The Australian Flexible Learning Framework Funding is moving from a calendar year to financial year funding for 2010/2011. In 2011, a total of $2.65 million will be available nationally for E-learning Innovations funding. The funds offered in Western Australia (WA) for 2011 are $283,150.

Eligibility for Western Australian Applicants

• Funding is open to all Western Australian Registered Training Organisations (RTOs)
• Only one application will be accepted from each RTO
• RTOs must be based in Western Australia
• Learners must be based in Western Australia
• Business Partners must be based in Western Australia
• Intellectual Property in any material produced under with Innovations Funding (Framework) will vest in the Commonwealth.
  

Project Categories

There are two applicant categories, Business-training provider partnership or Empowering Learner and the selection process will allocate:

• At least 40% to business-training provider partnerships.
• At least 40% to empowering learners.
  

Alignment to Western Australia priorities for E-learning

Applications must align with one or more of the 2011 WA priorities:

• Increased and improving provision of RPL
• Increasing delivery of higher level qualifications.
• Engaging indigenous and younger learners.
• Supporting regional communities
• Developing innovative and new models of workplace delivery and assessment.
  

Funding Levels

Within Western Australia applicants may apply for funding ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 for E-learning Innovations Projects.

Applicants will be required to demonstrate that they will match the funding on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

Important Dates

24 August 2010 - Applications Open

9 September 2010 - Elluminate Information Session

20 September 2010 - Applications Close

4 October 2010 - Applicants Notified of Outcome

13 October 2010 - Induction Day

19 November 2010 - TEAM10 Conference

30 April 2011 - Team final report and output

Applications must be lodged via email to the Western Australian Innovations Coordinator diane.mclaren@dtwd.wa.gov.au by 5:00 pm on Monday 20 September 2010.


Enquiries: diane.mclaren@dtwd.wa.gov.au.


Guidelines and Application: http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/wa

Some new offerings are popping up on the ePD calendar, so it's time for you to get your tech on!

10 September 2010 - Designing Web Pages 101

17 September 2010 - Customising LORN objects - A who, what and how of customisation

29 October 2010 - Developing digital story learning resources

Places are limited, so book now by emailing westone.epd@dtwd.wa.gov.au!

Keep an eye out for online versions of these same workshops, coming soon!

The Australian Flexible Learning Framework’s recent survey of 800 employers shows that the use of e-learning in workplace continues to increase.

• 50% of Australian organisations use e-learning as part of structured or unstructured training they provide to their employees (up from 40% in 2009).
• 42% of all employers rated their knowledge of e-learning as 4 or 5 out of 5 (vs 37% in 2009), with an average score of 3.2 out of 5 (vs 3.0 in 2009). Ratings are even higher for employers who have had employees undertake VET through a registered training organisation (RTO) in the past 12 months.
• 60% of employers said that they expect their organisation's use of e-learning in provision of training to employees to increase in the next two years (vs 49% in 2009). Again, the response was higher among organisations which currently have employees undertaking accredited training.
• 85% of employers said that they would encourage their employees to use e-learning if it was available (vs 81% in 2009).
• Employers who are engaged with the training system are also now more aware of and more satisfied with the e-learning services being offered by training providers.
  

For the full report link to: 2010 Employer E-learning Benchmarking Survey Report (pdf)

The Flexible Learning Toolbox website has averaged over 50,000 visitors per month for the last six months. But the big question is – what are they coming to see? Toolboxes are online learning resources that use scenarios, images and interactive activities to reflect a real life workplace environment. They are customisable and can be tailored to increase the flexibility and relevance of your e-learning programs and suit your learners’ requirements. The Toolbox website features detailed information about each Toolbox, related training packages, qualifications and competencies, and allows you to preview and purchase Toolboxes and download FREE Toolbox learning objects – small ‘chunks’ of customisable and engaging e-learning content. You can browse, search and preview the full catalogue of Toolboxes by training package, or by Toolbox series.

Toolbox Repository

The Toolbox Repository is a bank of learning objects which teachers and trainers can search and download for free. Toolbox learning objects are smaller, self-contained components of complete Toolboxes. More than 1,700 learning objects are currently available, supporting a range of industries, nationally recognised training packages and competency units. Teachers and trainers are currently downloading more than 3,000 learning objects each month from the Toolbox Repository’s four collections:

* Toolbox learning objects
* E-learning Innovations learning objects
* Industry Integration of E-learning learning objects
* The Learning Federation learning objects.

