitoring implementation since September 2005

The core RARPA group continues to meet as a steering group, to monitor the implementation of RARPA, to ensure consistent implementation, to support curriculum groups and to establish a coherent fit-for-purpose whole-service approach which focuses on the quality of teaching and learning as well as on audit requirements.

Curriculum groups have the main responsibility for monitoring the implementation of RARPA in their area of learning. Line managers monitor and support tutors via line management and the observation process. Each curriculum group reports back to the steering group on their processes and issues arising, and identifies any further staff development or support required.

Our RARPA processes and procedures have now been summarised in a short document sent out to all managers in the Service, and to all tutors required to implement RARPA, as presented on the following page.

Further developments

Since the original RARPA processes were introduced, the Service has been involved in a NIACE-funded Round 3 e-learning TrEACL project, which has been piloting the use of technology to record learner progress and achievement in curriculum areas which are implementing RARPA. The project, which has focused on the uses of visual and audio recording equipment to record both learner achievement and learner feedback, and the use of a Quizdom interactive voting system, is currently being evaluated. One aspect of the evaluation will focus on the feasibility and effectiveness of incorporating non paper-based RARPA recording methods.

Currently the Service is also developing a virtual learning environment (VLE), which, once fully operational, is likely to bring benefits for both tutors and learners in terms of further enhancing and refining RARPA principles and practice.

Coventry Adult Education Service, RARPA – Motivating and developing staff- February 2006

Coventry City Council

Adult Education Service

February 2006

RARPA Procedures and Processes

The RARPA process is applicable to all courses offered by the Adult Education Service which are non-accredited (ie do not lead to a qualification)

Responsibilities regarding the RARPA process:

  • Monitoring the progress of RARPA and acting upon the information received is the responsibility of the relevant curriculum groups
  • It is the responsibility of Line Managers to monitor individual tutors and be proactive in feeding back issues to their Curriculum Group rep
  • Curriculum Groups (via District reps) need to liaise with all Line Managers to make sure the RARPA process is happening
  • All Curriculum Groups with responsibility for non-accredited courses will have RARPA as a standing agenda item at their meetings to ensure on-going monitoring of the process is taking place
  • It is the responsibility of all tutors to make sure they are implementing the RARPA process and to seek clarification from their Line Manager where necessary
  • It is the Service's responsibility to ensure that the process focuses on improving the quality of teaching and learning and to provide staff development and support where required

Other issues regarding RARPA:

  • RARPA paperwork (ie just the summative documents – either the Individual Learner Record and/or the Group Progress and Achievement Record) should be kept with the venue copy of the course register (not the copy sent to the AQUA team)
  • Annual observations will include reference to how the RARPA process is being implemented and recorded.

Coventry Adult Education Service, RARPA – Motivating and developing staff- February 2006

Appendix

Recognising and Recording Progress and Achievement (RARPA)

Guide for Tutors and Line Managers

Coventry Adult Education Service, RARPA – Motivating and developing staff- February 2006

Motivating and developing staff

Introduction

RARPA Procedures and Processes

Recognising and Recording Progress and Achievement (RARPA)

A Message to Tutors

Why are we Recording Progress & Achievement in Non-Accredited Learning?

The Assessment Process – A Checklist for Tutors & Line Managers

Before the course starts

At the start of the course Early weeks

During the course

End of course

Individual Learner Record

Group Progress & Achievement Record

Scheme of Work

Scheme of Work

Lesson plan

The Staged Process

The elements of the staged process

Sample Student Feedback Form

Sample Course Evaluation Questionnaire

The Staged Process

A Message to Tutors

The Adult Education Service’s approach to RARPA has grown out of the good practice of our tutors who are already recognising and recording achievement and progress.

We thank the many tutors who have shared their methods as part of the RARPA pilot group. They have also tried out the methods contained in this pack, and have contributed to the development of the systems we have settled on.

We have been inspired by the good practice we saw, and by the willingness to share – and we have confidence because the tutors reported so many benefits from the approach.

