Use the back arrow on your browser to return to this table of paper abstracts

AN ASSESSMENT OF VOCATIONAL CURRICULUM WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PRODUCTION ENGINEERING (DPE) AT THE COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGICAL STUDIES, KUWAIT

Dr. Salah Al-Ali, Associate Professor, College of Technological Studies, Kuwait

The importance of reviewing and up-grading vocational curriculum to meet local market requirement is highly stressed in the related literature. (Kathryn Ecclestone, 1996, the World Bank, 1995) In fact, it is always believed that the success of technical and vocational institutions would rely mainly on the quality of curriculum. In addition, there is no doubt that courses particularly those dealing with science and technology must undergo a continuing review and up-dating since the world of work is exposed to the invasion of new techniques and methods that can be at the mercy or a curse to human beings. The need to link particularly vocational and technical education with industry is extensively discussed in the literature. (UNESCO 1979, BHEF 1988, Patrick 1990) "In recent years, progress has been made not only in expanding technical and vocational education to meet skilled manpower needs, but also in terms of broad reform directed at making education as a whole more responsive to social and economical requirements." (UNESCO 1979). This paper examines the performance of the College of Technological Studies, CTS, particularly the department of Production Engineering in achieving its objectives. Attention would be devoted to examining the consistency of the curriculum taught with market requirements. The study would be based on extensive fieldwork that encompassed a review of the related literature, questionnaires and personal interviews with the dean of the CTS, and selected staff and students. In addition, to obtain a wider view of the subject under investigation, personal interviews with key figures and direct supervisors in the industrial sector were also conducted. The aim was to investigate and assess the methods applied in forging linkage with local industry, especially those directed in reviewing and up-grading curricula. Finally, the paper argues that unless the CTS strengthens collaboration with local industry, the standard of graduates would not be improved thus increasing dependence of expatriates.

GENERATING UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN CONTENT EXPERTS AND MULTI-MEDIA DESIGNERS: SOME PEDAGOGIC INSIGHTS FOR WEB-DESIGN DERIVED FROM RESEARCH INTO A CD-ROM PRODUCTION PROJECT

Scot Aldred, Mark Sinclair & Richard Smith, Central Queensland University

Flexible leaning entails the use of packages such as CD-ROMs, in addition to and often in tandem with Web-based materials. There is always a need to build pedagogy into these learning media, but the task is not straightforward. This paper offers some insights from a funded research project that investigated precisely this sort of task in relation to the interactions of content and multi-media design experts engaged in the production of a blueprint for an ESL CD-ROM. The paper first outlines the particular project that served as the vehicle for the investigation, and explains the generic applications of the project to education technology more broadly. It then draws on some of the data elicited during the project to focus attention on the ways in which content and multi-media design knowledge can be progressively integrated in order to develop the pedagogic power of a product. It pays particular attention to reciprocal changes in the project's content and multi-media design participants' conceptions of each other's expert knowledge and abilities. It concludes by outlining some arguably generic strategies for formalizing such realizations in an educational technology design protocol.

MEASURING THE LEVEL OF TEACHER'S STRESS AT EARLY YEARS SCHOOLS IN KUWAIT

Dr. Sawsan Ali-Tarkait, Assistant Professor, College of Basic Education, Kuwait

Frustration and pressure caused by the daily fast-pace and ever-changing surrounding has caused stress to become a part of everyone's daily living. Stress is actually the body's reaction to the stresses we face in our lives (Kaiser & Polczynski, 1982; Terry, 1997). The stress experienced by teachers is no different (Bruke, Greenglass, & Schwarzer, 1996). Kuwaiti teachers of early years have been complaining of stress of work and it's been a topic of discussion over the years. The extra responsibilities for the classroom duties have become increasingly difficult. Kuwaiti Ministry of Education recognizing the harmful side which might affect the teaching of early years process and its impact on the personal lives of teachers and their students has tried to adapt a new technique of teaching early years to reduce stress on both teachers and children. This paper examines the level of stress experienced by teachers at early year's schools in Kuwait in addition to evaluating the effect of stress on the standard of learning environment and the surrounding educational materials. The study also examined the collaboration (if any) between the College of Basic Education and the Ministry of Education, particularly in the actions taken to reduce the level of stress to its minimal level. The study is based on a field work that contain an extensive review of the related literature, questionnaires and a personal interview with the head of the early years department both at the University of Kuwait and the College of Basic Education, as well as staff members in higher education. A personal interview with the head of the research Department of the Ministry of Education was also conducted to explore the reasons hiding behind the lack of collaboration between the Ministry of Education and higher education. Finally, the paper would argue that unless stress is reduced to an acceptable level, teachers at early years schools would be able to achieve their objectives thus affecting the quality of learning for early year's school. 

Vicki Angliss, DeakinPrime, Deakin University

This paper describes the instructional design approach and initial outcomes of an initiative involving the US professional association, the Institute of Transportation Engineers and DeakinPrime, the B2B (business to business) division of Deakin University. The key objective was to provide task-centred continuing professional development for transportation professionals worldwide. As instructor-led training becomes less popular in the US due to travel and associated costs, individuals and employers are seeking more efficient ways to address their development needs. It was apparent that the field of traffic engineering could lend itself to effective online teaching and learning particularly if the technology could be used to stimulate worthwhile learner interactions. Four courses are delivered online through a learning management system with an e-commerce front end and worldwide availability 24x7. Both parties view this partnership as a long term one and the project is ongoing. Additional courses will be released over the coming years, subject to funding availability. 

SCHOLARLY PUBLISHING GOES ONLINE: WHO IS WINNING?

Dr. Roger Atkinson & Dr. Claire McBeath

Internet based online or electronic publishing of scholarly journals and conference proceedings leapt into prominence during the late nineteen nineties. However, is the outcome a clear case of predominance for electronic publishing, of online "winning" in competition against print based publishing? Our presentation reviews trends in scholarly publishing in educational technology and some general areas of educational research, to address this and several related questions. Are commercial publishers "winning" over professional society based, not for profit publishers? Are large scale publishers with hundreds of journals "winning" over small scale publishers with only one or two titles? Is "winning" an appropriate term or are there other, more useful ways to compare the diversity of types of articles, selection processes, formats, media and publishers in educational technology and related academic topics? This article obtains some evidence relating to these questions from circulation data for printed copies, page access counts for web copies, data on price per article or per view for subscribers, journals changing from society based to commercially based publication, and from analyses of reference citations. We draw upon our experiences with two journals, Australian Journal of Educational Technology (AJET), and Issues In Educational Research (IIER), and with numerous conference proceedings, including ASET's EdTech series. For analysing reference citations we assigned a format (journal, proceedings, monograph, or other) and a medium of publication (paper, website with unrestricted access, website with restricted access, or other). We present some initial findings on trends in citation of references which are available online compared with references not available online, and online references free to the Internet compared with restricted access. Although the findings are subject to many limitations, current trends suggest that commercial publishers of scholarly journals are using online delivery successfully to strengthen their overall share of the market. Nevertheless, a small number of online, not for profit journals published by professional societies, including AJET and IIER, have attained strong growth by timely adoption of Internet technologies.