Want to purchase a Toolbox?

Toolboxes can be purchased as an entire resource on a CD and cost approximately $400 and come with a teacher guide and installation booklet. To purchase a Toolbox, contact TVET Australia at: sales@tvetaustralia.com.au


Toolbox support

Toolbox Champions operate in every state and territory to support the implementation of Toolboxes. They conduct professional development opportunities, and provide advice and mentoring to practitioners and organisations about using and customising Toolboxes. Contact details for the WA Toolbox Champion can be found on the right of the page on the ePD website.

In 2009, the introduction of e-learning transformed little-known Island Health College (IHC), a small Tasmanian registered training organisation (RTO) providing natural therapy training to locals, into a nationally recognised training provider with more than 46% of learners enrolled in online modules.

With funding and support from the Australian Flexible Learning Framework’s (Framework) E-learning Innovations, IHC developed an online program for anatomy and physiology modules, which form part of a number of broader health qualifications. This provided geographically isolated learners in Tasmania with the opportunity to study natural therapies for the first time.

An online presence helped IHC secure Australian Pilates Method Association (APMA) endorsement as a preferred training provider of modules included in the Advanced Diploma of The Pilates Method, leading to national exposure and recognition for their pilates training.

IHC Director, Diane Donovan said that the online modules provided learners with the opportunity to gain competency in a broad range of qualifications, regardless of their location in Tasmania or on the mainland.

“Our learners include mature age learners working in the natural health industry and geographically isolated learners from around Tasmania and mainland Australia. The flexibility of online learning enables learning to take place with minimal disruption to day-to-day lives,” Diane said.

IHC uses the Moodle learning management system to deliver online training through forums, live classrooms, assessments and quizzes. Interaction through forums and live classrooms has proven successful in simulating a physical classroom environment and, as such, has become a mandatory requirement for learners participating in the course.

IHC Learning Program Coordinator, Angela Baker, said that it was essential that web conferencing software had the functionality and sophistication needed to provide the level of learner support and interaction associated with a physical classroom. For example, with IHC’s online course, teachers and trainers are able to drag and drop documents from their desktop into the live classroom session, enabling learners to access information on the spot.

With the delivery of online anatomy and physiology modules successfully bedded down, IHC has begun developing course content and delivery strategies for an online Advanced Diploma in Homeopathy, in partnership with trainers and assessors on mainland Australia.

In 2010, IHC plans to embed e-learning in the theoretical components of their entire catalogue of qualifications and expand even further into the national market.

The Framework’s E-learning Innovations business activity integrates and embeds e-learning into the national training system by supporting and enabling innovation in training design and delivery. In 2010, more than 140 projects have been awarded a share of $5.3 million to embed innovative e-learning solutions around Australia.

Find out more about E-learning Innovations

Re-skilling workers, particularly those with strong industry experience but no formal education or qualifications, is a key focus of the recently released Green Skills Agreement Implementation Plan.

The plan sets out a strategy for achieving the objectives of the Green Skills Agreement, endorsed by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in December 2009. It recognises that Australia’s transition to a low carbon, sustainable economy will require the re-skilling of millions of Australian workers who have no prior experience or training in sustainability – and that the vocational education and training (VET) system will play a vital role in delivering this training.

According to the Environmental Sustainability: An Industry Response report, compiled by Industry Skills Councils, the VET system will need to engage a range of non-traditional, learner-directed delivery techniques to ensure that environmental sustainability learning outcomes are achieved. To this end, the active and experiential nature of e-learning means that it is well-placed to help the VET system deliver green skills to this new generation of workers.

From an organisational perspective, the flexible, efficient and cost-effective nature of e-learning has the potential to significantly reduce the inevitable burden faced by business and industry in responding to sustainability skill requirements.

In 2010, the Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework) is funding and supporting a number of innovative training providers to develop Flexible Learning Toolboxes (Toolboxes) and E-learning Innovations projects to facilitate access to green skills training.

Three registered training organisations (RTOs) have been awarded funding to implement and trial an e-portfolio system which enables learners to move quickly and efficiently between education and training, employment and industry areas. Funded and supported by the Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework), the E-portfolios implementation trials will help to establish a national standards-based approach to e-portfolio technologies for managing learner information, and support the VET E-portfolio Roadmap’s key goals of embedding and transitions.

