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This research was motivated and initiated by a request from industry to present a life skills learning programme to supplement young workers’ training. Subsequently, the dilemma faced by facilitators and trainers to assess the learners’ attainment of the learning outcomes of a life skills learning programme provided the impetus to develop an alternative assessment method – the collage and the stimulus instruments. A model developed by the researchers guided the development of the alternative assessment method and the stimulus instruments. Taking into account the demands, requirements and characteristics of life skills, a collage consisting of ten pictures and ten verbal concepts was developed to assess the learners’ attainment of the learning outcomes of a particular life skills learning programme. The life skills learning programme was presented to 18 artisans employed in industry. The selected material in the collage depicts more than one life skill and reflects the learning outcomes of the programme. The article is published in two parts. Part 1 is outlined above. The second part of the article will report on the outcomes of the application of the assessment instrument with the subject group of young workers.

The purpose of constructing the collage and stimulus instruments was to assess the learners’ attainment of the learning outcomes of the life skills learning programme. The collage is a compilation of pictures and concepts representing the different skills included in the life skills learning programme, and the pictures and concepts acted as the stimulus instruments. Subsequently, the collage and stimulus instruments were used in a first assessment directly after the learners had completed the life skills learning programme. The development of the data category classification enabled the researcher to evaluate and interpret the responses of the learners in the assessments and to ascertain to what extent the learning outcomes of the life skills learning programme were attained. It was found that the collage and stimulus instruments were effective in assessing the learners’ attainment of the learning outcomes of the life skills learning programme. However, it must be noted that the findings on the behavioural changes in the learners again highlighted the difficulties in assessing the affective domain in life skills.