VET Students Academic Progress, Engagement and Attendance Monitoring

VET Students Academic Progress, Engagement and Attendance Monitoring

Scope

This policy applies to all international students enrolled to study a Vocational Education and Training programme at Gold Coast Learning Centre. This policy does not apply to international students enrolled in ELICOS English programmes of study with Gold Coast Learning Centre.
Gold Coast Learning Centre is committed to comply with the requirements of the:

• Standard 1 – Support Learners (National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018)
• Standard 2 – Student engagement before enrolment (National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018)
• Standard 8 – Complaints and appeals (National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018)
• Standard 9 – Completion within expected duration (National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018)
• Standard 10 – Monitoring course progress (National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018)
• Standard 11 – Monitoring attendance 4 (National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018)
• Relevant Legislative Instruments Department of Home Affairs – Course Progress Policy and Procedures for CRICOS Providers of VET Courses (The Course Progress Policy).
• Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act)
• National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 (National Code)
• National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011 (NVR Act), including the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015 (Standards for RTOs).

Definitions:

• Full study period = 12-13 academic weeks
• Half Study period = 6-7 academic weeks

Policy

Gold Coast Learning Centre (GCLC) monitors, records and formally assesses course progress of all international learners at the end of each compulsory study period throughout the learner’s enrolment.
The purpose of this policy is to govern GCLC learners’ academic progress and engagement with their academic responsibilities through effective monitoring processes.
Learner’s progress is monitored by evaluating both the learner’s weekly tasks progress, and the competency gained in the studied units of competency which have been delivered during the study period. Units of competency are divided into sessions, and each comprises the weekly load assessment that is part of the systematic calculations of learners’ academic progress.
This policy meets the requirements of Standard 2 of the RTO standards and the National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 (National Code)

Monitoring Attendance

GCLC will monitor the attendance of overseas students if the requirement to implement and maintain minimum attendance requirements for overseas students is set as a condition of the provider’s registration by an ESOS agency. The minimum requirement for attendance is 80 per cent of the scheduled contact hours for the course.
GCLC will however record each student’s attendance for student welfare and course progress intervention purposes. Attendance is based on 20 contact hours a week, split into sessions of:

Monitoring Progress

Informal

Weekly monitoring by Trainers and the reporting Student Registrar of individual learner’s work, attendance and progress. Academic outcomes are discussed with learners and recorded on the student management system.
Trainers are required to contact learners and informally notify them regarding any risk of not achieving a satisfactory academic progress in a unit. Trainers will request learners to rectify any unsatisfactory components on an ongoing basis.
ELearning dashboard on display learners their progress and any overdue assessments they are required to complete. In addition, the dashboard will alert learners about their upcoming academic progress review date and provide them with an intervention completion plan.

Formal

Learners who fail to achieve competency of at least 50% of the delivered units will attract a formal warning letter and will activate an intervention strategy. Half Study Periods risk monitoring 6- 6.5 weeks intervals. When learners have been identified at risk at Half Study Periods, Intervention Strategy is activated after Half Study Periods and formal warning letters are sent and recorded via email. The admin team and trainers might follow with a telephone call to ensure learners are aware of their academic progress status.
Full Study Periods monitoring 12 – 13 weeks intervals. The formal academic progress assessment and notifications are made at the end of each study period and an intervention strategy is activated for any learner with incomplete work.

Course engagement by all learners – e-Learning log-in

• Course engagement is measured by the amount of interactions learners have with their e-Learning platform and the Trainer.
• Learners must log in to an online system to demonstrate they are engaged with their training.
• Confirmation of engagement must occur at the beginning of each study period.
• Learners who do not log-in to the e-Learning platform or attend the first day of their course in addition to their orientation day will have their enrolment cancelled at the end of the first study period, unless communications with the trainer demonstrated genuine efforts for course progress.

Monitoring learners

• GCLC assesses the learner’s academic progress in continuous cycles of full study periods.
• Learners are to be assessed from the first day of enrolment until the last day of enrolment.

Academic Outcomes

Completed (C) Unit of Competency requires:

• Satisfactory outcome: C Unit Competency Achieved (Unit of Competency)
• S Satisfactory Assessment (Parts of the assessments)
• CR For credit transfers.

To be marked with a satisfactory outcome in a unit of competency or partial unit of competency, learners must participate and complete all practical and theoretical assessments associated with the unit and the session work load.

• DNS : Didn’t Submit the assessment
• NYC : Not Yet Competent (Unit of Competency)

Reporting unsatisfactory course progress or unsatisfactory course attendance

Where GCLC has assessed the overseas student as not meeting course progress or attendance requirements, GCLC will give the overseas student a warning letter as soon as practicable which: notifies the overseas student that the registered provider intends to report the overseas student for unsatisfactory course progress or unsatisfactory course attendance informs the overseas student of the reasons for the intention to report, advises the overseas student of their right to access GCLC complaints and appeals process, in accordance with Standard 10 (Complaints and appeals), within 20 working days.
GCLC will report unsatisfactory course progress or unsatisfactory course attendance if:

• The internal and external complaints processes have been completed and the decision or recommendation supports the registered provider, or
• the overseas student has chosen not to access the internal complaints and appeals process within the 20 working day period, or
• The overseas student has chosen not to access the external complaints and appeals process, or
• The overseas student withdraws from the internal or external appeals processes by notifying the registered provider in writing.