DEVELOPING TOMORROW'S LEADERS THROUGH PROBLEM BASED LEARNING AND AUTHENTIC TASKS

Dr Dianne Chambers, University of Melbourne

At the University of Melbourne a Problem Based Learning (PBL) approach to learning has been implemented in a technology rich environment to support undergraduate education students develop into independent learners and school IT leaders in coming years. PBL requires both students and staff to take a new approach to learning and provides challenges for all. Students must take complete responsibility for their own learning and for shared outcomes with team members. Staff must learn to step back and allow control for learning to be held by the students - a role vastly different to the 'lecture theatre approach' of most university teaching! It was found that, initially, both students and staff found these new roles challenging but, by expressing concerns to each other and exploring them, the new roles became not only easy, but the preferred mode of learning. Students approached four problems in teams of four to five students and each student was a team leader once during the year. The problems were all set in a fictional school that was richly described in a supporting website. Teams were presented with a challenge that had been set by the school's principal or School Council and teams had to prepare a presentation and recommendations to the School Council a month later. Problems that the teams undertook were: IT in Curriculum Design; Developing an IT Budget; Developing an IT PD Plan; and Developing a Three Year IT Plan. This subject involved students in the final year of their studies and many students commented on the benefits of this approach to learning. They acknowledged that as graduates they would soon need to take responsibility for their own learning and saw that participating in a PBL class they had had an experience that supported the transition to the new world of a teacher.

UNIVERSITIES AND THE DIGITAL DIVIDE: HOW THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA IS ATTEMPTING TO BALANCE ITS EQUITY MISSION AND ITS VISION FOR AN ONLINE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Michelle, Circelli, University of South Australia, Deborah Tranter, University of South Australia & Professor Eleanor Ramsay, University of South Australia

With the inevitable move towards an e-learning environment in general and a heavier reliance on the web for academic and administrative purposes, issues of equitable access to information technologies are of great importance to the University of South Australia. Indeed, part of the University's vision is that by 2005 it will provide an online learning environment recognised for its accessibility and level of service. In 2001, 1.5% of our students were Indigenous, 3% indicated they had some form of disability, 2.5% were from a non-English speaking background, 15.5% were from rural or isolated areas, and 23% were categorised as being of low socioeconomic status. Furthermore, 17% of our students were studying externally, while just over 40% of our commencing students were mature age learners. Together they represent a significant cohort and one to which the University has pledged a commitment to ensure equitable access. Individually and collectively these groups have specific IT issues which need to be addressed. It is in this context that UniSA is currently examining the IT-related services and facilities it provides to its students. This paper will highlight the achievements by the University thus far in its quest to fulfil part of its vision for 2005, the issues of greatest concern, and the means by which the University will be addressing these concerns.

INDEPENDENT ACCESS: WHICH STUDENTS MIGHT BENEFIT FROM A TALKING COMPUTER?

Bronwyn Disseldorp & Dr Dianne Chambers. Department of Science and Mathematics Education, University of Melbourne

This paper will discuss the findings of a recent study that investigated an aspect of using computer text reading software in an assistive role for secondary school students. Text reading software, also known as "Screen reading", "Speech synthesis" or "Text-To-Speech" (TTS) conversion software, provides a synthesised speech reading of text by the computer, allowing users to access information aurally as well as reading it from the screen. Secondary students who experience reading difficulties are likely to be disadvantaged in subjects that require the reading of texts. Alternative access to texts may provide some students with the opportunity to reduce the limitations that weaker reading skills place on their use of text materials. Text reading programs may be valuable in an assistive role, independent of reading remediation activities, in that they could provide an alternative method of independent access to text at a higher level than would be possible without such assistance. A comparison was made of the reading comprehension of students using a text reading program, Read and Write (Texthelp, 2000) and their reading comprehension without assistance. The study found that the students were able to answer significantly more questions about what they had read, when using Read and Write than when reading unassisted.

SOFTWARE AGENTS AND THE HUMAN FACTOR IN THE ELECTRONIC CLASSROOM

Dr. Carolyn Dowling, Australian Catholic University

One of the fastest growing applications of AI research is the implementation of computer programs commonly referred to as 'agents'. Among the features distinguishing this type of software from more traditional programs are a high degree of autonomy in decision making and action, the ability to 'learn' from experience and to adapt their behaviour accordingly, and often a highly personified interface. Many are specifically designed to process complex information, make decisions and initiate actions in 'mission critical' areas of human endeavour including health, scientific research, government, business, defence, the law, and increasingly in education. While some of the roles envisaged and implemented for these electronic entities contribute to the many background tasks that support the teaching/learning process, others involve direct interactions with students, thus participating in the 'social' dimension of the classroom that is of such importance in contemporary pedagogical theory. While in many instances we are aware of our interactions with these electronic entities, this is not always the case. Implicit in our conception of an 'agent' both in the physical world and in cyberspace is the notion of delegation. Important aspects of this concept are our understandings of features of human interaction such as trust, responsibility and our capacity to judge competence and intention. Teachers are frequently cited as being among the most 'trusted' professionals in society. The substitution of computer programs possessed of varying degrees of intelligence, autonomy and 'personality', for various dimensions of a teacher's human presence within the computer based classroom raises a number of questions in relation both to pedagogical and to broader ethical and social issues. Through discussion of both theoretical considerations and practical examples, this paper explores some of the contentious aspects of the implementation of agent technology within electronic learning environments

TRANSFORMING INSTRUCTIONS FOR IT SKILLS EXERCISES INTO SPECIFICATIONS FOR ASSESSMENT TESTS

Dr. Roy Dowsing, University of East Anglia

This paper describes part of the outcome of an ongoing research and development project to computerise the assessment of authentic IT skills for a nationwide examination. The project has been running for six years and has currently generated assessors for the use of word processors, spreadsheets, databases and web authoring skills. These assessors are part of a distributed workflow system running across the internet and currently are being used by several thousand candidates a year. This paper specifically describes the transformations required to generate the specifications which drive each assessor from the instructions given to the candidate sitting the examination. At present the specifications, which define the regions of the candidate's answer which need to be checked for given assessment criteria, are generated by hand but this is an error prone procedure. However, the instructions given to a candidate define the actions which the candidate should perform and thus can form the basis of the assessment specification. The instructions cannot be directly used as the assessment specifications because there are overriding assessment rules - such as not penalising candidates who later correct errors - which mean that tests in the assessment have to be carried out in a different order to the instructions. Also, because of instructions which cause insertion and deletion, moving assessment tests may mean changing the regions affected. The transformations have been automated and examples will be given showing how the assessment specifications for the spreadsheet assessor can be generated automatically from the encoded examination instructions.

HYBRID LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS: IS THIS THE NEW VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING?

Rae Fankhauser, Fankhauser & Associates, Michael Orr, Morr Solutions & Helen Smith, Faculty Education, Language and Community Services, RMIT

This paper will focus on issues of cooperative work-based training and assessment and the development of hybrid learning environments where electronic tools are being used to support formal training and assessment in the workplace. Multimedia toolboxes for trainers and trainees in the community services industry have been developed by a consortium lead by RMIT University for the Australian National Training Authority and Community and Heath Services Training Australia . These toolboxes reflect the changing nature of work, training and assessment, illustrating a new sense of entrepreneurial culture emerging between universities, training providers, industry bodies and those responsible for standards and accreditation. The development of the electronic workplace assessment program, CSTP Assess, is further evidence of this evolving environment. Through the application of electronic tools in a web, database and CD environment, the programs provide users with access to formal instruction materials, real video case studies, competency linked work-based activities, the development of high-end record keeping tools and links to current research and professional advice. This hybrid model of self-paced formal instruction and situated learning and workplace assessment, gives significant control to the learner, trainer and assessor, and facilitates the training and accreditation of those disadvantaged by current systems. The multimedia templates developed through these projects have potential for customisation across other areas of education and training.

