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A TAFE experience that offers more
Vocational learning at Swinburne focuses on helping you achieve your learning, workplace and career needs.
The university has developed a course delivery model that combines individual learning and assessment planning, support and a full range of services for students.
Each TAFE course aims to provide you with the knowledge and skills you'll need to either get a job, expand your existing skill set or advance your career. Swinburne programs also provide a structured pathway to future study, when and how it suits you and your career.
When you apply for a TAFE course at Swinburne, you could be assigned a Learner Manager.
They help you to select and plan your course and assist you with all aspects of your learning experience at Swinburne.
Most Learner Managers are also teachers at Swinburne. They know what students ask, how best to tailor your learning to your needs, and what is available at Swinburne to assist you.
Your Learner Manager will be able to assist you with:
- Deciding the right course for you, at the right level
- Determining whether you will be eligible for government funding
- Identifying opportunities for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) or Credit Transfer that can fast track your course completion
- Planning any learning support you may require and help you seek the right assistance
- Familiarising you with any other services you may need to help you settle into Swinburne life
- Set up a personalised learning and assessment plan.
Throughout your course, your Learner Manager will contact you to review your learning and assessment plan and adapt it with you, if required.
At the conclusion of your planned studies they will:
- help you apply for your qualification
- review your learning process
- help you work out 'where to from here' eg. next career steps, future study options (such as progression to a degree through the Guaranteed Entry Scheme) or combining work and study
You may be able to complete your course using a combination of learning and assessment activities, including options about where, how and how often you undertake your study. Options you can discuss with your Learner Manager include:
- On-campus (face-to-face classroom attendance)
- Day, evening or weekend classes (depending on your course and your work/life balance)
- Online (units, whole courses, or face-to-face classes with some online learning)
- Cross-campus (units offered on more than one campus)
- Regular intakes (courses have regular intakes, so there may be options to pause and return)
Swinburne has a number of free services to support your learning.
Swinburne offers all students literacy and numeracy assessment prior to the start of their course. Called Basic Key Skills Builder (BKSB).
We also provide a unit of study called Prepare to Study, that introduces you to studying at Swinburne and gives you study tips.
TAFE students can access all the information and advice from the university's Student Services. This includes advice on housing, finances and career planning. There are also services such as counselling and disability support.
Group learning
People of all ages study at Swinburne. You can develop networks and learning groups both face-to-face and online. As well as classroom sessions, your learning may also involve online discussions, blogs, social activities, group projects and discussions.
Project-based learning
Some of your learning will be project based, working individually and/or in groups, whether you are learning face-to-face, online or in the workplace.
Projects offer an opportunity to learn not only about the topic, but also about yourself (how you like to learn, what you need to learn more about, how well you communicate and work with others etc.)
The end result of a project may be a product, a demonstration of a skill, a presentation or even an assignment being written. Whatever the end product, you are likely to be required to research, plan, design, build, construct or implement it. You will also be asked to evaluate both the success of the project and the learning you have gained from the experience.
Online learning
Some courses may offer the option to study some or all of the course online or by distance learning.
Studying online gives you the flexibility to choose when and where you study, instead of working around a fixed study schedule.
Online study also requires the discipline of independent learning, but you will also have the support and guidance of your teacher and Learner Manager.
Sustainability
Swinburne embraces sustainability principles across all facets of the organisation. Sustainability is embedded in the content and delivery of all courses.
With sustainability issues relevant to every workplace, you will be confident that your work practices will meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Prior learning, existing skills and life experiences may accelerate your training or mean you could already be eligible for a formal qualification.
You will need to demonstrate achievement of appropriate skills and knowledge that apply to your course - your Learner Manager will help you in this process.
Your demonstrated learning and skills may include completed units of study from another course, but may also include work experience, voluntary work, hobbies, leisure activities and other experiences that contribute to the assessment requirements of your course.
RPL processes
- Pre-assessment (a self-assessment with Swinburne's Recognition Access Point)
- Interview and enrolment
- Evidence collection
- Assessment interview and results
Credit Transfer processes
- Identify unit names, codes and outcomes from previous local studies that match Swinburne units
- Identify international qualification units or competencies that match Swinburne units
- Evidence collection (transcripts etc) and verification
- Apply for credit transfer
Assessment is part of every course.
Each program will have a standard range of assessments, but alternative assessment arrangements can be negotiated with your Learner Manager.
Examples of assessment methods include:
- Course-based (assignments, presentations, tests etc as required)
- Work-based (relevant project)
- Recognition of prior learning (RPL assessment)
Instances where an alternative assessment method might be appropriate include:
- you need support to complete the assessments (due to a disability, disadvantage or for another reason)
- you can suggest an alternative assessment method that meets the criteria but is more suited to your workplace or personal needs (eg. a relevant project at work)
- you already have the knowledge and skills in some units but don't have enough evidence to apply for RPL, in which case it may be possible to do the assessment only, without going through the learning process (discuss with your teacher or Learner Manager)
At Swinburne, different learning and assessment activities will enable you to develop transferable skills that employers see as critical for employment.
Skills such as problem solving, teamwork, planning and organising, communicating in a variety of ways, self management, initiative and enterprise and learning will be essential when marketing yourself to prospective employers.
Industry-engaged learning (IEL) is part of Swinburne's commitment to ensuring our students acquire relevant and recognised workplace skills. Students are encouraged by their Learner Manager to explore options to learn and be assessed at work to make the learning and assessment experience as relevant as possible.
IEL also includes embedding opportunities to participate in structured learning assessment that involve direct, active involvement with industry.