GCLC may decide not to report the overseas student for breaching the attendance requirements if the overseas student is still attending at least 70 per cent of the scheduled 20 course contact hours and the student is maintaining satisfactory course progress.

Assessment submission Due Date

Assessments due date is 9am of the submission due date for each unit of competency for each qualification that is listed in the course timetable.
Number of academic submissions Learners will have a maximum of 3 attempts for each activity. After 3 attempts the learner’s access to the activity will be blocked, and the unit part will be defined as “Failed” resulting in a payment for unit re-enrolment.

Unmarked submissions

Submissions made before the due date but not marked will not incur late fees. Invalid, copied or non-genuine academic submissions will result in a NYC, the student will forfeit all other attempts and the activity will be defined as a “Failed” resulting in a payment for unit reenrolment.
Invalid, copied or non-genuine academic submission is defined as:

• Invalid – A set of meaningless characters or empty submission.
• Copied – a submission that is found to be copied from either another learner or other sources and is taken to be a breach of genuine intentions and plagiarism.
• Non-genuine academic submission – A submission of no real effort made to avoid late fee and is of no academic value.

Warning letters

There are 3 warning letters checkpoints before learners receive the intention to cancel their enrolment and, for international learners, a section 20 issued: intention to report notice when learners continuously are not progressing academically for 2 continuous full study periods. The letters are automatically sent, recorded in the student file. The letters advise learners of their academic status, their risk of breaching their Visa conditions (where applicable) and it is sent via email. Each letter explains to learners the implications of their failure to progress in their course. Learners.

• Warning letters are issued in cycles of half study periods from the beginning to the end of the course enrolment.
• Where a learner’s assessment (or partial assessment) is in a “SUBMITTED” status, a warning letter will not be triggered for a submitted but not marked assessment item.
• Learners Intervention communication methods Academic Progress Communications takes place by: eLearning Student dashboard notification.
• Automated emails informing learners about their risk, the opportunities and services to assist them and required tasks.

Intervention Strategy

All intervention strategies and events are recorded and monitored on learner’s record in the student management system. This is being regularly reviewed to ensure ongoing follow ups and course progress support.
Intervention Strategies might include:

• Advising the student of available study skills workshops, academic counselling, English language support or other support the provider may offer.
• Requiring the student to meet regularly with a GCLC staff member/s to review their progress, before the end of the next study period.
• Reducing the student’s study load temporarily or changing their enrolment to another subject area if this is agreed between the student and GCLC manager.
• Requiring the student to submit assignments or complete assessments within a certain timeframe.
• Requiring the student to attend a minimum percentage of classes.
• Referring the student to other support services that may be relevant, e.g. counselling for personal issues, appropriate medical services, housing services, financial counselling services.
• Considering a period of deferment or temporary suspension of studies.

Enrolment Cancellation of non-genuine learners

The absence of learner engagement will be monitored through compliance procedures and may prompt an investigation of learner ‘genuineness’ and the possible result of course cancellation.
If a learner does not demonstrate progress in their qualification via the online e-Learning platform, and no evidence of logging on or accessing the learner resources can be located, they will be cancelled from the qualification as per the terms and condition of enrolment.
GCLC will cancel the enrolment of non-genuine learners’ at GCLC.

Course cancellation

The absence of learner engagement will be monitored through compliance procedures and may prompt an investigation of learner ‘genuineness’ and the possible result of course cancellation.
If a learner does not demonstrate progress in their qualification via the online e-Learning platform, and no evidence of logging on or accessing the learner resources can be located, they will be cancelled from the qualification as per the terms and condition of enrolment.

Appeals on Academic Progress Implementation

Learners who decide to appeal the academic progress outcome must follow Gold Coast Learning Centre complaints and appeal policy and procedures available on GCLC website and may request assistance from the Student services as required, within 20 working days.
Appeal on GCLC decision: Learners may appeal to GCLC’s decision where the learner:

• has been deemed to be a non-genuine student, or
• has been issued a late academic fee, or
• Does not agree with the status of an academic outcome.

Other grounds for appeal:

A successful appeal may be achieved if one of the three grounds for appeal is proved right:

• GCLC failure to record or calculate a learner’s result accurately.
• If the appeal shows that there was a calculation error and the learner actually made satisfactory course progress (successfully completed at least 50% of the units of competency for that study period and received a satisfactory result in at least 50% of the number of weeks assign to that study period), GCLC will not report the learner and there is no requirement for any further intervention.
• Compassionate or compelling circumstances affecting their progress If the appeal process shows that the learner has not made satisfactory progress but there are compassionate or compelling reasons for the lack of progress, ongoing support will be provided to the learner through GCLC’s intervention strategy and the learner will be given a further period to progress in their course. The period will be directly related to the severity of the compelling or compassionate circumstances identified. The learner will not be reported to the authorities until the completion of the intervention period.
• GCLC has not implemented its policies and procedures When GCLC failed to implement into policies and procedures that have been made available to the learner and, the learner will not be reported to the authorities and an intervention strategy will be created (if a strategy does not already exist) and implemented immediately. In such cases GCLC will review its policies and procedures and the implementation processes in order to identify opportunities for improvements and prevention of similar cases in the future.