THE USE OF ANIMATION IN THE DELIVERY OF INTERACTIVE ONLINE WEBCT TRAINING

Stuart Fletcher, Australian National University

The Australian National University has make a major investment in web course management tools (WebCT) and offers its staff members a comprehensive but conventional face-to-face training program to enable them to use this new technology in their teaching. This training program consists of 8 basic two-hour course modules, and a seminar focusing on teaching and learning issues, and has been well received by many academics. However, face-to-face training does not suit everyone's schedule or learning style. This paper is concerned with the design, development and evaluation of an online, self-paced, interactive alternative to conventional training using Macromedia Flash technology. The self-paced learning modules will be offered on the web through the WebCT logon screen. We have chosen Flash because it produces the smallest files, which is best for use on the web, and because the viewing window can be scaled without losing image quality. The user works in an environment that looks like WebCT but is actually a Flash movie. He/she is introduced to the concepts taught in each module through computer run demonstrations that use animation, sound, and text. The user is prompted to repeat the actions of the demonstration and is guided through all of his/her actions with both text and sound. Later he/she is encouraged to enter his/her WebCT site and apply what has been learned.

LEADERSHIP, CHANGE AND ICT IN EDUCATION

Greg Gebhart, Lowanna College Newborough

How important is good leadership for ICT and education, and how are schools managing constant change? This session will focus on leadership in ICT as well as leadership in education, and how the two are essential to develop a learning culture and environment for the youth of tomorrow. The session will challenge educators to step out side their comfort zone and look at many of the community issues that effect young people. With ICT being one of the major catalysts for change in education, the presenters will look at the importance of ICT leaders as role models in education. Key points to be covered include the role of principals, administrators and ICT managers in education, communication skills, business models for education, community partnerships, empowering staff and engaging the reluctant learner. The presenter will draw from his experience as a participant in the Gippsland Community Leadership Program and the Gippsland Education Leadership Program, which he has established.

VISIT MY CLASSROOM, ON-LINE, IN-HOUSE, E-LEARNING AND MORE

Greg Gebhart 

Welcome to my classroom. Where the teacher is a facilitator, who guides discussion and moves about the room, assisting students with their individual needs. Where the course content is on-line with worksheet, unit guides and interactive pages displayed. Where work is submitted electronically, and student progress is updated daily. Where student's assists in group learning and student assessing other students is common. This is "schools of the future" and "classroom of tomorrow". The session will take you into the presenter's classroom. The presenter will provide a demonstration of his delivery method and course, using a range of on-line ICT methods. The course provides training for Certificate II Arts Interactive Multimedia, which is also a VCE Vocational Education Units 1 to 4 subject. He will reflect on the positives and negatives of each model as well as provide a students perspective of this different approach to learning.

PROBLEM BASED LEARNING ONLINE

Ken Gooding, Chisholm Institute of Technology

Problem Based Learning (PBL) is based on the way we learn in our every day lives. The focus in PBL is on the learner being an active participant in communicating and collaborating with others, researching information, making decisions and presenting ideas.. The use of online technologies can provide a dynamic support for many of the activities involved in PBL. The Problem Based Learning Online session will take the form of a hands on workshop in which participants will engage with a problem and work through a number of online group based activities developed to support a course in Recreation Management. The problem based learning course provides individualised role-playing and other collaborative activities in a simulated park environment. The workshop will be presented in WebCT and will provide details on how the communications and student management facilities can be used to provide a customised group based learning environment. Workshop participants will be involved in an online role-play as well as group decision making and presentation activities. The workshop is aimed at teachers, trainers and developers who will incorporate a level of active group learning in their online programs.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS: ROLES, RELATIONSHIPS AND REFLECTIVE PRACTICE TO IMPROVE THE USE OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

Les Hardy, Monash University, Faculty of Business and Economics & Robyn Benson, Monash University, Centre for Learning & Teaching Support (CeLTS). 

The effective use of educational technology in the higher education sector is rarely an individual endeavour. The skills involved in design, production, teaching, evaluation and student support draw on a complex network of roles and relationships, the success or otherwise of which can have considerable impact on the central relationships in the learning environment that they support: those between the student and teacher, the students themselves, and the students and their learning resources. For improving student learning and the range of factors that contribute to it in a technology-enriched learning environment, the concept of reflective practice has much to offer. Using as an example an undergraduate subject which is offered across campus and national boundaries, this paper holds a mirror up to one set of relationships involved in its design and implementation, that between the teaching academic and educational designer. Reflection roles and relationships involved in the learning transaction thus extends the notion of reflective practice as it relates to students and those directly involved in educating them. Just as the shift in focus made possible by considering the multiple narratives of teacher and students can be seen as a rich resource for reflective practice and for the improvement of learning so, too, do additional perspectives add further dimensions to understanding and improving the learning environment.

MULTIMEDIA EFFECTS ON LEARNING: DESIGN IMPLICATIONS OF AN INTEGRATED MODEL

Toby Hede,  Swinburne University & Andy Hede, University of the Sunshine Coast

Research on multimedia and related instructional technologies over many years has been characterised by inconsistent findings about their effects on learning. This is because of the myriad of contingent factors which have been shown to moderate multimedia effects. This paper offers a model that is designed to integrate the main elements identified in the literature and also to describe their key inter-relationships. The model comprises 12 elements, that is, theoretical constructs which can be operationalised as variables. The independent variable in the overall model is Learner Style and the dependent variable is Learning. The remaining variables are either intervening or moderating or both, namely, Visual Input, Auditory Input, Learner Control, Attention, Working Memory, Motivation, Cognitive Engagement, Intelligence, Reflection and Long-Term Storage. Most of the 12 main elements have a number of component elements which also constitute constructs and variables. Each of the elements in the model is linked to one or more other elements, some having up to eight linkages indicating causal or associative relationships. Because the model incorporates so many elements and highlights their complex inter-relationships, it necessarily has limited explanatory power. Nevertheless, it does have the capacity to generate testable hypotheses about each of the relationships it identifies. There are some exaggerated claims in the literature about the benefits of multimedia over traditional instruction. The reality is that the new and emerging instructional technologies used by multimedia are only tools - unless they are applied with careful regard to the complex nature of human information processing and learning, they can have a detrimental effects. The proposed integrated model has the potential to prove useful in fostering good instructional design that properly accounts for the complex nature of multimedia effects on learning.

STUDENT REACTION TO SPEECH RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY IN LECTURES

Andy Hede, University of the Sunshine Coast

The Liberated Learning Project uses automated speech recognition technology in lecture theatres based on IBM's ViaVoice engine. An international consortium of universities has been developing this technology with the assistance of IBM over the past three years. The mission of the project is to create and foster a learning environment free of barriers where all students have equal access to information presented in lectures. Lecturers first train the software to recognise their individual speaking style, accent and any specialised language. They present the lecture wearing a wireless microphone linked to a high-end laptop computer which digitally converts their speech into electronic text for display via a data projector, enabling students to simultaneously see and hear the lecture. After the lecture, the text is edited to insert punctuation and remove any recognition errors, and is then made available online for students to access for revision. While the project is primarily aimed at students with disabilities and those from non-English speaking backgrounds, all students in the lecture have access to the screen text and can elect to access the online lecture transcripts. The present study was designed to assess the reaction of the wider body of students in three university courses in business and science. The method involved a survey of students about their experience with the voice recognition technology. Aspects assessed include the extent to which they used the screen text, whether their understanding of the lecture material was improved by the screen text, whether the inaccuracies were distracting and whether they used the online lecture transcripts. The results are interpreted in terms of their implications for student learning and recommendations are made about the use of speech recognition technology in university lectures.

