The product was developed using a constructivist approach to learning, which encourages exploration and selection of resources that individual learners consider personally relevant.

Adopting a problem-based learning approach supported this theory well, by providing an impetus for the exploration of resources in order to address specific gaps in a learner's pre-existing skills or knowledge.

ORIGIN OF THE LEARNING DESIGN
The learning design used in this product is loosely based on a similar design implemented for a Series 2 Flexible Learning Toolbox, addressing competency from the "Alcohol and other drugs" stream of the same Training Package.

However, the design was significantly altered, based on feedback received reviews and evaluations.

TIMES THE LEARNING DESIGN HAS BEEN USED
Flexible Learning Toolboxes are purchased from Australian Training Products Limited (ATPL) by training organisations wishing to implement the products within a learning program. For more information on the volume of products purchased, please visit: http://www.atpl.net.au

MODIFICATIONS SINCE FIRST USE
Once a training organisation has purchased a Flexible Learning Toolbox, the product may be customised and modified in any way deemed suitable for specific delivery requirements.

However, as the developers of the resource, we are unaware of any specific modifications that have been implemented.

DISSEMINATION
The development team has not reused the specific learning design in any subsequent online resources, simply because the target audiences of other projects has necessitated the use of alternate learning designs.

However, should a future opportunity arise that warrants a similar learning design, we would have no hesitation in reusing such an approach.

INVOLVEMENT IN RESEARCH ON DESIGN EFFECTIVENESS
To the best of our knowledge, no external research has been conducted on the implementation of our learning design. The only involvement that the development team have had with implementation of the product is during the trial phase of the project.

This involved a series of informal, exploratory sessions with learners currently studying the relevant competency standards in a class-based setting.

HOW LEARNER ENGAGEMENT IS SUPPORTED
The product was designed specifically to enhance learner engagement, and includes a variety of features to facilitate this:

• Interactive quizzes and 'workshops'.
• Visually appealing resource design.
• Highly involved activities, requiring consolidation of information from various areas of the product.
• Opportunities for collaborative and cooperative learning exercises.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF LEARNING CONTEXT
All activities and case studies are based on actual situations that learners would expect to face within the vocation of youth work. The realism of such activities provide learners with an early idea of the sector in which they will be working, which could be of particular benefit to learners without regular access to a workplace.

The activities and case studies also reflect a range of cultural variables that learners can expect to face within their vocations. While the product was designed to represent a range of such social issues, organisations delivering the resource may wish to replace these with examples reflecting local issues.

HOW THE LEARNING DESIGN CHALLENGES LEARNERS
The product incorporates several features designed to challenge learners and encourage self-examination of views.

• The 'Discussion starters' included for each learning unit provide topics for trainers to use for class/online discussions, and encourage learners to examine their assumptions about key issues.
• Case studies present realistic scenarios within the youth work field, which may be confronting or challenging for some learners.
• Certain resources encourage learners to research the Internet (or other, local sources of information) for further details about particular issues.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRACTICE
The activity-based design of the product and the competency-based focus of the broader learning context provide exceptional support for practising key aspects of the content.

For learners who do not currently have access to a workplace, working through the case studies provides an idea of the issues and activities involved with youth work.

Comment from the Evaluation Team...

When this exemplar underwent an evaluation by this project in terms of whether it has the potential to foster high quality learning and if it could be redeveloped in a more generic form, the evaluators explicitly stated that they made inferences about the learning design's potential to foster high quality learning as they only had access to the toolbox and not to data of an actual implementation:

"The nature of this evaluation assumes evaluating an actual implementation of a learning design. Thus, because data about an actual instance or implementation of this learning design has not been provided, this evaluation can only be completed on the basis of the learning design’s potential to facilitate learner engagement, acknowledgement of the learning context, challenging learners and practice when it is implemented."

Overall, the evaluators concluded that this learning design supports learner engagement, acknowledges the learning context, challenges learners and provides opportunities for practice very effectively. The feedback provided is outlined as follows:

Learner Engagement :

"The learning design seems to have the potential to support learner engagement very well. The activities provide authentic tasks related to particular competencies and the assessment about whether a learner has achieved a particular competency is related to the completion of the tasks. Learners can interact with their peers using CMC tools provided. Importantly they are also able to discuss issues with their work colleagues about the tasks they are working on.

"The learning design supports reflection through the project-based approach. Learners are immersed within the content of the course through their actions in completing various projects. The projects have varying degrees of open-endedness providing opportunities for the learners to plan and organise their activities and in this way learners are encouraged to reflect as they “plan, do and review” the various projects they undertake."

Acknolwedgement of Learning Context:

"The learning design caters well to the professional practice of the content being learned as the tasks are authentic representations of tasks that the learner would encounter in the workplace.

"The learning design links to broader contexts by providing meaningful applications of the course content. Learners are exposed to the various learning resources as they work to complete projects. Through these means they learn how to apply and use the content as well as learning the content itself."

Challenging Learners:

"The learning design offers great potential the challenge learners, namely in the flexibility of tasks and their nature of authenticity. The activities allow learners to have control over their learning as there is not a defined sequence in which tasks need to be completed.

"The amount and type of tutor support offered is quite critical to the level of challenge offered to the student. For example, aspects such as “encourages self-criticism”, questioning student’s knowledge base”, seem heavily dependent on the feedback the tutor provides to the learner. "

Opportunities for Practice:

"The potential for practice seems to be supported quite well as the tasks are representative of the type of tasks the learners would be carrying out in their work environment. Also, because learners can access the toolbox resources whilst at work, they are able to discuss aspects of the tasks with their colleagues. Thus learners have the potential to attain an understanding both from the resource set offered in the toolbox but also from the perspective of their colleagues at work."