MESC Senior School Handbooks

VCAL Units

LITERACY

SENIOR READING AND WRITING

The purpose of this unit is to enable learners to develop the skills and knowledge to read and write complex texts. The texts will deal with general situations and include some abstract concepts or technical details. At this level learners produce texts that incorporate a range of ideas, information, beliefs or processes and have control of the language devices appropriate to the type of text. In reading, the learner identifies the views shaping the text and the devices used to present that view and express an opinion on the effectiveness and content of the text.

At the end of the unit learners will be able to read, comprehend and write a range of complex texts across a broadrange of contexts.

 

SENIOR ORAL COMMUNICATION

At the end of this unit learners will be able to use and respond to spoken language with complex and abstract contentacross a broad range of contexts.

 

NUMERACY

SENIOR NUMERACY SKILLS

The purpose of this unit is to enable students to explore mathematics beyond its familiar and everyday use to its application in wider, less personal contexts such as newspapers and other media reports, workplace documents and procedures, and specific projects at home or in the community. At the end of the unit students will have the capacity to interpret and analyse how mathematics is represented and used. They can recognise and use some of the conventions and symbolism of formal mathematics. The mathematics involved would include measurement, graphs and simple statistics, use of maps and directions and an introductory understanding of the use of formulae and problem-solving strategies.

Completion of this unit would prepare studentsfor the Advanced Numeracy Skills Senior unit.

 

WORK RELATED SKILLS -WRS

SENIOR WORK RELATED SKILLS UNITS 1 & 2

Unit 1: The purpose of this unit is to provide a focus for complex development of appropriate skills and knowledge in order to provide the necessary OHS preparation for the workplace. 

Unit 2: This unit provides a focus for more complexdevelopment of work-related and vocational skills in a workplace context or appropriate simulation. The overall aims of the unit include:

  • integrating learning of increasing complexity of work-related skills with prior knowledge andexperiences about work
  • further enhancing the development of employability skills through increasingly complex work-related activity
  • developing increasingly complex critical-thinking skills that apply to problem-solving situations in the work context
  • developing planning and organisational skillsthat incorporate evaluation and review
  • applying increasingly complextransferable skills to work-related contexts.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT SKILLS - PDS

SENIOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT UNIT 1

The purpose of this unit is to focus on the development of self through the development of personal organisation and planning skills, knowledge, practical skills, problem solving and interpersonal skills through participation in experiences of a practical nature. The focus of the learning program for this unit includes:

  • subject-specific knowledge applicable to a relevant personal,social and educational goal
  • skills applicable to a relevantpersonal, social and educational goal
  • understanding of cultural valuesand cultural awareness
  • organisational skills
  • leadership skillsand decision-making skillsfor group or team work.

 

SENIOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT UNIT 2

The purpose of this unit is to focus on the development of knowledge, skills and attributes through participation in experiences of a practical nature within the community. The focus of the learning programfor this unit includes:

  • subject-specific knowledge applicable to one or more of the following - 
    community engagement, social awareness, civic and civil responsibility
  • skills applicable to a relevant community, social or civic projector activity
  • problem-solving and comprehension skills
  • presentation and research skills
  • communication skills
  • research, planning and organisation skills
  • team work and group cohesion.