CREATING AND DELIVERING TELEVISION AND VIDEO RESOURCES IN THE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT: TEN YEARS EXPERIENCE WORTH SHARING

Robert Hill, DEET Victoria

In the twenty-first century, scheduled television programming, especially in the educational environment, has increasingly become an anachronism in the world of 'open learning' and 'flexible delivery'. 'Anywhere, anytime, anyhow' has become one of the key tenets for provision of educational resources. Hence the burgeoning availability of educational resources through the Internet, in particular on the World Wide Web. Similarly, there is more and more pressure to make 'modern educational resources' interactive if they're to be acceptable to the broader educational community. In this context, that interactivity is usually via a computer, more often than not through the Internet and live chat-rooms not withstanding, usually happens asynchronously - that is, at a time when it best suits the student or the provider/teacher. However, the best educational resource in the world (television program, video etc.) is really of little or no value if nobody knows about it, has easy access to it, or ultimately watches it. The Department of Education, Employment and Training's digital television service - Schools' Television - has been providing Victorian schools with a broad and diverse range of video-based resources for the best part of the last ten years. As the demand for rich media educational content has increased and the need to provide it to end-users in the "anywhere, anytime, anyhow" framework has gained momentum, the experience, expertise and products of the Schools' Television team, (part of the Digital Video Services Unit within DEET Victoria) have become myriad and should be of great interest to content providers and producers everywhere. This paper will highlight a range of the Unit's experiences, illustrate some of their products and discuss the varying approaches to creating and producing it. It will also look at some of the delivery and access options used over the last ten years and discuss some of those under consideration for the next ten.

ONLINE AND JUST IN TIME

Peter Holmes

The change implications of implementing a strategy to use technology in the delivery of eLearning solutions in a large organisation. Examining the change implications of such a strategy and discussing strategies that can be used in organisations to assist with these change issues. It discusses the leadership skills required to get it implemented. In order to do these things it also looks at the concept of eLearning in organisations and discusses some reasons for its implementation and some key characteristics of a sustainable eLearning strategy.

REFUSING OR IGNORING? AN INVESTIGATION OF STUDENT TEACHERS' PERCEPTIONS AND USE OF COMPUTERS

Anthony Jones, La Trobe University

Pre-service teacher education courses tend to focus on the content of school curricula and the cognitive development of pre-adolescents and adolescents. Teacher education students at the commencement of the 21st century are also expected to develop the skills, techniques, and knowledge necessary to apply various learning technologies in school classrooms. Although there has been more than two decades of computer use in schools and universities, educators do not fully understand the links that develop between learners, their teacher, and whatever learning technologies they use. Schools in Australia and other developed countries have acquired an increasing number of computers for student use. At the same time the nature and style of educational software has changed dramatically. The text-based drill and practice programs that characterised the first wave of educational software have been replaced with investigative or exploratory programs that often make extensive use of multimedia. In conjunction with these changes, or as a consequence of them, teacher education programs in the area of educational computing have undergone major modifications. In this paper a range of issues arising from the inclusion of mandatory ICT related subjects in a pre-service teacher education course are explored. Participants completed questionnaires about perceptions of personal ability to use ICT, and use of computers during teaching rounds. The major focus was the feelings, beliefs and perceptions of student teachers about their ability to perform a range of computing tasks. In addition, links between such perceptions and the use of computers during a teaching practicum were investigated. 

STRETCHING THE SCHOOL IT BUDGET FURTHER - USING THE ALPHASMART 3000 PORTABLE WORD PROCESSOR

Barbara Landsberg, SPECTRONICS

This is a 20 minute presentation. Schools often feel pressure on their IT budgets. How can we stretch our hardware budget further to benefit more students? How can we give more students access to computers for more of the time? The AlphaSmart 3000 IR is a simple, portable and affordable computer companion which offers many advantages to schools making these decisions. This workshop will step participants through the features of this low cost "classroom-toughened" word processor as an alternative to using high cost multimedia laptops and desktops for simple note taking and keyboarding skills tasks. Several AlphaSmarts will be available for hands-on experience of the following features: transfer of text documents to a computer for final compilation and editing; use of infrared transfer of information - which does not require connection of cables and is "error-free"; downloading of files from a home or school lab computer for additional work in classrooms or out in the field; KeyWords typing tutor program which allows touch-typing classes to proceed for up to eight separate students on each AlphaSmart, with monitoring of progress and printed speed and accuracy reports for each student - freeing up labs of computers for students requiring computers for more complex computing tasks; Co:Writer program on the AlphaSmart which offers additional supports for the student who struggles with composition of written work. The workshop will also briefly discuss the types of students who benefit from access to the AlphaSmart. These include those students who experience difficulty with handwriting and problems with organising their written work.

ACCESSIBILITY OF FLEXIBLE LEARNING RESOURCES: A PROACTIVE APPROACH TO PROVIDING EQUITABLE ACCESS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Jacqui Limberger & Cheryl Brown, Griffith University

Few flexible learning initiatives across Australian universities are soundly informed by equity principles and practice. Griffith University has always had a reputation for innovation, particularly through its focus on equity and the approach it has taken to flexible learning. In response to the Disability Discrimination Act of 1992, Griffith Flexible Learning Services was awarded a Griffith University Equity grant to undertake a project aimed at ensuring that the design and development of University flexible learning products and services would meet the needs of target equity groups, namely, students with disabilities. This project addressed key objectives of the Division of Information Services' Equity Plan and contributed to a number of University wide initiatives that address access, participation, success and retention rates of target student groups. Meeting the needs of all equity groups and a range of disabilities can seem quite daunting, and was well beyond the scope of this particular project. However, on closer examination, the kinds of 'solutions' that arose from our investigations into best practice reflected the principles of 'good practice' and 'universal design'. Adopting this approach from the commencement of the design and development process meant that learning opportunities could be maximised for all students, not just those with a disability. The challenge lay in interpreting specific accessibility guidelines into sound principles for practice and embedding them into the Griffith University context, its approach to flexible learning and the platform it uses for delivering and managing flexible learning resources (Blackboard(tm)) which was introduced to Griffith for semester 1 2001. How could a mainstream multimedia design and development unit create flexible learning web sites that are accessible to a diverse student population, rather than overlay 'extras' onto an existing process? What considerations need to be made in the conceptual and design stage to ensure flexibility in delivery and access options? How could we ensure that the full potential of the web to provide innovative and challenging learning experiences for students would not be compromised by the need to provide accessible resources? This paper will provide an overview of the methodology used to undertake this project, the issues, challenges and obstacles that were encountered as part of this process, the outcomes of the project - including initial results from the pilot testing phase - and the implications of this on the institution and our practice. It will also include a number of educational, strategic, technical and operational recommendations for other universities embarking on this kind of activity.

ICT AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF FLEXIBLE PROVISION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIA

Dr. Peter Ling, Geoff Arger & Paul Muelenberg. Swinburne University of Technology

This paper reports on an investigation of the effectiveness of models of flexible provision of higher education in Australia. The study was commissioned by the Australian Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs and completed in 2001. In this study flexible provision is defined in terms of providing choice for learners because this is expressed or implied by educational providers in using the adjective 'flexible'. For all the providers surveyed offering flexibility involved the use of educational technologies, particularly online delivery of tuition materials and online communications. The methodological challenge faced in this study was how to address hard-edged research questions relating to effectiveness and cost effectiveness in the context of a variety understandings of key terms, the individuality of the approaches taken by providers, and a want of agreed measures of effectiveness. In response the investigation employed case studies researched and described around a set framework of topics and evaluated against criteria for flexibility, effectiveness and cost effectiveness. A summary of each case was depicted graphically. The depictions - referred to as 'depictograms' - provided a means to readily compare the cases.