The three E-portfolio implementation trials are:

e-Pathways – Centre for Adult Education (CAE), Victoria

This trial will investigate the positive impact that e-learning can have on the personal development of disengaged and at-risk young people. Using the Mahara e-portfolio system, learners will create and maintain an e-portfolio to record and monitor their progress in achieving personal and academic goals. The trial will examine critical success factors in introducing e-portfolios to this specific learner group and track the transition from the current paper-based system of mapping individual pathways to a more flexible, accessible and engaging online system.

Mahara and regional RPL – Polytechnic West, Western Australia

This trial will investigate the potential of a Mahara e-portfolio system as a RPL (recognition of prior learning) tool for regional and remote laboratory technicians undertaking a Certificate IV in Laboratory Techniques . The introduction of an e-portfolio system will help trainees provide evidence of competency and skills they have gained through on-the-job training, helping them to up-skill to either a diploma (Diploma in Laboratory Technology) or a university degree (Bachelor of Science in Laboratory Medicine).

The trial will closely examine the digital literacy skills of learners and assessors as well as levels of technical and industry support, given the impact these factors can have on engagement and the extent to which an e-learning pedagogy is embedded. The suitability of POV (point of view) camera glasses in a laboratory setting will be assessed along with more traditional recording methods for capturing and uploading evidence to Mahara. Third party validation from laboratory managers will be used to ensure the evidence captured complies with AQTF (Australian Quality Training Framework) standards.

E-portfolios for nursing – Royal District Nursing Service, South Australia

In this trial, Diploma of Nursing students will use the PebblePad e-portfolio system to compile and present evidence to support a range of course and professional competencies, including those required by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council. The use of an e-portfolio system is expected to overcome complexity in integrating, applying and translating evidence of competencies required under both course and professional frameworks and to meet increased regulatory requirements around learning evidence.

Learners, many of whom are following study pathways to university, will also complete activities that require them to reflect on their work placements, in a bid to facilitate and smooth the transition between learning and work. Learners will use PebblePad’s webfolio function to publish learning outcomes and experiences to demonstrate the system’s capabilities and help future learners in building their e-portfolios.

For further information on the trials, visit http://flexiblelearning.net.au/e-portfolios or, learn more about e-portfolios.

With over 3.5 million courses registered worldwide, open source learning management system Moodle has grown to become one of the most popular delivery tools in education and training.

Teachers and trainers around the world are using Moodle with learners across all education sectors, from primary to high school to vocational and tertiary education. Moodle has the flexibility to deliver either complete online courses or blended learning, or to facilitate individual modules, assessment or networking exercises.

Click here to view the full article.

Individuals and organisations are embracing smartphones as they look for more ways to mobilise how they run their lives and businesses.

So what makes a smartphone anything more than an ordinary phone?

• Smartphones allow you to access your emails, contacts and appointments anywhere and anytime.
• Smartphones have more advanced hardware, ie a large, high resolution screen, lots of memory, and a fast processor.
• Smartphones allow you to run hundreds of thousands of applications in practically any category you can think of.
  

Click here to view the full article

We are unashamedly self-promoting here but just in case you miss it on the calendar, Cheryl Galloway and I are conducting this national presentation on Thursday 24th June.

"Do you want to use e-learning in your teaching and training? Are you confused about where to start and where to find help? Join Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework) Western Australian e-learning gurus, Cheryl Galloway and Janice Calcei, for a guided tour of online e-learning tools and resources that you can use with your learners.

Presenters:

Cheryl Galloway is the Framework’s Western Australian Toolbox Champion, and Training Innovations Leader at Durack Institute of Technology in Geraldton. She has 14 years in the VET sector and a passion for e-learning and the benefits it provides.

Janice Calcei is the Framework’s E-learning Coordinator in Western Australia. She provides support, advice and professional development to managers and lecturers in both public and private training organisations across Western Australia.

If you have not used a virtual room before, go to www.elluminate.com/support to check that your computer is ready.

Date: Thursday 24 June 2010

Time:

10.30 - 11.30 am WST

12.00 - 1.00 pm CST

12:30pm-1:30pm AEST

Where : This session will be held in a virtual room. Click here to join the session."

( Edited by James Taylor - original submission Monday, 21 June 2010, 12:58 PM )