e-Show n Tell 2007

2:00pm – 3:00pm

Immersive e-learning: a model for delivering and assessing risk-based competencies

with Delia Bradshaw, Julie van der Klift and Brad Beach

Is it sometimes too ‘risky’ learning about risk in the workplace? Have you thought about using virtual technologies as an alternative? This session provides an overview of VERBL – virtual experience of risk-based learning – a framework for the implementation and embedding of immersive technologies for risk-based learning. VERBL was developed following a series of trials within the community services area using Second Life as a learning platform.

Extending the QTI mPlayer

with Peter Higgs and Sam Meredith

“In 2005 New Practices funded the development of the QTI Player for use in the then emerging mobile learning environment. This was a great leap forward for learning and assessment in the workplace. Since then the demand for on the job training and assessment has increased ten fold. With this teachers and assessors have been burdened with the need for both double handling of learning content including assessment tools and data when in the field. This project intends to extend the development and use of the QTI Player, that functions on hand held devices, to enable practitioners in the field to access content, assess students in their workplace, provide feedback and then upload the data in a secure way to the learning enterprises systems and eventually their Student Management System. The first project only covered the development of the QTI Player and did not cover in its scope the use of remote access and uploading of data to an organisational system.”

This presentation will advise attendees the re- development phase with the QTImPlayer in 2007, including an update on the advantages of using QTI in mobile learning and assessment. The project has made some ground breaking achievements to be poised to revolutionise “on the job” assessments that advantage enterprises and training organisations alike. Some of the achievements to date include:

• Creating and validating assessment tools to meet the new AQTF requirements.
• Converting the validated assessment tools to QTI packages.
• Re-developing the QTImPlayer of 2005 to meet the changes that have occurred in the IMS QTI standards.
• Trials with the QTImPlayer and the wireless technology enabling field activities in “on the job” assessment.

12:30pm – 1:30pm AEST
with Barbara Ganley and Barbara Sawhill

Barbara Ganley, lecturer in Writing and English at Middlebury College, Vermont and Barbara Sawhill, Director of the Cooper International Learning Center at Oberlin College, Ohio, are teachingpractitioners at the peak of their craft, using new media and social software tools to build their learners’ digital and language literacies.

This discussion explores the pedagogical basis of the six-year (so far!), transformation of their teaching practice and provides plenty of evidence demonstrating the learning innovation they foster.

This ‘live conversation’ is part of Edition 15 of The Knowledge Tree an e-journal of learning and innovation. Edition 15 illustrates how educators, businesses and learners have transformed the learning exchange, using social or ‘participatory’ media (Rheingold 2007).

Visit The Knowledge Tree website at: http://kt.flexiblelearning.net.au/

12:30pm – 1:30pm
with Chris Richter and Jennifer Dunbabin

Learn how to use VET Virtual for your online meeting and teaching pleasure. This application is the child of KISS and WYSIWYG – simple to use with lots of useful features. Chris Richter, the room’s designer, will take you on a tour to get your planet rescue efforts up and running.

Vet Virtual Summary

Vet Virtual is a collaborative space, set up to trial the use of high capacity connectivity for real time teaching and meeting spaces for the VET sector as part of the Access to Bandwidth Project, which is part of the Australian Flexible Learning Framework. Vet Virtual allows teachers and students to meet in 3 different rooms. A Meeting room which allows up to 12 users with audio, video, whiteboard and files. A Training room for teacher student learning and an Auditorium for large groups with up to 2 presenters. All rooms allow a shared whiteboard, audio, video, personal and group files.

Vet Virtual Requirements

Flash player 8, Web Browser (IE6+), Headset Microphone, Web Cam(Optional), Broadband (Dialup does work)
OPTIONAL but recommended – AARNET connection to decrease latency and allow a more pleasurable experience.

Attending this session:

To access this session go to: http://vetvirtual.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=31

• Click on the MEETING PARTICIPANT ROOM button
• Enter YOUR NAME
• Access the E-LEARNING EXPERIENCE ROOM from the list.

For technical assistance please contact:

• Jen Dunbabin: 03 6233 8487
• Geoff Logan: 03 6233 6169
• Chris Richter: 02 6721 1572

Another great entry from Alicia Boyle, Education Coordinator at Desert Knowledge CRC.

Alicia says: Chupa Chups are great first up in the morning – as recommended by Johnathan.

with Jonathon Finkelstein
11:00am – 12:00pm

Join Jonathan Finkelstein, founder of LearningTimes, author of Learning in Real Time, and host of the Real Time Minute for an exploration of unique, real-time online group activities for the live virtual classroom. We’ll look at innovative learning activities and facilitation approaches that harness a group’s collective energy to achieve a learning objective in a social, meaningful way.

Whether you are currently working in the synchronous realm of learning or not, this keynote promises to open eyes and take online learning to the next level of engagement.

9:30am – 10:30am AEST

Central Australian Education and Training Network

Presented by Alicia Boyle

The CAET Network is based in Alice Springs and supports both knowledge sharing and professional development of practitioners and others who are passionate about demand driven Aboriginal education and training. We’ve spent much of this year discovering and developing our skills in a wide range of E-tools and working with our Industry partner, Desart, and their member art centres to explore the use of digital stories, ones they create for themselves, in language, for learning. This presentation will share this exciting journey from our central deserts.

