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.