Podcasts and vblogs (video blogs) are valuable teaching tools that allow learners to interact with course content regardless of their geographical location, work commitments or learning styles.

The popularity of iPods, MP3 players and smartphones means these devices are convenient tools for delivering course content to learners if they are unable to attend class – for example, due to geographical location or work commitments.

These tools provide an alternative to text books, allowing learners to access training in a format that suits their individual needs. The result is engaging and flexible content which is available to all learners, including those with low literacy levels, a hearing impairment or dyslexia.  

Stephan Ridgway from Sydney Institute of TAFE’s Workforce Development Unit has been involved in delivering this technology in vocational education and training for more than 10 years and has seen the benefits it provides.

“Podcasts and vblogs allow teachers and trainers to build a library of accessible and current resources. They can effectively provide their learners with up to date information to prepare for class or to support an in-class activity or lessons,” Mr Ridgway said.

Teachers and trainers can free up time in the classroom for practical learning activities by encouraging learners’ to listen to podcasts or watch vblogs before coming to class. The advantage here is that learners can then control the stream of information by rewinding and listening to segments again without taking up valuable class time.  

But how do you ensure your learners get the most out of the technology?

Despite the advantages of audiovisual technologies, Stephan does warn practitioners to be aware of the expectations behind the technology.

“Innovative technology is all about currency and availability. There is an expectation that podcasts and vblogs are episodic [serial] and will be updated frequently, so practitioners must be able to dedicate time to producing interesting recordings that will satisfy that need,” he said.

When considering the use of audiovisual technology for teaching and training, you need to take a strategic approach and plan your sessions based on a series of elements.

What you need to consider:

Technology - Do you have the technology to produce a podcast or vblog?
You will need recording equipment and a podcasting service to produce and deliver a podcast.

Find out what tools are available to help you

Appropriateness - Who is your audience?
Consider if a podcast or vblog will suit your content. For example, vblogs need to be visually stimulating – so someone standing at a lectern giving a speech would be better presented in a podcast.

It is important to find out how tech savvy your learners are. To be sure they will use podcasts, find out what portable devices they own and are comfortable with (eg iPods, MP3 players, smartphones).

Be aware that if you teach learners with a hearing impairment, you will need to provide a transcript of the recording to ensure accessibility.

Currency - Can you keep your resources current?
There is an expectation that podcasts will be on current issues and posted regularly. You must be able to invest the time into creating and uploading interesting content on at least a monthly basis. Create a schedule of topics and gauge their relevance to your learners.

Design elements - What form will your recordings take?
Do some research and find out who else in your industry is producing audiovisual resources.

A simple classroom recording may not be engaging for your learners. Instead, for a podcast you might like to record:   

• Q&A sessions with guest speakers 
• seminars, conferences or panel discussions 
• foreign language lessons (ie pronunciation guides).

A vblog is visual and therefore would be suited to more active lessons such as:

• storytelling and oral culture for Indigenous communities 
• movement, activities or drama 
• presentations or visual cues.

Visit Stephan’s website to learn more about podcasts and vblogs

Visit Media on the Move – a resource designed by the Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework) to help practitioners use podcasts and vblogs in education.

A  Framework E-learning Innovations project in Tasmania is introducing podcasts into their four-week intensive Special Preparatory Program for newly arrived immigrants.

In 2010, learners at Tasmanian Polytechnic will develop and record podcasts in a range of languages to provide localised information to help new migrants and refugees settle into their communities. Having these resources in their native language on hand at any time will help new members of the community to settle successfully.

Find out more about this project

Search E-learning Innovations projects

Text provided by the Framework’s Branding Team.

always worth a read the 2010 report is available

on the horizon it sees:

1 year or less: mobile computing and open content

2 - 3 years: electronic books and simple augmented reality

4 - 5 years: gesture-based computing and visual data analysis.

it also provides a summary of key trends, critical challenges and technologies to watch.

click here to access a copy.

