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Schools
| University | Local
government | LearnScope | Diploma
of E-Learning
The big highlight for
Queensland so far this year was the Shooting the Tube conference in July,
organised by TAFE Queensland and the Centre for Innovation and Development. This
practitioner-focused conference brought together presenters and participants
from all over Australia (and even New Zealand), from many different sectors.
Keynote presenters included:
Marie
Jasinski, Design
Planet – Marie led us on a journey of insight into the processes of
innovation.
Ron
Oliver, Professor of Interactive Multimedia at Edith Cowan University -
Ron posed the question “how do people learn?” and then provided some good
solid answers in relation to the online medium. (Access the presentation in pdf
form from his website.)
Queensland’s
own Julie Woodlock
of Barrier Reef TAFE, Townsville – Julie drew some parallels between making
tea and making choices for inclusive practices in VET. Julie has developed an
approach called New Explicit Learning/Teaching for Everyone or NELE. Her goal is
to build collaborative networks that develop inclusive practices for flexible
learning.
NELE involves a 5 step
process:
1)
Situated practice – context in learning: where, when and how will the learning happen?
2)
Overt instruction – what content needs to be taught explicitly? How will it be taught
using students’ preferred learning modes and past and present experiences?
3)
Critical framing – making meaning: what learning opportunities are
provided for students to interpret, practise and to step back and think
critically about their new learnings in practice?
4)
Transformed practice – applying the skills to the real world: how will
you encourage this application in the real world?
5)
Learning/teaching reflections – what things worked and what didn’t work?
Flexible Learning Leaders get together at Shooting the Tube, July 2003:
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Schools
We also saw some great stuff
happening in the schools sector. The Shooting the Tube conference saw Hendra
Online officially launched by Ms Kirsti Kee, Education Queensland’s Executive
Director for the Geebung Education District. Hendra Secondary College caters to
both adult and adolescent students and has a philosophy of ‘engaging
the disengaged’ learner through a ‘student centred, individual and flexible
model for teaching and learning’. With help from LearnScope, Hendra Online has
developed a homepage and an online Certificate 1 in Literacy learning program.
Some very switched-on students
and staff from Sandgate High School showed conference participants how they are integrating technology into a team-based, problem-solving approach to
learning mathematics. Forensic science, cubist buildings, Blackboard, video
presentations and much more are enlisted to make learning maths a heck of a lot
more interesting than it was when I went to school. top
University
While at the conference I met
Fred Beven, Director of Adult and Vocational Education Studies at Griffith
University. Griffith has a suite of Adult & Vocational Education
programs available in fully flexible mode. Every enrolled student has a choice
of studying fully online, using print-based resources, attending
university-based lecture tutorials, tele-tutorials, or a combination of any or
all. The faculty offers a Bachelor of Adult & Vocational Education or
Bachelor of Training – a four year equivalent degree, with advanced standing
of two years for VET teachers with Certificate 4 Assessment & Workplace
Training plus a minimum of 5 years vocational experience. There is also a
Masters of Adult & Vocational Education with an embedded graduate
certificate and graduate diploma. (See http://www.gu.edu.au/
> click on learning@GU > go to programs and courses > education
for further details.)
Fred is currently engaged in
PhD research on cognitive aspects of hypermedia and has been observing and
analysing the kinds of learning elicited by different types of hypermedia. If
you would like further information contact f.beven@griffith.edu.au
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Local
government
Local government in Queensland
employs over 34 000 people in very diverse occupations providing essential services
to the community. Kathy Kelly, Training Manager for the Local Government Association
of Queensland (LGAQ), reports that LGAQ is making good progress with its strategic
online training initiatives for local government employees:
- 125
enrolments for Recognition of Prior Learning process (Cert III Operational
Works) have been achieved in partnership with Southern Queensland Institute
of TAFE (SQIT) over a three-month period, where previously there had been
no enrolments. (Overseas interest has been shown.)
- Next
stage will be to establish online RPL access - which is being finalised now.
This will hopefully be available and published by the end of July. The focus here has been blue-collar workers.
- Learning
materials for Operational Works is being developed by SQIT, and will be promoted
by LGAQ over the coming months. This will complement the work which has already
been completed.