IT AND LANGUAGE TEACHING: BUILDING TEACHER CONFIDENCE

Stephen Lock, Monash University English Language Centre

A relatively new area of second language teaching and learning has been termed CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning). Up until relatively recently, CALL mostly meant word-processing and the use of relatively crude, commercially designed software programs. Since then the explosion of the Internet has given teachers and students an almost unlimited database of authentic materials for study, a vast collection of specialist language learning sites that have been developed by experienced teachers, bulletin boards, e-mail, chat rooms etc., for the most part free of charge. As well as all this there are now available new and extremely sophisticated software programs like 'Planet English'. CALL as Paramskas points out has in less than four decades, become "to the delight of some but to the dismay of others, a vital tool in second language learning" (1999:13). The 'dismay ' Paramskas refers to is clearly palpable in many teachers of ESL (English as a Second Language) when asked to teach CALL and is a major cause for concern for administrators and teacher trainers, not to mention the teachers themselves. This paper begins by describing the modern language classroom in terms of prevailing methodologies and approaches. It goes on to highlight the differences between teaching CALL and regular classroom language teaching that are perhaps the cause of some of the feelings of 'dismay' for many teachers. This is followed by a plan of action that offers practical suggestions to assist the non-specialist and/ or part-time CALL teacher, to gain in confidence and perhaps transform those feelings of 'dismay' into ones of 'delight'. 

MUSEUM VICTORIA ONLINE - SOSE

Janet Marlow & David Jay, Museum Victoria

The Internet enables unprecedented access to Museum Victoria resources including collection object and image databases, Science, Social History and Indigenous Cultures research. These workshops provide an introduction to ed-online-the gateway to Museum Victoria's on-line education resources-and an overview of current projects. The paper features two projects: Bioinformatics and Flying Colours, The Biggest Family Album in Australia and Imagining Australia 1914-1918, Encounters-A History of Aboriginal People in Victoria and Hidden Histories.

ENGAGING MIDDLE YEARS STUDENTS THROUGH WEB AUTHORING

Lesley McCarthy, Keilor Primary School

Students in the Middle Years of schooling - years 5-9 are often characterised as lacking motivation and engagement with schooling, having poor literacy skills, being low achievers and with behaviour problems. Using Web Authoring as a tool in which research is presented to a particular audience has resulted in work of a much higher calibre, students who are motivated, engaged and actively pursue research. The creation of personal web sites with Dreamweaver, Flash and Adobe PhotoShop and the incorporation of digital images and sound has brought to life and made relevant, research as well as focusing on the CSF outcomes relevant to these year levels. My paper will address some of the research into the Middle Years of Schooling and the relevant findings together with an exploration and explanation of how work with multimedia and the Internet engages those students most at risk.

DIGITAL LITERACY - INFORMATION LITERACY - THE NEW LITERACY

Lesley McCarthy, Keilor Primary School

Concerns about information literacy skills in students predates the computer age. There has always been an emphasis on teaching students to develop skills required to read, interpret and analyse the written word and the meanings often lying behind. The rapid growth of the Internet and the access it provides to vast amounts of information has raised concerns regarding the need for increased attention to information literacy. Very different from the information available in other forms of media; textbooks, documentaries, encyclopaedias and library materials, all of which have been carefully researched, documented, edited and selected for publication and presentation, the Internet is "unproofed" information. Published by experts and students, scholars and paedophiles, the times when teachers and parents were able to control the information flow is over. The enchantment of the Internet will force the issue of developing greater information literacy skills for all.

FORENSIC FACT FILES: DEVELOPMENT OF AN ON-LINE RESOURCE FOR TEACHERS OF FORENSIC SCIENCE

Paul McGlynn. Education Officer, National Institute of Forensic Science

In 2001, I was a part of the Teachers Release to Industry Program of the DEET, Victoria and VECCI obtaining a placement at NIFS. One of my roles for the year was to develop educational resources on forensic science for a range of audiences, including students, teachers, police and lawyers. Given that NIFS is a small body, located in Melbourne but with a nation wide audience, and my own interest in on line learning, the main form for this resource was planned to be web based. The result is the "Forensic Fact Files" which are now on the NIFS website. It may be previewed at www.nifs.com.au/FactFiles/fact_files.html. In this session, I will present the resources as they currently exist. I will also discuss the development of this resource including the incorporation of feedback from users and the technical issues involved in presenting what is basically the same content to different audiences. I will also discuss issues of on going development and expansion of this dynamic site and invite feedback and discussion. Ideally participants should also have the opportunity of browsing the resource.

ONLINE LEARNING AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Joanne McInnerney & Tim S Roberts, Central Queensland University

The person who will be most effective in the teaching role is likely to be the one who inspires students to want to learn, and who teaches with an enthusiasm and love of the subject. But such apparently praiseworthy attributes may be hard to convey effectively when the teaching takes place remotely online, rather than face-to-face. The academic who teaches online has many decisions to make, but the most important is the decision of how he or she will communicate with the student. Does he or she treat the student as a person with ideas, or as an object or number who has to be dealt with - interpersonal or impersonal? Academics, administrators, and students alike have to understand that there are many differences between the face-to-face and online learning environments. This paper discusses some of the ways in which effective communication can be enabled to occur between academics, administrators and learners in an online learning environment, thereby providing optimum learning opportunities for students.

WEB-WORK-SEARCH-SYSTEM: ENHANCED ACCESSIBILITY

Dr Elspeth McKay, RMIT University & Dr. Jennifer Martin, RMIT University

Finding work is never an easy process. Currently job-seekers have to wade through several information sources (newspapers, complex computer listings, internet browsers that contain employers' vacancy listings, computerised databases with job-matching facilities, and cold-call telephone canvassing). However, job-seeking tasks are even more difficult for the disabled and despite the Web Access Initiative (WAI), there are no Web-enabled work searching systems designed as vocational rehabilitation tools. This paper describes an applied research project, which aims to explore the educational aspects and general accessibility of Web-based work search resources for unemployed people (or those seeking the opportunity for a change of employment) with a physical, sensory, intellectual or psychiatric disability or illness. Throughout this paper the term disabled will be used to refer to this group of people. Based on the needs expressed by industry partners, governmental representatives and self-help agencies, a Web-Work-Search-System (WWSS) is currently undergoing a planning/scoping process. The WWSS will provide a computerized platform offering experiential work-place examples for people who may have never been employed, or may not have sufficient recall of past work related experiences. If successful, the WWSS will improve the existing agencies' ability to deliver a specially targeted work searching resource. This research is responsive to the real world issues faced by the self-help agencies and their clients alike; in particular, the dilemma of finding employers who are cognizant of the special needs of vocational rehabilitation programmes. A primary objective of the research initiative is to devise effective instructional strategies to inform vocational rehabilitation providers, and to better understand how to generate appropriate opportunities for disabled individuals seeking to enter the work force. 

ONLINE COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN A TERTIARY ENVIRONMENT

Lissa McNamee & Tim S Roberts, Central Queensland University

Collaborative learning may be seen as an emerging paradigm within the tertiary level of education, as institutions struggle to adapt to the new environment forced on them by factors such as the increasingly widespread use of the Internet for course delivery. While collaborative learning has been widely discussed in the K-12 (Kindergarten to Year 12) context, comparatively little research has been conducted into the use of collaborative learning techniques at tertiary level. This paper provides a comparison of some actual case studies of courses which have involved online collaborative learning as an integral component of the learning process, notes some common strengths and weaknesses, and makes the case for further research to be carried out in this area.