 The following article on e-assessment appeared in the latest Education Services Australia newsletter…

There are strong arguments for using technology-supported assessment throughout the ‘learning journey’ - not least the fact that teachers can create and sustain an on-going dialogue with their pupils using the appropriate tools. But is our education system ‘e-mature’ enough to integrate assessment into everyday learning using the available technology?

This article, from the current issue of Vision, canvasses pertinent questions to the integration and implementation of online assessment.

Read  article

Are you a teacher or trainer in the Australian vocational education and training (VET) sector?

Do you use the LORN online portal to access the latest in education and training resources?

The Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework) is inviting feedback on the experiences of LORN users through the completion of a short online survey.

The results of the survey will help inform LORN’s future development needs to ensure it remains an effective, easy to use gateway to online training resources.

LORN Business Manager, Kim Edgar, said the portal has been continually enhanced over the years to ensure it remains a quality, user friendly service.

She said that the enhanced search functionality and the My LORN feature had been very popular additions and that she was looking forward to hearing about additional suggestions for further improvements.

The survey will open on Wednesday 7 July and close on Saturday 7 August.

LORN provides a one-stop-shop for practitioners and training providers to find and download more than 2,500 free or for cost learning objects from collections across Australia, including the Toolbox Repository.

Complete the LORN user survey: http://survey.educationau.edu.au/Surveys/TakeSurvey.aspx?s=F762A4484C4C49739B2AF0B740737C84

Content provided by the Branding Team (Australian Flexible Learning Framework)

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.

Conducted over six months, the trials will also examine the application of the Framework’s VET E-portfolios Privacy Draft Guidelines, provide feedback about their usability and adoptability, and develop resources to support learners’ understanding of privacy risks when using an e-portfolio system.

Trial outputs will be made available in the Framework’s E-portfolios Resource Bank – a comprehensive and central online resource including reports, articles, news, blogs and events dedicated to e-portfolios and their application in vocational education and training (VET).

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.

An online survey will be conducted with teachers/trainers and learners at the end of the trial to measure the extent to which learners engaged with the e-portfolio, as opposed to traditional methods, as a tool to monitor their personal and educational outcomes.

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  

Learn more about e-portfolios.

content provided by the Branding Team, AFLF

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.  

Taking advantage of the fact that a large number of learners, teachers and trainers now own a smartphone and are comfortable using smartphone technology, vocational education and training (VET) providers across Australia are exploring new ways to incorporate these devices into teaching, training and assessment.

 The Australian Flexible Learning Framework’s (Framework) Queensland Toolbox Champion, Sandra Lawrence, explained that using smartphones in this way can make teaching and training more flexible, engaging and immediate.

 “These technologies are opening up new ways for practitioners to share information and interact with learners,” Ms Lawrence said. 

 “Smartphones present an exciting opportunity to deliver mobile tools such as e-books, augmented reality and e-assessment applications to learners. Practitioners can send and receive large amounts of information while out in the field, streamlining the training and assessing process; meanwhile learners can access resources, tools and interact with their teachers and trainers beyond the physical classroom.”

 This year, the Framework is helping the VET system to incorporate smartphones into teaching and training with E-learning Innovations funding and support. 

 Skills Institute in Tasmania is managing two projects focused on using smartphones to benefits learners and assessors in the mining and transport and logistics industries.

 Traditionally, assessors in these industries carry large amounts of documentation when they travel to assess learners in the field. These projects aim to streamline the assessment process, by converting this documentation to iPhone compatible formats. iPhones will provide quick and easy access to assessment tools and store evidence such as video, images and job task sheets that assessors can upload straight to teachers and trainers.

 The iQTImPlayer, an advanced version of the QTImPlayer developed for iPhones, is being used as the delivery platform for iPhone resources in these projects.

 This shift from a paper-based system will make travelling long distances to assess geographically dispersed learners easier for assessors, by allowing them to leave bulky files and laptops at home. The ability to upload information directly to teachers and trainers also removes the requirement to enter assessment data into a learning management system (LMS) once the assessor is back in the office.