- Governance
and Administration (Diploma) Word document for online RPL process has been
completed - ready for transfer to authoring tool and publishing.
Time frame at this stage should be end of August - ready for
promoting at the LGAQ Annual Conference in Cairns in the first week in
September.
- LGAQ
continues to train Cert IV Workplace Assessors and Trainers to be their
deliverers and promoters of services online.
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Queensland has a total of 34
projects this year across TAFEs and private RTOs. I am co-managing one of these
together with the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Coordination Unit.
This is a statewide project
aimed at upskilling Indigenous TAFE Queensland staff (teachers, Student Support
Officers, project officers and others) in the use of information and communication
technologies. If you would like more information contact martha.goldman@det.qld.gov.au
During my visits to different campuses around the state, I caught up with a
couple of 2001 Flexible Learning Leaders – Dion Barnett, currently at Central
Queensland Institute of TAFE; and Neale Waller, also at CQIT.
 Dion Barnett
Neale Waller  >top
The Diploma of E-Learning is
now available as a fully online course, offered by Tropical
North Queensland TAFE.
Competencies include:
BSBEBUS303A Participate in a virtual community
BSBEBUS508A Build a virtual community
BSBEBUS513A Plan e-learning
BSBEBUS514A Implement e-learning
BSBEBUS515A Facilitate e-learning
The Diploma is 400 hours of
part time studies spread over 12 months. The course is divided into two strands
- multimedia and education. The education strand includes the units of
competency listed above. Further information is available from www.tnqit.tafe.net/elearning
Contact alison.gotts@det.qld.gov.au
QANTM Multimedia
A Challenge for QANTM's Flexible Delivery team - from Bev Childs
QANTM has been delivering qualifications in Multimedia both face-to-face and online for a number of years. The Flexible Delivery Unit (FDU) staff understand the difficulties for online learners and ensure that they support and encourage them in their studies. Our FDU team even supports a small number of students who are studying while they complete a jail term. This has led to some challenges as they are not allowed access to the internet and have little contact with the outside world. The student relies on a family member or friend to communicate with the FDU team. The FDU staff have taken a personal interest in these students to ensure that they receive the resources they need. This of course slows down the communication process but these students have shown dedication to their studies and are progressing well. top
TAFE Queensland resource management
Steve Fisher (Open Learning Institute) reports that the TAFE Queensland Executive has approved 3 major projects: service delivery, professional development and resource management. The resource management project is the result of intensive consultation with TAFE institutes in Queensland and will commence shortly, with an expected duration of six months for planning and establishing the framework, and six months for implementation. The purpose of the project is to provide a content management system to serve all institutes and feed delivery platforms. The system will provide a digital repository, metadata tagging and digital rights management. The intention is for the system to serve as a sort of all-purpose digital library which will integrate with existing systems and initiatives rather than replacing them. Steve says, "We are not trying to control what practitioners and institutes do - we are trying to give a better way of creating resources, sharing resources and using resources. It's about retrieval and resource management." We are sure to hear a lot more about this one. top
Queensland E-Learning Cluster - eLearn153
The purpose of the E-Learning Cluster is to act as a conduit to the products and services of its members, who are private organisations with a focus on e-learning. It provides a combined marketing force and promotes e-learning generally, as well as providing strategic advice to organisations who are considering or planning for implementation of e-learning. 153 is the longitude of Brisbane - hence the name. For further information contact Marilyn Harvey at marilyn@toliconsult.com
One of the member organisations of eLearn153 is Life International, a private Registered Training Organisation with an online first aid training product: First Aid Now, providing nationally recognised training (Senior First Aid [from 30224QLD - Workplace First Aid] or CPR01 Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation). The project was launched by the Hon Paul Lucas MLA and Lawrie Lawrence on 29 Jan 2003. Lawrie Lawrence's Kid’s Alive Program are suppliers of First Aid Now. This interactive and engaging online resource has been highly recommended by AccessEd (Queensland Department of Education). TAFE institutes and other RTOs can become licensed distributors of the product - for pricing details contact Carol Chambers, Centre for Training Materials, Department of Employment & Training, Queensland.
Compiled by Martha Goldman, Tropical
North Queensland TAFE 
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