CASE STUDY OF IP VIDEO CONFERENCES WITH DOCTORATE STUDENTS TO TAIWAN

Paul M.C. Meulenberg. Swinburne University of Technology

The mainstream of videoconferencing technologies has been focusing largely on linking up via ISDN and, to some extend, ATM. Now, however, there is a growing trend to use IP as a main transport vehicle for such video conferences. It initially took one year to develop the first version of H.323 standard for duplex video over IP. It took another year to get the new standard approved. Now, some 5 years later, H.323 is still being improved. Version 4.0 of the H.323 protocol has just been produced by RADVISION. The industry continues to push large organizations to send video, audio as well as data over IP. Educational Institutions are also jumping in all over the globe. Swinburne University of Technology is pushing the boundaries a little further by insisting that their overseas DDes student use it to link up with their supervisors. Background. Ddes (3yrs full-time, 6 years part-time) (International students). The Professional Doctorate in Design is an innovative program of advanced study designed to meet the professional needs of experienced designers in Industry and education. Its focus is upon the new emergent electronics media and the creative application within the fields of design. These have wide application across the entire range of Design professions, and are equally relevant to professionals working in, for example, Industrial Design, and Interior and Exhibition Design. Its project-based structure allows the designer to pursue a research goal appropriate to his/her discipline, while using technology to better achieve that goal. Program structure. The Professional Doctorate in Design commences with eight weeks of intensive study at the Prahran Campus, Melbourne. Part time students then return to their respective countries to continue to study part-time. Background First group. The first group of overseas students commencing the program, all were from Taiwan. Of the 15 students, 12 decided to study part-time, 3 Full-time. All of the students are currently employed as teachers/lecturers in educational institutions in Taiwan. The Taiwanese governments has made it compulsory for these teachers/lecturers to have an PhD. If not they are to loose their positions. The part-time students were required to have regular meetings with their supervisors. The strong visual aspect of their research often required visual sighting of their work, hence video conferencing was considered. Initially we looked at standard ISDN video conferencing. This was studied but rejected for the following reasons: Durations of the meetings was approx. 1 hour each. That was to be 13x individual video conference hours per month to Taiwan. The costs for these were seen as to be prohibitive. Secondly, the logistics of booking video conference facilities at Prahran was also not favourable. Thirdly, students at Taiwan did not all have access to ISDN type video conference facilities nearby. IP video conferencing was considered next. The positives outweighed the negatives and we opted to accept the IP video conference linking using Polycom products. Purpose of the paper. The study looks at the processes required to set up effective communications with students using digital video conference media. It identifies the hurdles that needed to be overcome and looks at the educational values of such link ups. Conclusively it also addresses some of the technical problems as related to IP video conferences across vast distances

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IN THE 21ST CENTURY: A PRODUCT SHOWCASE: eWORKSPACE

Giacomo Mirabele, CRC Sydenham and eWorkSpace

"...The old saying "knowledge is power" sometimes makes people hoard knowledge. They believe that knowledge hoarding makes them indispensable. Power comes not from knowledge kept, but from knowledge shared. A company's values and reward system should reflect that idea." Bill Gates, Chairman and Chief Software Architect, Microsoft Corporation. Over the past few years the buzzwords of the education world have shifted from the old world concept of a static Internet, to the new world concept of a dynamic Intranet. An Intranet is more than just an internal wired network. It is more than just a collection of Web pages linked together by the savvy skills of a web master. We believe that the future is about organic, dynamic knowledge environments that empower people to manage information and communication. An Intranet solution should be a structure that grows according to the needs and aspirations of the people it serves. With the above philosophy in mind we at eWorkSpace.com.au in collaboration with Catholic Regional College Sydenham, went ahead and developed our own in-house Knowledge Management Solution. Now known as eWorkSpace 3, it is a system that provides a rich and collaborative Intranet environment for the publication and management of Information. eWorkSpace is a completely web based Knowledge solution with Course Management, Content Publishing, Booking, Attendance and Reporting systems. This commercialised product was and is being developed within a school environment. It is not just a simple file uploading product, but a complete in-browser editing system, with complex and powerful publication tools. It could be said to be the best of Blackboard, Encarta Class Server and IBM's Learning Village all rolled into one.

A GOLDEN HERITAGE ONLINE

Michael Ots, Heritage Victoria

Gold brought the world to Victoria. It brought new people, new skill and new ideas to the little colony. Impressive buildings from that period still stand throughout Victoria - imposing churches, post offices and courthouses. The wealth that flowed from the gold rushes was reflected in roads, railway lines, bridges, mechanics institutes, police stations, cemeteries and schools. A Golden Heritage Online explores Victoria's magnificent built heritage. It provides Victorian teachers and students with an online resource examining a range of themes. These include the origins of the Victorian gold rushes, patterns of migration, environmental effects, the impact upon the indigenous community, the growth of public works programs, political reform movements, crime, punishment and health as well as the development of cultural life in colonial Victoria. The web site features a rich collection of written and visual material including historic photographs, 360° views of heritage places and virtual tours. It also includes a series of 'video snapshots' - enabling students to view streamed digital media to hear presentations from Heritage Victoria's expert staff. Drawing upon the records of the Victorian Heritage Register Online, the website also includes background notes and comprehensive descriptions of heritage sites throughout Victoria. This paper considers the ways in which educational resources can be delivered online by cultural organisations. It examines how digital technologies can provide students with learning experiences based upon web interactivity. It will also review the findings of an evaluation survey considering the online study of heritage places within the context of site architecture and thematic content as well as interface design and use of navigational tools.

PARENTS' AND TEACHERS' REPORT ON STUDENTS' USE OF COMPUTER AND ITS IMPACT

Odette Radi, University of Melbourne 

This paper presents a pilot study of the effects of computers on literacy levels in a small sample of 52 subjects (aged 13 to 14 years) in a junior high school. It focused on literacy levels as measured by reading comprehension and vocabulary skills. The study was prompted by my personal observation as a classroom teacher in the computer studies area. Over a period of time, I observed a drop in students' literacy that seemed to accompany the increased use of computers in classroom settings as well as in the domestic environment. In addition, this observation was also supported by some parents and teachers who expressed concern about the decline of reading and writing that students were demonstrating through their schoolwork as computer use increased. The literature review has been carried out to determine the extent of computer use on the adequacy of literacy skills. There has been considerable disagreement on issues concerning the scale and pace of change that is liable to be associated with increased use of computers at home as well as in the education system (Beynon and Mackay 1993: 1-18). The degree to which education participation incorporates computer use in all learning areas will depend on the educational and training infrastructure. However, the diversity of literacy issues remains the main focus and continuous concern in technological and theoretical analysis. This area needs continuous study, for technology is vastly advancing and implying changes to all aspects of life. Through engaging in ethnographic research, certain techniques and strategies were applied to determine the extent of the impact of computers on literacy acquisition in a secondary school. The parents' and teachers' responses were for and against the use of computers. The majority of them felt that the children were spending more time on the computer than reading any type of printed text. The high use of computer is not allowing the children to develop their literacy skills as expected at this age. Spending their time exploring the microelectronic medium is good for developing computer literacy, but not the language literacy. Nevertheless, the parents had been convinced of the necessity of technology in their domestic environment for their children's needs. This area requires further study on a wider scale for the vast advancement in computers since its availability is on the increase. The technological transformation is occurring faster than the society can adapt to it.

LEARNER INTERACTION AND CURRENT PRACTICE IN ASYNCHRONOUS DELIVERY

Tim Roberts, Central Queensland University

Anecdotal evidence suggests that computer science and information systems courses are often delivered with little heed paid to educational theory. This paper attempts to look at current practice in online asynchronous delivery in the context of Moore's three types of learner interaction - learner-content, learner-instructor, and learner-learner. Four models of online asynchronous delivery currently used for CS and IS courses are described - the naïve model, the standard model, the evolutionary model, and the radical model. The paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each approach, recommends the circumstances under which each should be considered as the preferred model, and relates each of the models to the three types of learner interaction described by Moore [7] - learner-content, learner-instructor, and learner-learner.

ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE USING AN ONLINE DISTRIBUTED LEARNING SUPPORT SYSTEM

Ian Robertson & Damon Cartledge, Box Hill Institute of TAFE

This paper seeks to outline and discuss the application of diffusion theory to organisational change in the development and implementation of a computer based learning support system for a metropolitan institute of TAFE. The paper introduces the Distributed Learning Support System (DLSS) and the challenges encountered in its development as a learning system per se. Diffusion theory is discussed as a means of reflective interpretation about the progress of the project to date. Theory is drawn from Surry's (1997) conference paper Diffusion Theory and Instructional technology, as presented to the United State's Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT).

PRACTICALITY OF A TECHNOLOGICAL TOOL FOR THE TEACHING OF FIRST YEAR PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS

Lata Satyen, Department of Psychology, Victoria University

Increasingly, technological tools are being adopted for many subjects and courses for their delivery. However, it is important to evaluate the practicality of the tool for the respective course. While some courses can be delivered efficiently with the use of technology, others may be better off using traditional methods. The current paper discusses the applicability of an online manual for the teaching of first year psychology laboratory programs and compares it with the conventional teaching methods. For the first time, in the second semester of 2001, the manual for the first year program was made available via a website, and students were required to refer to it constantly for the entire lab program. This method was in contrast to the text manual that was utilized previously. When the text manual was used, students needed to bring it each week to class. However, with the online manual, students were required to be cognizant of several aspects of the week's! laboratory agenda prior to attending the class and did not have immediate access to the manual in class. This was quite uncustomary to both students and staff members and therefore necessitated a great amount of time to be spent reviewing the contents of the week's work before attending class. It also caused an inconvenience both in terms of students not having ready access to necessary information, and staff having to photocopy bulk information as and when required. What was discovered at the end of the semester was that a technological tool, because of its ability to provide easy access, may not be applicable to teach all subjects, particularly not the psychology lab program, and hence a thorough evaluation of the practicality of the device is required prior to adoption.

EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE!

Judith Sinclair, Australian Network of Practice Firms

This presentation demonstrates an innovative and creative training delivery method which gives students a solid and meaningful business experience. It highlights the changing role of traditional education. The prime mover of this form of learning is the Australian Network of Practice Firms (ANPF), a major national education, training and employment-related initiative being adopted by many concerned education and training providers across Australia. A practice firm is a simulated business, owned and operated by students. They take on different roles and tasks, learning by trial and error, and working in teams to reach successful and profitable outcomes. They develop technological and task management-oriented skills which open doors into real workplaces. All this takes place in a virtual business environment, which can be adapted to suit the level and challenges needed by the group. Students are guided, coached and mentored by their teachers and staff from a real business but are encouraged to practice action-learning strategies: planning, acting, reflecting and incorporating new ideas and insights. Practice firms trade their virtual products and services with other practice firms in ANPF. There are currently over 160 practice firms in Australia, located in all States and Territories, in schools, TAFEs and universities. The context of a practice firm is an ideal way for a student to develop job-ready skills. Competency based courses have outcomes that fit well within the practice firm training environment. This contextual environment can be successfully used for academic programs including business studies, information processing, languages, and communication. Practice firms trade internationally with over 3,500 international practice firms in Europe, Canada, the US, South America and Asia. Students work on a global basis, learning about different cultures and currencies, and managing the challenges of changing exchange rates! The headquarters of ANPF at the Canberra Institute of Technology provides a simulated bank, taxation agency and public utilities necessary to simulate real business activities. The Office also manages an e-commerce site and works collaboratively with urban and rural schools and TAFEs, private training providers and distance education programs across Australia. Experience a brief taste of working in a simulated business environment. Incorporating the principles of experiential and reflective learning, this experience will help to identify the distinguishing features between the practice firm training methodology and other business training simulations. It will also highlight the need for close involvement of business and industry in the provision of training programs that are designed to provide career opportunities and sought after future employees.

LEARNING LINKS ONLINE: ESTABLISHING CONSTRUCTIVIST AND COLLABORATIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

Dr. Elizabeth Stacey, Deakin University

The Internet and the World Wide Web have made it possible to establish a new type of learning environment in which learners can collaborate with fellow students to construct a meaningful and powerful learning experience. It is through student ownership of the learning environment that really effective learning occurs and this paper will describe courses that have been established to provide such experiences. It will also describe strategies for effective teaching of constructivist and collaborative online environments. The paper will draw on research into postgraduate online courses at Deakin University, including a study into online collaborative learning which found that interactive online group discussion was central to the learners' effective construction of new conceptual understandings. Through the social context of group interaction, the collaborative groups developed a consensus of knowledge through communicating different perspectives, receiving feedback from other students and teachers and discussing ideas, until a final negotiation of understanding was reached. Drawing on Vygotsky's theory that conceptual understandings are developed through verbal interaction, the study found that a socially constructed learning environment is essential for effective learning. The social conversation of CMC provided the learner with a context and stimulus for thought construction and learning which is the means by which the group contributed more to each learners' understanding than they are able to do individually. Later research focused on a postgraduate education course which was developed in response to students' growing interest in the theory and practice of teaching in a virtual medium and in which a constructivist learning environment was established in which students were actively engaged in identification of issues for discussion and the investigation of a problem, critiquing related cases while reviewing information resources. Learners developed collaborative skills with others, using the social support of the group to learn effectively.

PLAY THE INTERNET GAME - WITHOUT A SCREEN IN SIGHT

John Stewart & David Demant, Melbourne Musuem

In this 45 minute session, you will participate in the Internet Game - but not on a screen. This game is suitable for any number of participants; it can be played in a classroom or in a school hall with a minimum of 15 people and a maximum in the hundreds. It illustrates how the Internet works and in particular how information is transmitted through that network. The Internet Game has been developed as part of the education program associated with an exhibition at Melbourne Museum. The exhibition and activities are highly relevant to Information and Systems Technology, CSF II Levels 3 to 6.

CONSIDERATIONS IN SETTING UP AN APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM FOR A TEAM-BASED PROBLEM SOLVING PROJECT

Ian Thomas and Paul Wellington, Monash University

Most innovations in teaching and learning eventually end up having to confront a range of issues relating to assessment of student performance. In this workshop you will explore issues associated with establishing an appropriate assessment program to assess student performance in a problem based learning setting and in which students participate in multidisciplinary teams. You will at various stages in the half-day program work in small teams of 4 - 5 people to establish criteria for judging the appropriateness of an assessment program, and you will devise an assessment program for a particular program.We will be using our work with the Multidisciplinary Industry Project (MDIP) at Monash University over the last five years as a case study to underpin the workshop activities, and to highlight how we have attempted to deal with a range of issues related to the diversity of our student body. Numbers are limited to 20 participants. Additional workshops will be arranged if the number of enrollees exceeds 20

INTEGRATING GIRLS INTO TECHNOLOGY

Robyn Treyvaud, Wesley College, Greg Gebhart Lowanna College Newborough & Lori Rounds Woods Academy Maryland USA

This session will share a successful strategy for 'integrating girls into technology!' Participants will view a successful model for encouraging girls to engage in technology related learning. It is an easily replicable method that has been so successful in Australia that is has recently crossed continents into the United States as well. Participants will also learn what it takes to get girls motivated and involved with technology, and about the role reversal that has taken place in the teacher/learner relationship. Girls are often reluctant to use technology and have markedly different needs and uses of technology available to them in comparison with boys. To solve this problem, the club GEEK is CHIC was formed. The girls not only grew to enjoy working with technology, they thrived! They went on to develop an award winning website, and received the very prestigious Award for Excellence in the Junior Multimedia division from ATOM: Australian Teachers of Media. Their work has also been recognized by the Women Online Week, a Commonwealth of Australia initiative. GEEK is CHIC has grown to include the GuRL Friends project, an outgrowth of an initiative began by conference delegates at the World Conference on Computers in Education 2001, held in Copenhagen, Denmark. Conference delegates Robyn Treyvaud <AU>, Lori Rounds<US>, and Greg Gebhart<AU> began the project as an opportunity for girls to create, communicate and learn. The girls have used a wide variety of technologies throughout the project. To date, they have used email, instant messaging, PowerPoint, voice messaging, and video conferencing. They are also designing web pages to learn about each other's cultures, lifestyles, and learning experiences. 

