Australian Ski Patrol Association (ASPA)

Development

Staff are encouraged to develop skills in training. As most of the instructors, examiners, lecturers and assistant instructors are volunteers, there is a strong need to rehearse scenarios and develop clear sets of training materials to ensure consistency and standards.

The Course Director is the on-site Standards Manager for any course and may provide coaching or direction to ensure standards are maintained. All instructors need to be aware that collegiate support is welcomed and experts in there fields (Guest Lecturers) should be drawn upon to maintain currency in instructors and examiners areas of interest.

ASPA conducts an equipment familiarisation for students who have not done ASPA Advanced Emergency Care before on the first day of its programs. Instructors are encouraged to use this time to develop and refresh their skills. Often, if staff ask, this time can be used for staff development.

ASPA has a one day instructor familiarisation program. It also conducts a program of Units in:

The Learning Environment

Work effectively in vocational education and training
Foster and promote an inclusive learning culture
Ensure a healthy and safe learning environment

Learning Design

Use training packages to meet client needs
Design and develop learning programs

Delivery and Facilitation

Plan and organise group-based delivery
Facilitate work-base learning
Facilitate individual learning

Assessment

Plan and organise assessment
Assess competence
Develop assessment tools
Participate in assessment validation

And three additional units (only two of which are required for the Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment:

Provide training through instruction and demonstration of work skills
Facilitate group based learning
Maintain information requirements of training and/or assessment organisations

Personal Development Plans

All staff are encouraged to prepare a Development Plan and discuss this with the Course Director to ensure a breadth of experience is developed over a course, or over successive courses. ASPA uses Bernice McCarthy's 4-Mat model to involve our adult learners and ensure that their knowledge and experience is incorporated. Staff are able to create development plans in each of these roles; as a motivator, teacher, coach and colleague.

ASPA staff are also encouraged to use Online Professional Development

PDOnline
Includes a range of online resources from higher education organisations around the world. There is advice on lecturing, teaching large classes, group teaching, diversity in the classroom, assessment, teaching and learning theories.
http://www.cpd.mq.edu.au/PDonline/PDonline/teach_learn.html

SyllabusWeb
This site contains information on technology used to enhance education Produced by Syllabus Press, Inc.
http://www.syllabus.com/

Flinders University Teaching for Learning
http://www.flinders.edu.au/teach/

Handbook for Instructors on the use of electronic class discussions
This site gives special reference to listservs, and summarises the main issues of online communication with students.
http://www.acs.ohio-state.edu/education/ftad/Publications/elecdisc/pages/home.htm

Resources for moderators and facilitators of online discussion
Z Berge and M Collins
http://www.emoderators.com/moderators.shtml

Sloan Consortium
Formerly the Asynchronous Learning Network, this is a consortium of institutions and organisations involved in online education.
http://www.aln.org/

UltiBASE
A peer-reviewed e-journal and resource for tertiary teachers, promoting teaching
And best practice in the Humanities, Social Sciences and Education in all tertiary settings.
http://ultibase.rmit.edu.au/