Top End Groove – Sharing Stories

by Cathy Curry

Top End Groove is a network of Indigenous Tourism Operators and training practitioners from across the Top End of Australia. Having members separated by over 3000km of dusty roads, river systems and crocodiles, means e-learning is an essential part of our network. This presentation will share a couple of the key learnings from the network:

• alternatives to ‘paper based’ assessment and skills recognition – photos, e- testimonials and digital stories
• communication tools and strategies for VERY remote areas – what works well

Day 3 e-Show n Tell

To access and join in with Friday’s sessions:

• Login at http://networksevents.flexiblelearning.net.au
• Check out the upcoming sessions listed on the left side of the home page OR go to the PROGRAM
• For each session, select the Elluminate link associated with that session
• Access the ‘Discussions’ link to join in with asynchronous discussions
• Access the ‘Wiki’ link to put up your suggestion/s about valuable learning resources (prize for this activity)!
• Peruse and comment on the terrific BLOG of the event and put up your *photos* as part of the photo competition

PRIZES for the wiki and blog activity will be announced early next week!

Brief overview of sessions:

All times are AEDST (Australian Eastern Daylight Saving Time)

Morning

• From 9:00 – 9:15 Cathy Baxter will highlight aspects of the live sessions and other activities.
• From 9:30 – 10:30 Alicia Boyle and Cathy Curry will show you examples of how e-learning is working with remote Indigenous groups, artists and tourist operators. This is a multi-media rich presentation and both Alicia and Cathy were recently interviewed on the Knowledge Tree e-journal.

11:00am – 12:00pm: KEYNOTE - Jonathan Finkelstein founder of LearningTimes and international guru on synchronous learning tools will show you unique, real-time online group activities for the live virtual classroom. He is sure to open your eyes and take your online learning and teaching to the next level of engagement!

Lunchtime – 12:30- 1:30pm

• Barbara Ganley and Barbara Sawhill will give many examples of how they are using social software to build their learners’ digital and language literacies. This ‘live conversation’ follows on from their scholarly article in the Knowledge Tree.
• Jennifer Dunbabin and Chris Richter will demonstrate the VET Virtual tool. This is NOT an Elluminate session. It will be conducted on VET Virtual and you can find instructions on how to access this tool under the PROGRAM in the description of the VET Virtual session.

Afternoon

In the afternoon, you have a choice between two concurrent sessions from 2:00 – 3:00pm:

• Inclusive E-learning projects
• New Practices projects.

The final two concurrent sessions of the day will run from 3:30 – 4:30.

• Leadership and Management issues associated with e-learning
• Strategies of delivering learning through networks in this connected era!

Hope you can join us for this last day of e-Show n Tell!

Cathy

[Image: Isaac Mao]

Coming Up: e-Show n Tell

 8pm – 9:30pm

The unconference session is often the bit I find most entertaining…. but for those who haven’t engaged in one before, I thought I’d share some info!

So what is an unconference?

An unconference is a conference where the content of the sessions is driven and created by the participants, generally day-by-day during the course of the event, rather than by a single organizer, or small group of organizers, in advance. To date, the term is primarily in use in the geek community. Unconference processes like Open Space Technology, however, have been around for over 20 years in other contexts, for example in Future studies as Future workshops. There are also parallels with science-fiction fandom, in which a low-key convention with less structure, not focusing on professionals and guests of honor, is called a Relaxacon.

Open Space Technology is an energizing and emergent way to organize an agenda for a conference. Those coming to the event can post on a wiki ahead of time topics they want to present about or hope others will present about. The wiki can also be used to share who is coming because it is the attendees who have a passion to share that contribute to the event and will make it great.

(From Wikipedia)

The e-Show n Tell 2007 Unconference

This session will run in accordance with principles of Open Space and Unconferencing:

• Whoever comes are the right people.
• Whatever we talk about are the right topics
• The Law of Two Feet: if at any time you find that you are neither learning nor contributing – you are free to use your two feet (metaphorically speaking) and leave.

In general, this will be an informal conference session, and probably include discussion of issues arising from the events of day 1 and 2, but topics will be set by those who turn up.

Please join Michael and Frankie for some or all of this session and see what evolves…

A great demo of a new tool for educators interested in using Social e-Learning Strategies.

Check it out @ http://clitest.oten.tafensw.edu.au/s_elearning/

3:30pm – 4:30pm

This session will be facilitated by Rhonda Appo, Indigenous Engagement Project.

Since 2005 the Indigenous Engagement Project has bought together committed Indigenous individuals and organisations to advocate the benefits of e-learning and further strengthen the role of Indigenous people and communities in shaping vocational and technical education.

The key focus of this project has been to strengthen communities’ economic growth, identify areas of skills gaps and build on existing skills and knowledge.

The 2007 projects funded by the IEP have used e-learning to recognise and identify skills and qualifications needed to gain successful employment outcomes, and identify and develop culturally appropriate products to enhance and support learning and employment outcomes and support training partnerships.

Today’s focus will discuss a number of examples from across Australia of how e-learning is creating effective education and training programs.