Student assessment is criteria based, which is to say that a student’s learning and competence is always compared to either the skills requirements of vocational qualification modules or the objectives of core subjects as well as the assessment criteria based on them.
A student has the right to learn before the competence described in the skills requirements and the learning objectives are assessed to obtain a grade in the qualification certificate.
The objective of assessment of learning is that the student knows what he/she knows and what there is still to learn. When performing assessment of learning, the teacher and workplace instructor must use methods that motivate and activate the student.
Teachers and workplace instructor will support and motivate the student to reach the skills requirements or objectives as well as to develop his/her self-assessment skills. The student assesses the learning based on the skills requirements, objectives and assessment criteria of the module.
Learning is assessed during the whole training period or duration of studies by giving the student oral or written feedback on the progress of learning. Numerical assessment is not needed when assessing learning. Feedback is used to support and guide the student to achieve the best possible performance by bringing out the student’s strengths. Assessment of learning is used as a basis to make the necessary changes in the student’s tuition and learning support. The changes are recorded in the personal study plan.
Silveria restaurant, open learning environment for competence in restaurant food making
Interest in workplace learning has grown in recent years due to the changing character of work and the knowledge of the workplace as a learning environment. In Vamia we trust our education also to the idea that Silveria restaurant can be one of the most important resources in our teaching methods. Assessment of learning in Silveria restaurant as open learning environment has a good opportunity to the context of vocational education and training and work based learning.
In open learning environment, theoretical studies in vocational institutions and practical training at workplaces need to be considered as complementary providing different kind of opportunities for learning.
Emphasises close collaboration between vocational institutions and workplaces in creating an ideal way to organize workplace learning for students. The model underlines that the context and the access provided to artefacts and people influences learning, while opportunities to participate in forms of social practice with different communities. The idea that open learning environment operates inside of school have been inspirational model and useful tool in vocational qualification.
The tasks in Silveria restaurant as an open learning environment are:
- Plan and carry out food preparation or customer service tasks and work in sales in the catering sector
- Serve Finnish and foreign customers in a customer-oriented manner
- Use professional vocabulary in foreign languages, and draw on their cultural knowledge
- Work in a sales-minded, customer service oriented and quality conscious manner and profitably, productively, and responsibly as well as operate in compliance with hygiene requirements, and sustainable operating practices.
- Work in food preparation tasks at restaurants with different business ideas or missions or in public sector units
- Prepare tasty, nutritious, and healthy food
- Set out food as individual plated dishes or dishes for a large group of customers.
After learning at work period in Silveria, the students give a competence demonstration in practical tasks by working in food preparation and customer service tasks in a restaurant or an institutional kitchen together with other employees. They receive and handle ingredients and other products, prepare and display of restaurant dishes and carry out self-monitoring. The assessment of hygiene competence have to be passed before the period.
A cook who has completed the qualification knows how to
- work in food preparation tasks at restaurants with different business ideas or missions or in public sector units
- prepare tasty, nutritious, and healthy food.
- set out food as individual plated dishes or dishes for a large group of customers.
- Assessment of learning and competence in Finland
Student assessment is criteria based, which is to say that a student’s learning and competence is always compared to either the skills requirements of vocational qualification modules or the objectives of core subjects as well as the assessment criteria based on them.
A student has the right to learn before the competence described in the skills requirements and the learning objectives are assessed to obtain a grade in the qualification certificate.
The objective of assessment of learning is that the student knows what he/she knows and what there is still to learn. When performing assessment of learning, the teacher and workplace instructor must use methods that motivate and activate the student.
Teachers and workplace instructor will support and motivate the student to reach the skills requirements or objectives as well as to develop his/her self-assessment skills. The student assesses the learning based on the skills requirements, objectives and assessment criteria of the module.
Learning is assessed during the whole training period or duration of studies by giving the student oral or written feedback on the progress of learning. Numerical assessment is not needed when assessing learning. Feedback is used to support and guide the student to achieve the best possible performance by bringing out the student’s strengths. Assessment of learning is used as a basis to make the necessary changes in the student’s tuition and learning support. The changes are recorded in the personal study plan.
A cook who has completed the qualification knows how to
- work in food preparation tasks at restaurants with different business ideas or missions or in public sector units
- prepare tasty, nutritious, and healthy food.
- set out food as individual plated dishes or dishes for a large group of customers.
The requirements of vocational qualification modules and the objectives of core subjects have been defined as learning outcomes (knowledge, skills, competence). This forms the basis for describing the targets of assessment through mastering the work process, work method, equipment and material as well as underpinning knowledge and the key competences for lifelong learning.
The hotel, restaurant and catering sector is an international field, which requires a command of trade vocabularies in foreign languages as well as knowledge of foreign cultures. Students earning their Vocational Qualification will have a command of the basic sector requirements and customer service, hotel service or food preparation assignments.
Cooks Vocational Qualification
Cooks earning a Vocational Qualification in the Study Programme in Cookery know how to function in food preparation assignments at restaurants or public sector workplaces operating under various business ideas or concepts. Workplaces include cafes, staff restaurants, restaurants, catering firms, institutional kitchens, banquet catering firms. Cooks have a command of foods and ingredients. They prepare delicious, nutritious and healthy foods, also for customers with special dietary needs, and can serve it to large groups at a sitting or individual servings as in à la carte service. In preparing food and providing customer service, they work in co-operation with other employees toward promoting customer safety.
The requirements of vocational qualification modules and the objectives of core subjects have been defined as learning outcomes (knowledge, skills, competence). This forms the basis for describing the targets of assessment through mastering the work process, work method, equipment and material as well as underpinning knowledge and the key competences for lifelong learning.
The hotel, restaurant and catering sector is an international field, which requires a command of trade vocabularies in foreign languages as well as knowledge of foreign cultures. Students earning their Vocational Qualification will have a command of the basic sector requirements and customer service, hotel service or food preparation assignments.
Hermanni Kauranen & Sami Syväoja, Vamia