KATE FANNON INTERVIEW

Interview by Jo Murray

Jo: Welcome to the Knowledge Tree everybody. In our August 2002 edition we interviewed recipients of the Framework Applied Research projects and we have with us today Kate Fannon who is the Project Manager for that Framework project. Kate, could you give us an update on where those projects are up to, how the researchers are going?

Kate: They are going really well, they are working really hard at the moment because they have to analyse now all the data that has been coming in, particularly a lot of analysis of the transcription with the case studies and they have to finish the findings of their research by the end of this month and then another report in terms of the recommendations by the fifth of the December. So there is not much time left.

Jo: So they are going hammer and tongs. So what sort of, any challenges have they faced in their research?

Kate: Quite a few actually, one person was almost overwhelmed by the amount of e-Learning research that's out there, determining what's quality and what wasn't.

Jo: I think we all face that, don't we! (Laughter)

Kate: Yes, we do (laughter). But another big issue has been the wisdom maybe of using the server instrument as a data collection tool because one particular researcher had to abandon it and go to telephone interviewing because he wasn't getting any results back and that's been a problem for a few. Its depend whether or not your industry is sort of more captive, so for the Correctional Services and the Pharmacy Guild, the survey tool has been good but for the three others who are going more widely over lots of organizations, they've not had such good returns so they've gone more to case study and interviews.

Jo: Ok. So where do you think these projects might influence activities in 2004 across the VET sector?

Kate: Well in their final report they have to actually give some indication as part of the recommendations of who they would try to influence and this would be at institutional, state and commonwealth jurisdictions. On several of them which are looking more at teaching practice, there are two of them, they will really be more at practice and probably more directly in the organizations in which they have had contact.

Jo: So will that impact through professional development activities or is that dependant on the institution on whether they decide to adopt it?

Kate: It's dependant of the institution. Yes it is, you can't really create it. Its up to the institution to decide whether to create a policy to go in that direction, but it would also be a recommendation to FLAG and it will go through the Framework and it can be put up as a model in the community and we are looking at ways at disseminating whether we might use a road show next year to try and disseminate it through other bodies. For others where they are working in an organization that would go to policy and there's one which is on conformance and this one will affect both state and commonwealth jurisdiction policy.

Jo: Ok. So the project in itself. We've had what five projects this year, what sort of opportunities are there for researchers to look at applying for funding next year? Is there any future for the project at the moment?

Kate: Oh yes, we've got a little bit more money.

Jo: That's good, that's very positive.

Kate: We're not a huge program, but the focus for next year is actually very important and so we also reflect the direction for 2004 implementation plan for the Framework and for that we need to get data in to try and make sure that there is some continuous for Framework activities and build on what we've been doing. So next year we have for the Applied Research area two big areas. One is engaging industry and so this year we had a bit of commissioned research with Felicity Mildren, trying to make links and network with industry and finding out what they are doing.

Jo: Because Felicity is from….?

Kate: She actually built the e-Learning in Qantas, Qantas On-line, but she is now a private consultant. So we will build on those links and there's quite a lot of money for engaging industry and then there's another quite big bucket on engaging indigenous communities, but that will be partnerships with indigenous communities and researchers.

Jo: Ok, that sounds really interesting.

Kate: Yes then separate to that is the commissioned research which is usually commissioned by FLAG, the Flexible Learning Advisory Group, which heads up the Framework and that will be some kind of just-in-time or longitudinal ones, well not very longitudinal, considering the Framework for this section finishes in 2004 but there will also be some hot topics which will come as the need arises.

Jo: Ok so that's got 2004 covered. What we would like do with the Knowledge Tree is to come back to the recipients that we interviewed in the August 2002 edition and come back for the first edition in 2004 and just see where they've got to and what next steps they might envisage. Is that part of what follows through with your funding?

Kate: Yes, depending on what actually we get from the final research findings of the report we are hoping that there may be someway, we've attached some sort of money so that we can follow through with the implementation. We are quite hopeful that for example with the pharmacy one that they have already identified that they are going to have to, they're looking at the barriers to e-Learning this year, before they implement they are going to have to look at getting the trainers on-side.

Jo: So these are the trainers in the pharmacies around Australia, the shop, the retail pharmacies.

Kate: Yes the idea there is they've got the internet already that links up all the pharmacies and so the trainees would actually engage in their learning within the pharmacy.

Jo: OK, a true work based learning model. Very interesting.

Kate: So yes, we have some money set aside looking at the next step, the next stage for implementation from the findings of the research.

Jo: Very interesting, so if people are interested in applying for the Applied Research funding for 2004 they can contact you through the email link we have here and …

Kate: Yes go straight to flexiblelearning.net.au. Click on Projects and find Applied Research and go from there.

Jo: Great, thanks very much Kate.

Kate: Thanks Jo.