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Standards
  • Standard 9 – Duplication
  • Standard 10.1 – Stakeholder consultation
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  • Standard 10.8 – Course packaging rules

Standard 10.8 – Course packaging rules

VET accredited courses must specify rules for the structure of the course.

This Standard relates to Section B: 5.1 of the National course document template.

This section of the course document contains the course structure and the ‘packaging rules’ component of the course.

The course structure should be determined following consultation with relevant stakeholders.

The rules for completion of the course – also referred to as the packaging rules – reflect the skills and knowledge outcomes students need to achieve, and the pathways they may use to achieve those outcomes. Units of competency should be grouped and packaged into meaningful combinations that reflect the intended roles and skill outcomes.

The course structure may take a variety of forms, including:

  • core only model
  • core and elective model
  • core and specialisation(s) model
  • core, specialisation(s) and electives model
  • electives only.

All units of competency in a qualification should be described as either ‘core’ or ‘elective’.

Core units are mandatory for all students, whereas elective units provide the student with a choice. For example, a list of seven electives could be provided, and the packaging rules may require the student to complete three. Combinations of electives that result in specialisations are should be called ‘Groups’ and labelled alphabetically, e.g. Group A, Group B.

You should include guidance on the sequencing of units to help training providers develop training and assessment strategies for the course.

Where there are pre-requisites, the course structure should identify these units, including pre-requisites for any imported units from a training package or existing accredited course. Note, when developing enterprise units with pre-requisite units, this relationship should be identified in the unit’s ‘pre-requisite unit’ field.

You should include the detailed (6 digit) field of education (FOE) code for each unit of competency. You can find FOE codes for training package units of competency on the national register under each unit of competency.

FOE codes relating to enterprise units of competency can be found on the Australian Bureau of Statistics website. This code should be included in the ‘Competency field’ of each enterprise unit in section C of the National course document template.

You will also need to identify the nominal (supervised) hours for each unit in the course structure section. As the course owner, you will determine the hours assigned to enterprise units developed for the course. However, the assigned hours for imported training package units need to reflect those specified in the Victorian Purchasing Guides.

Case study – Demonstrating course structure of a core only model accredited course

A course owner has developed the course 10953NAT Advanced Diploma of Data Science. The course comprises training package and enterprise units of competency it has developed. The nominal (supervised) hours for the existing training package units included in the course have been allocated in accordance with the Victorian Purchasing Guide. The nominal (supervised) hours for the enterprise units were determined as a result of consultation and validation activities undertaken during the development of the course.

The course document advises that sequencing of delivery and assessment of all units should follow the order of the units as they are listed in the structure.

To be awarded the qualification, Advanced Diploma of Data Science, participants are required to successfully complete 11 units of competency comprising:

Unit of competency code

Unit of competency title

Field of Education

Nominal hours

Core units

BSBCRT611

Apply critical thinking for complex problem solving

120599

70

ICTSAD610

Analyse stakeholder requirements

020305

70

ICTPRG554

Manage data persistence using NoSQL data stores

020103

70

NAT10593001

Apply statistical models for variance testing on data

020119

80

NAT10593002

Apply gradient boosting for classification

020119

100

NAT10593003

Implement machine learning techniques for forecasting

020119

85

NAT10593004

Apply data streaming techniques to machine learning models

020119

90

ICTPRG553

Create and develop REST APIs

020103

85

ICTPRG535

Build advanced user interfaces

020103

80

NAT10953005

Deploy a machine learning model to automation

020199

85

ICTPRG551

Apply testing techniques for software development

020103

90

Total nominal hours

1070

Note:  This case is modelled on the current accredited course 10953NAT Advanced Diploma of Data Science. Permission for ASQA to use this information from the accredited course was provided from the course owner, The Artificial Intellect Group Pty Ltd.

Case study – Demonstrating course structure of a core and specialisation model accredited course

A course owner has developed the course 10732NAT Diploma of Forensic Identification (Biometrics) (Document Examination). The course comprises a training package unit and enterprise units of competency it has developed. The nominal (supervised) hours for the existing training package unit included in the course have been allocated in accordance with the Victorian Purchasing Guide. The nominal (supervised) hours for the enterprise units were determined as a result of the consultation and validation activities undertaken during the development of the course.

The course document advises that sequencing of delivery and assessment of the following units should be as follows:

  • PSPSCI013 Initiate and conduct scientific/technological research is conducted in the final stage of course delivery
  • DFIDOC001 Perform general document examinations is completed before other Group B electives
  • DFIDOC005 Undertake initial evaluation of handwriting is completed before DFIDOC006 Perform handwriting signature comparisons.

To be awarded the qualification, Diploma of Forensic Identification (Biometrics) (Document Examination), participants are required to successfully complete eight units of competency comprising:

  • four core units
  • four elective units (made up of the following)

Elective units are to be packaged as follows:

  • Group A – select all Group A electives to be awarded the Biometrics stream
  • Group B – select four electives from Group B to be awarded the Document Examination stream

Unit of competency code

Unit of competency title

Nominal hours

Core units

DFIIMG001

Apply critical thinking for complex problem solving

70

DFIPPR001

Apply professional practices in specialist examination roles

70

DFIPRE001

Present evidence in a judicial system

70

PSPSCI013

Initiate and conduct scientific/technological research

80

Electives

Group A electives – Biometrics stream

DFIFAC001

Apply specialist facial image comparison techniques

100

DFIMBS001

Advise on multibiometric system applications and emerging technologies

85

DFIVID001

Apply specialised techniques to video and closed circuit television for forensic analysis

90

DFISTA001

Apply statistical techniques to analyse biometric data

85

Group B electives – document examination stream

DFIDOC001

Perform general document examinations

95

DFIDOC002

Conduct examinations of printed documents and stamp impressions

100

DFIDOC003

Conduct examinations and comparison of security documents

100

DFIDOC004

Apply knowledge of instrumentation to document examinations

80

DFIDOC005

Undertake initial evaluation of handwriting and signatures

85

DFIDOC006

Perform handwriting and signature comparisons

90

Total nominal hours (Total core units + minimum/maximum of elective units)

640-675

Note:  This case is modelled on the current accredited course 10732NAT Diploma of Forensic Identification (Biometrics) (Document Examination). Permission for ASQA to use this information from the accredited course was provided by the course owner, Canberra Institute of Technology.

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