There are many others who wanted to contribute but we met on Fridays and they were not free!

We are also confident that our tutors do have evidence of learners’ progress and achievement, and will understand the reasons why we are recording it. We hope tutors will find the process recognises their professional role and benefits them and their learners.

Alan Newbold

Dorothy Smith

Diane Hammond

Mary Sage

Spring 2005

Why are we Recording Progress & Achievement in Non-Accredited Learning?

The National Learning and Skills Council, which funds most adult learning providers through its local offices, has developed a framework called the Staged Process which sets out the points it feels are basic to good course planning, delivery, evaluation and further development. The Staged Process also reflects the requirements of the Common Inspection Framework, which means that by using it within the service we are preparing for future inspections. From September 2005 we are required to show how we are using this framework within our service.

Why do we need this Guide?

The aim of the guide is to provide a simple system which is useful and easy to implement. It clarifies the stages through which tutors need to go when planning and delivering a course to satisfy Adult Education requirements. It also provides methods of assessment and recording achievement in a simple format.

The process benefits

Tutors – because it

  • has a clear focus on the needs of the individual learner, giving focus to planning
  • recognises the good practice of tutors and contributes to further development
  • has consistent user friendly paperwork which records and checks learners’ progress

Learners – because it

  • emphasises partnership with the tutor and provides a voice for the learner
  • helps learners monitor their progress and recognise their achievements

The Adult Education Service – because it

  • promotes and recognises good practice
  • provides evidence for self-assessment and quality development
  • recognises quality
  • provides accountability to external bodies including the LSC and ALI

Coventry Adult Education Service, RARPA – Motivating and developing staff- February 2006

The Assessment Process – A Checklist for Tutors & Line Managers

Tutor / Venue / Programme
Day / Time / Start Date

Before the course starts

Who / Action / Complete / Notes
Tutor and Programme Manager / Agree course aims and objectives
Tutor and Programme Manager / Agree learning outcomes to be assessed
Tutor and Programme Manager / Agree appropriate way of recording progress
Tutor and Programme Manager / Agree methods to involve learners
Tutor / Completes course information form
Who / Forms / Complete / Notes
Tutor and Programme Manager / Schemes of works
Tutor and Programme Manager / Session plans
Tutor and Programme Manager / Course details
Tutor and Programme Manager / Agreed format for recording assessment *

At the start of the course Early weeks

Who / Action / Complete / Notes
Tutor / Assess learner's starting point
Tutor / Agree individual learning aims and record them
Tutor / Explain course aims
Who / Forms / Complete / Notes
Tutor / Record of group or individual learning aims.*

During the course

Who / Action / Complete / Notes
Tutor / Produce and use lessons plans/ILP
Tutor / Monitor learner progress
Tutor / Student feedback
Tutor / Record lesson evaluation
Who / Forms / Complete / Notes
Tutor / Group progress and Achievement record
Tutor / Individual learner record
Tutor / Lesson plans/evaluations
Tutor / ILPs (if appropriate)

End of course

Who / Action / Complete / Notes
Learner / Has opportunity to complete end of course evaluation
Tutor / Reviews overall progress and achievement
Tutor / Reports on those achieving their learning aims and course learning outcomes
Tutor and Line manager / Discuss any issues raised
Tutor and Line manager / Certificate of achievement can be produced if required
Who / Forms / Complete / Notes
Learner / Learner end of course evaluation form
Tutor / Tutor evaluation form
Tutor / QL form
Tutor / Certificate request form

* RARPA forms in RARPA folder - all other forms are in the Tutor handbook.

Coventry Adult Education Service, RARPA – Motivating and developing staff- February 2006

Individual Learner Record

Course :
Day: / Time: / Term: / Venue:
Learner name: / Tutor:
Topic / Activity / Work Completed / Date / Tutor Comments / Learner Comments

Initial Assessment

Previous Experience:
Use Of Tools / Equipment

Learning Aims

1
2
3
4
5

Final Assessment

Final assessment and recommendations for progress (tutor)
Learner evaluation:

Group Progress & Achievement Record