Francis Howes
Cooloola Sunshine Institute of TAFE (CSIT)

Mary Mills
Cooloola Sunshine Institute of TAFE (CSIT)

Francis and Mary are developing an Innovative Learning Framework that will determine the future direction of CSIT's approach to blended delivery. They are quickly recognising the impact our action research is immediately having on our organisation, particularly research done internally.

Francis has surveyed all teaching staff to see what blended delivery methodologies are currently being used with learners. Just by asking the questions staff are made aware of what they don’t know and what others around them are doing, and they are starting to explore options. The next research step will be to form focus groups to consider how teachers see flexible learning developing at CSIT over the next 2 - 3 years. Watch this space for more exciting developments to their research and action plan!!

Dawn Bennett
Curtin University of Technology’s VET Centre, WA

Dawn is acquiring the skills to bring together and lead collective music industry and education expertise in a community of practice. She’s working to establish a global network that will work collaboratively to manage both industry and educational change, and maximise the potential of music graduates.

Rita Bennink
adelaideiglobal

Rita has been researching the practicalities facing industry organisations who want to adopt e-learning to meet their staff development needs, including issues around organisational readiness, return on investment, partnership costs and benefits and pedagogical models. She recently travelled to the USA and has provided this fantastic report on her experiences at the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), International Conference 2003 San Diego, California. HINT: It’s full of great resources and links!

Michael Coghlan
Douglas Mawson Institute of Technology, SA

Michael is exploring the use of online voice tools, improving his skills as a voice online presenter, and researching the use of a range of tools in on and off campus settings. Michael has established a Learning Times research space (you’ll need to join Learning Times and log in), as the first step in developing a community of practice to explore the technical competence and methodologies required to successfully implement these tools in teaching programs. Through demonstrating to practitioners that using these tools is easier than they think, he aims to increase the number of lecturers adopting the use of online voice tools, to add value to their teaching and learning experiences. Michael has long been a generous provider of excellent conference reports. Here’s one he attended in New Zealand and check out his site while you’re at it.

Andrea Bartetzko
South East Institute of TAFE, Mount Gambier TAFE, SA

Andrea intends to facilitate training and assessment of primary industries students in a flexible learning environment; and to explore flexible assessment options for key competencies and generic skills (key competencies have been unpacked and renamed Employability Skills), including integration, holistic and adjunct models, across a range of assessment methodologies, including online, in conjunction with rural assessor focus groups. The project will result in a collaborative approach to improved practice in assessment in the rural sector.

The biggest impact she has felt so far has been the deep realisation that flexible learning environments enable the development of Employability Skills.

So here’s your advanced warning: 1) we have to assess against employability skills because, as of 2004, we will be audited against them; 2) they don’t need to be taught explicitly but should form the platform upon which we build content; and 3) whilst assessment of Employability Skills can be integrated into, or as an adjunct to, current assessment practice, we will need to report on them explicitly.

For more info about the framework that ANTA is developing for Employability Skills visit: http://www.ncver.edu.au/