THE NATIONAL ICT EDUCATION ENQUIRY 2001 

Dr: Juhani Tuovinen, Charles Sturt University 

The Australian federal government conducted a national study of the ICT education in Australian Universities in 2001. The study investigated how ICT educators work in universities, especially their educational innovations and the dissemination of the innovations, how the graduates of the tertiary ICT education programs viewed their preparation for the workplace, and how the employers of the graduates viewed the existing ICT education. The study group surveyed existing literature in these areas, surveyed both the graduates and employers and sought information from the practising ICT educators in all Australian tertiary institutions teaching ICT subjects. The ICT educators' views were obtained by inviting them to local working conferences where the research team worked with them to elicit their opinions and the develop ideas in depth. The results of the study provided information relating to the perspectives of the ICT educators, the recent graduates, and the ICT employers. Based on these conclusions recommendations for the government, the universities teaching ICT courses and the employers were formulated to improve the various facets of the Australian ICT educational program. The recommendations fall into the following categories: employers' views of ICT graduates, graduates' views of their ICT education, ICT educators' views on teaching and learning innovation in ICT education, teaching and learning innovations in ICT education, the dissemination of ICT educational innovations and the educational evaluation of ICT teaching programs.

CULTURAL ISSUES AND THE ONLINE ENVIRONMENT

Dr. Jennifer Tylee, Charles Sturt University

The cultural issues associated with the online environment revolve around the compatibility between culturally determined approaches to learning and perceptions of the online world and how the online environment is presented and learning styles that it requires or favours. This is a complex and challenging area with few guidelines. Hofstede's 1997 work on cultural dimensions can be used to begin to examine the cultural perceptions of the accessibility of online materials and how these dimensions might effect user interface design. The cultural dimensions can also be related to literature that deals with adult learning styles and the approaches to learning that are being deemed appropriate for developing in online courses. The technologies and approaches to learning espoused as being appropriate for online courses have arisen from a particular cultural base. There is then a cultural bias in views about the appropriateness of using the online environment for learning and in the views about what should be developed for online learning. This paper presents a beginning point for analysing the cultural issues surrounding learning styles and access perceptions in the online environment. The paper presents the position that cultural perceptions of online technology as a way of learning and the correctness or rightness for all members or particular members of a culture to use this approach to learning can be seen as one barrier for members of certain cultural groups. If the first access perception barrier either does not exist or is overcome then whether or not a culturally appropriate interface is used presents a second potential barrier to accessing online learning. 

TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ONLINE - FERTILE GROUND OR FETID SWAMP?

Vickie L Vance & David McKinnon, Charles Sturt University

The challenges presented to schoolteachers are multi-dimensional. Teachers are continually faced with catering for diverse needs of a dynamic population, squeezed in the middle by parents from one end, politicians from another. They are continually being asked for individualised instruction while time and location pressures add other dimensions. A professional development course was designed to address the diverse student needs that teachers face, through what the research suggests is one of the most credible (from the teacher's perspective) sources of information - other teachers. To address location and time issues, the course is conducted via the Internet providing communication and information through this media; it has been called Online Professional Development (OLPD). The first time OLPD was run, conclusions from participant feedback and facilitator observations suggested that teachers did not have high technology skill bases; were hesitant communicating to large colleague populations and did not structure their time to 'attend' to the course. In 2001, the course was run with changes, giving us OLPD MkII. The facilitator implemented structures to scaffold participant's technology skills, scaffold communication procedures and addressed time management issues. Teachers (n=15) from two education systems, spread from the central west to the central coast of New South Wales, are currently participating. OLPD MkII is currently in it's final stages and facilitator reaction suggests that contrary to the widespread hype that online learning is the saviour of the education system, critical and profound issue are eroding common assumptions. Are we on fertile ground or is it just a fetid swamp?

HOW ARCHITECTURAL FORM CAN ENHANCE THE INTEGRATION OF TECHNOLOGY

Geoff, Voller, Penrith Anglican College

Penrith Anglican College is a new private school built at the foothills of the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. From its inception the school was built around the philosophy of providing easy practical access to information at the point of need. To do this the College embarked on an exciting experiment in which building form has facilitated function. The College consists of a number of modules, each of which houses a stage of the school. Each module contains four classrooms, with each room coming off a central learning area. The central learning area houses 15 computers, a teaching/research area and a library. This simple but incredibly effective building design has had some far-reaching and surprising consequences for the school. To begin with, the combination of hard copy library resources, electronic research facilities and the learning space has allowed a balanced information skills strategy to be employed with the children. The ease of access to these facilities has allowed the cross fertilisation of ideas between the teachers and students who inhabit the same block. In the I.T. realm, some of the outcomes of this interplay between building form and function are witnessed in the increased use of technology by the teachers and an increase in the meaningful integration of technology and information skills into the curriculum. As well teachers are more motivated, finding interesting and innovative ways to employ technological solutions to curriculum challenges. The versatile design of the learning centre has allowed it to be an Internet Research Space, a Graphics Lab (simply by adding graphics tablets), a Robotics Lab for Design and Technology, and a Language Laboratory for French. Indeed most subjects' classes in the junior and senior school have found stimulating and interesting ways to bring the 21st century into the classroom.

UNIVERSAL WEB DESIGN: STRATEGIES FOR UNTANGLING THE WEB

Dr. Denise Wood, University of South Australia, Justene Knight, Equity University of South Australia & Michelle Circelli, University of South Australia

The University of South Australia (UniSA) has a mandate for social justice with a clear commitment to access and equity, internationalisation and flexibility in the delivery of teaching and learning to students studying on and off-campus. It is also among the leaders in the use of information technology (IT) to deliver corporate and teaching and learning content. Indeed, part of its vision for 2005 is that UniSA will provide a learning environment in which IT will be accessible to all and pervasive in its application in all its programs. The need to ensure such online teaching and learning environments are accessible to all is an imperative, not only from a social justice perspective, but a legal one. A number of Australian higher education institutions are responding to this imperative, and effectively so (e.g., Charles Sturt University, http://www.csu.edu.au/acadman/webpolicy/ Curtin University, http://cea.curtin.edu.au/online/policies.html and the University of Tasmania, http://www.utas.edu.au/webdev/accessibility/). UniSA is following their lead in developing strategies for improving the accessibility of corporate and academic online services. This paper will present a case study describing the transition of an online site from one that was largely inaccessible to one that is designed to be accessible for a diversity of staff and students. This paper will demonstrate how an online environment can be transformed using the principles of universal design. The reported case study will provide other organisations with a model about how they might go about addressing these issues within their own institutional context.