 Scripture Union Queensland is responding to the growing prevalence of smartphones among learners by testing the accessibility and functionality of their LMS (Moodle) on different mobile platforms.

 Scripture Union began the process of embedding e-learning in 2009. With E-learning Innovations funding and support, they implemented a blended learning approach combining face-to-face and online training (eg learning objects, wikis, and video streaming) for learners in the youth work industry.

 Scripture Union’s current project is altering this web-based content to be smartphone compatible, allowing learners to access training anywhere and anytime.

 With barely a week passing without a powerful new handset being launched on to the market, and with new applications constantly being released, the smartphone looks set to continue to revolutionise the delivery of education and training. Stay tuned to Flex e-News and flexiblelearning.net.au for updates on how the Framework is adopting and embedding these new technologies.

Janna Quitney Anderson, Elon University andLee Rainie, Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project recently reported that technology experts and stakeholders say they expect they will ‘live mostly in the cloud’ in 2020 and not on the desktop, working mostly through cyberspace-based applications accessed through networked devices.

This will substantially advance mobile connectivity through smartphones and other internet appliances. Many say there will be a cloud-desktop hybrid. Still, cloud computing has many difficult hurdles to overcome, including concerns tied to the availability of broadband spectrum, the ability of diverse systems to work together, security, privacy, and quality of service.

Among the most popular cloud services now are social networking sites (the 500 million people using Facebook are being social in the cloud), webmail services like Hotmail and Yahoo mail, microblogging and blogging services such as Twitter and WordPress, video-sharing sites like YouTube, picture-sharing sites such as Flickr, document and applications sites like Google Docs, social-bookmarking sites like Delicious, business sites like eBay, and ranking, rating and commenting sites such as Yelp and TripAdvisor.

read the full report at

http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/The-future-of-cloud-computing.aspx

catch up on the latest news and views from around Australia in the VET sector.

it is available here http://flexenews.flexiblelearning.net.au/

Surfing the e-learning wave

E-learning is a wave that’s gathering strength. Some of us are swimming calmly through the wave, some of us are surfing, and some of us are getting wiped out!

When learning a new skill such as surfing, you shouldn’t just give it a try and hope you’re successful the first time. You need to learn the fundamental skills first; otherwise, the surfboard will crash down on your head, leaving you wondering, “what was I thinking?!”

Similarly, to successfully create and/or deliver e-learning you first need to acquire some essential knowledge and skills. But how can you increase your e-learning skills when you don’t have time to attend face-to-face workshops? Online of course!

A new online e-learning development course, e-ready, set, GO! has been designed by the Australian Flexible Learning Framework’s (Framework) ACT team and is available now to help you develop, implement and embed your e-learning strategy from start to finish.

Available now are four self-paced online workshops that take you from pre-planning to the start of developing your e-learning resource:

·         Is my subject suitable for online learning?
Learn the basics of e-learning and discover a range of e-learning delivery tools and ways to design your own e-resources.

·         A webventure through the jungle of e-learning
‘Choose your own adventure’ through the many resources on the Framework website.

·         Storyboarding for online learning
Find out how to develop storyboards to convert your face-to-face course into an online course.

·         Dreamweaver for the creation of learning objects
      Get started using the Dreamweaver web development tool to create your own learning objects.

 More sessions will be added throughout 2010, including sessions on:

·         ARED version 2.1, which helps teachers and trainers with basic computer skills to build their own e-learning resources by adding content to one of six e-learning templates

·         online activities

·         customisation of online RPL (recognition of prior learning) tools

·         adding activities

·         piloting your e-learning.

 In short, this new FREE online course can help you catch the e-learning wave without fear of a wipe out!

e-ready, set, GO! is currently in the development and pilot phase and will be continually updated following face-to-face workshops with pilot groups in 2010. A user-tested version will be available at the end of 2010.

