The Skills for Further Study - Senior unit is designed at the VCAL Senior certificate level. The unit contains six learning outcomes.
VCAL qualification and strand requirements
Refer to the following resources for information on VCAL qualification and strand requirements.
VCE and VCAL Administrative Handbook
VCAL Skills for Further Study Senior Curriculum
Curriculum
The curriculum for the Skills for Further Study - Senior unit is designed to enable students to develop knowledge and skills for further study. This knowledge and skills will enable them to pursue diverse and higher level education and training pathways in a range of settings.
The Skills for Further Study – Senior unit aims to develop knowledge and skills in the following areas:
- strategies for learning
- time management
- research skills
- pathway planning
- preparation of a portfolio and/or application for further education and training
- oral presentations
- digital literacy.
Assessment
The purpose of assessment in the VCAL is to determine a student’s achievement of a learning outcome by collecting evidence about their performance and making a judgement about whether they have met the requirements of that learning outcome. These requirements are clearly outlined in the elements of each learning outcome.
Teachers should use a variety of assessment tasks that provide a range of opportunities for students to demonstrate achievement of each learning outcome.
Evidence of achievement can include, but is not limited to, direct observation, written work, oral presentations, object production and project implementation.
Students must be observed to demonstrate achievement of a learning outcome on more than one occasion and in different contexts to ensure the assessment is valid, reliable, fair, flexible and equitable.
Where a learning outcome requires the completion of numerous assessment activities in a variety of contexts, these activities and their supporting evidence are able to demonstrate achievement of this learning outcome.
An assessment task used to demonstrate achievement of one or multiple learning outcomes in one VCAL unit cannot be used to demonstrate achievement in any other VCAL unit or Vocational Education and Training (VET) unit of competency.
Satisfactory completion
To be credited with the Skills for Further Study - Senior unit, students must demonstrate achievement in all learning outcomes.
Wherever possible, all elements within a learning outcome should be achieved in the one assessment task.
Accreditation period
The accreditation period is January 2020 to December 2024.
Support material
VCAL Skills for Further Study – Senior unit 2020–2024 Advice for teachers