Testimonials

Tania Plunkett, Tafe SA Regional Lecturer, Retail, on using Jigsaw's ResourceBuilder™

ResourceBuilder™ has been beneficial to my students as it ensures that there is no repetition and doubling up of material. I counsel my student and look at any previous study that they have undertaken and start building the resource for the student. If the student is doing a number of subjects, I cluster the units together. For example if the student is enrolled in 5 units, I would cluster the first 3 units into 1 book and the remaining 2 units into another book so the student only has 2 books rather than 5. 

When I build the resource for an individual student, I add the students name to the front cover of the resource. The students have enjoyed the fact that they are getting a resource that ‘belongs’ to them. This has solved the problem (and lots of wasted time) trying to chase up who a book belongs to when the student has not written their name on it.

Using ResourceBuilder™ for workshops has also been very beneficial to our program as I have been able to pick Skill Publications that suit the needs of the customer for their employees. This has ensured that relevant material is covered in the workshop and the client walks away with a professional and informative workbook to refer back to.

There are certain resources that I have built in ResourceBuilder™ that I have ordered many times, and have just adapted the cover to suit the individual student or workshop. This has saved me time as the resource has previously been built and can be used over and over again.

By adapting a resource to suit the individual clients needs, I have found that the resource works out much cheaper for the student as there are only the Skill Publications required by the student and not a lot of wasted information that the student does not need. In an environmentally friendly world, I feel that we should be leaders in cutting down on wasting paper.

My methodologies have changed since using ResourceBuilder™. Not only can I offer paper-based resources, but I can now offer the same units online. This has once again been a money saver for students as there is a considerable price difference between paper-based units and studying online.

Since the online methodology has been introduced by Jigsaw Publications, I have found that students are using it as a preferred way of studying. Living in a regional area, we have students now in rural and metropolitan South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, Victoria and recently Northern Territory. Online study has engaged our Generation Y students and has encouraged them to complete their studies online, when in the past they have lost interest in only being able to complete their study via paper-based resources.

This has given our course greater flexibility and also an effective marketing tool when promoting our program. I believe that evidence of this is that in our second semester this year we have doubled our target in the retail program. Students have been very receptive to the fact that they can choose either online or paper-based and have enjoyed being able to choose their preferred method of study.

Karen Horner, Tafe SA Regional Program Manager, on using EasyRPL

Using the online EasyRPL tool provides a significant amount of flexibility for both TAFE SA lecturers and the client. Firstly, it allows the lecturer to assist the Client from a distance as well as in a personal one-to-one situation, thus providing a faster initial response time for clients who are disadvantaged by their physical location, be it not being able to get away from commitments at a mutually agreeable time or being in an isolated community.

Once clients have had an initial walk-through of the online process they can then contribute to their RPL application at times which suit them. Many clients find committing to a block of time difficult, this way they can work through the process when it’s convenient for them, which might be on the weekend, during breaks at work or after shift work, etc.

The process itself is more time efficient. Lecturers and clients do not have to wait for physical submission of an application, and the application can be submitted in components or all at once. Immediate notification of a submission is made to the lecturer once the client selects to submit.

Using the online tool is a ‘greener’ and ‘cheaper’ option for all. The submission of electronic files eliminates the need for photocopying, reproducing and duplication of evidence and information. No more postage of documents or trips to the campus to deliver the documents.

The online tool provides real-time tracking information. That is, clients can log in at any time and see at what stage their application is up to. This system provides the RTO with an Audit approved evidence log in the form of a report. Likewise it provides the client with a Gap Training Analysis report or a customised resource that they can use to study the remainder of the qualification they are seeking to achieve. And the skills information is there for life for the client to access and use as they need.

These are just some of the benefits of using this tool in place of a traditional paper-based RPL model.