 Your feedback will help us to continually improve e-ready, set, GO! Please send your comments to Sue McShane, ACT E-learning Coordinator, at: susan.mcshane@cit.act.edu.au or call (02) 6207 3604.

So have a go, ride the wave, and get e-ready, set, GO!

Copy provided by the Australian Flexible Learning Framework Branding Team

for those of you working with Moodle, or just getting underway, the MoodleMootAU conference would be a great opportunity to boost your knowledge and provide you with lots of ideas about how to use Moodle for training. The projects outlined below will also give you some good ideas.

Moodle projects deliver e-learning without limits

Two E-learning Innovations projects funded and supported by the Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework) will feature at MoodleMoot AU 2010, one of Australasia’s largest education and training conferences.

MoodleMoot AU 2010 will be held at the Melbourne Convention Centre from 11-14 July. Themed Without limits, the conference will explore how the Moodle learning management system (LMS) is helping to deliver more flexible and engaging teaching and training across all education sectors including school, university, vocational education and training (VET), and for learners in the workplace.

Delegates will hear from e-learning and education experts about how Moodle-produced online courses and websites can enhance learner experiences in a range of ways. The conference will feature workshops, discussion panels and master classes highlighting the latest Moodle case studies, research and technology developments. 

Framework E-learning Innovations projects are leading the way in exploring new ways to use Moodle. Projects selected to present at the conference are:

Diving into mobile learning
Presenters: Bronwen Campbell and Melanie Doriean

Date: Tuesday 13 July, 3:00pm-3:25pm (AEST)

This presentation will show how the Australian Diver Accreditation Scheme (ADAS) is using Moodle as both a mobile learning tool and an information portal for learners.

Bronwen and Melanie will discuss how Moodle can be used in conjunction with mobile technology to provide learners with information while in the field, and explain how ADAS is using Moodle to provide mobile training beyond the classroom using technologies including netbooks, smartphones and iPod devices.

They will also discuss how ADAS is using an offline version of Moodle (Poodle) to provide information, resources and training materials to current and past ADAS learners.

Moodle and Mahara in new applications and E-learning Innovations

Presenters: Howard Errey and Nicole Ralph

Date: Tuesday 13 July, 4:00pm-4:25pm (AEST)

This presentation will showcase the different ways that Moodle and the Mahara e-portfolio system are being adopted by Victorian VET providers.

Howard and Nicole will discuss how this uptake is being driven by the availability of Moodle through Victoria’s Training Virtual Campus (TVC) e-learning platform; and explain how a number of Victorian E-learning Innovations projects have taken advantage of the flexibility of Moodle to enhance training delivery.

The session will also demonstrate how the Framework’s E-portfolios initiative is supporting Victorian training providers to use Mahara.

Want more?

The Framework’s Victorian Toolbox Champion, Ken Gooding, will present on Integrating Moodle into the Training Virtual Campus on Monday 12 July, from 2:30pm-2:55pm (AEST).

His session will demonstrate how TVC has integrated Moodle with existing products including:

 ·         an integrated content management system

·         Mahara

·         Blackboard (learning management system)

·         Elluminate (virtual classroom)

·         MessageMedia Web SMS system (mobile).

 A number of the Framework’s 2010 E-learning Innovations projects are also exploring Moodle:

 ·         Animal care online – This project will enhance the design and delivery of the Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing by developing new media-rich resources for delivery through Moodle.

·         CommC@re online – Two units of the Community Services certificate will be developed and administered online using the full functionality of Moodle (asynchronous forums, chat, rich media, and web 2.0 technologies) to provide an engaging mix of course materials and assessment options.

·         Embedding an e-learning framework strategy – This project will embed Moodle as a means to provide a one-stop learning space and communication tool for remote learners and facilitators.

Visit http://flexiblelearning.net.au/innovations/teamprofiles to browse all E-learning Innovations projects since 2008.

 Register now

There are limited registrations remaining for MoodleMoot AU 2010 so register now to avoid missing out.  

 copy provided by the Branding Team