Monitoring trainees’ participation and progress

The TREE approach recognizes that learning is a responsibility of students as much as of teachers. A course should open with a discussion on the intended objectives of the course, the skills to be learned and how those skills relate to the goal of waged employment or participation in a new economic activity. The trainer will explain how the course will be conducted, including sharing the syllabus. The trainer should establish general expectations and rules of conduct for the class, by stating them or developing them with participation from the students. The trainer will explain how student progress will be monitored and what tasks and results they should have produced by the end of the course.

Establishing a set of benchmarks for measuring progress with clear processes for assessment is a critical element in preparing a course. Students should fully understand how they will be assessed, when and on what, and have opportunities to ask for additional help when they are preparing for a progress assessment.

Monitoring student progress during the course is not about “pass” or “fail” – it is a means of assessing whether students are learning the knowledge and skills and can use them effectively. Students who do not meet the required standard should be assisted to improve their understanding until they can meet the standard. Methods such as peer coaching (with the participation of students who have demonstrated mastery of a particular area) or additional practice time may be useful. Trainers may also use student assessment results to adjust their training delivery methods, for example, providing more time for hands-on practice instead of a focus on theory.

The course will end with a measurement of student achievement: whether they have met the intended learning objective or not, using the assessment process that was explained at the beginning of the course. TREE training is oriented towards practical abilities and results, so the assessment should be concrete. If the training was on completing a process (such as making bread) the final assessment should include producing that product using the appropriate tools and techniques. If the training was on business development, the assessment would be on the completeness and quality of a business plan. Depending on the type of training, there may be potential for trainees to receive a nationally or industry-recognized skills certificate as well as a certificate of achievement from the TREE programme. Trainees who do not meet the required standard of achievement may be given a certificate recognizing their attendance if that is appropriate.

Monitoring also refers to administrative tracking: who is attending, what score they are getting on tests, etc. so that records of individual achievement and an overall report on the training can be prepared. The main records that should be created and maintained are:
  • Trainee registration form. This creates a record for each trainee. Details of the results of monitoring and final assessment would be added to each trainee's record.
  • Training progress report. This records progress through the syllabus. Each learning block from the syllabus is listed and at defined dates, during delivery, a report is made by the trainer on how many blocks have been delivered, along with any relevant notes. This enables the TREE programme to monitor training delivery against plans.
  • End of training report. This is an overall summary and assessment of the course’s strengths and weaknesses, and any recommendations for further action.
  • Graduation report. This report is completed shortly after the training ends and provides a record of the completed training and the results for all trainees.