Diminishing the digital divide empowerment through partnership and technology

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Diminishing the digital divideempowerment
through partnership and technology

• Interactive Distance Learning
• National Communications Fund (NSW and Northern
  Territory)

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Overview

• Project Introduction
• Outreach Programs
• Aboriginal Programs
• IDL delivery
• Technology and the mobile classroom
• Conclusion
• Questions

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Empowerment of adult learners

• Communities and individuals who face barriers to
  access
• parents and carers of school of the air students
• remote and isolated Aboriginal communities
• rural and remote non-Aboriginal communities

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Empowerment by

• The project partners
• OPTUS
• DET New South Wales
• (schools and TAFE NSW)
• DEET Northern Territories
• (schools and VET)
• communities and students

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TAFE NSW provision

• TAFE NSW partners
• Outreach Programs Unit
• Aboriginal Programs Unit
• Western Institute and North Coast Institute
• IT expertise at the local level
• Teachers and coordinators in both institutes

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TAFE NSW provision
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Technology

• Technology as the enabler of improved delivery by
• building on school of the air delivery for
  parents and carers in homesteads
• Distance Education Centre studios
• outside school hours
• using mobile trailers with satellite dish for
  remote and isolated Aboriginal communities
• promoting interactive group learning

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Outreach Programs Unit

• The participation of disadvantaged groups in the
  organization, design, implementation and
  evaluation of Outreach educational programs is
  central to the empowering process, and is a
  fundamental aim of Outreach.
• .the skills learnt in this process are necessary
  if disadvantaged groups are to have a genuine say
  in what happens in their communities.

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Outreach modelempowerment through partnership

• working in partnerships
• addressing the barriers which prevent students
  from accessing education and training eg.
  childcare, distance, appropriate equipment
• innovative teaching and learning strategies which
  address the learning needs and styles of students
  eg project based and experiential
• negotiated programs with content and program
  design incorporating input from students

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Outreach needs assessment

• February 2002
• phone survey of parents and carers of SOTA
  (approximately 40)
• overwhelmingly positive response
• computer skills to support children as students
  and farm accountancy and own future employment

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Aboriginal Programs

• Danny Lester
• Aboriginal Programs Unit
• TAFE NSW

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Aboriginal Programs Unit

• statewide policy for Aboriginal education and
  training in NSW
• leadership, advocacy and advice on education and
  training for Aboriginal students and communities
• curriculum development
• Teaching and learning resources

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Aboriginal policy framework

• IDL program has specific alignment to National
  and State Policies
• Partners in a Learning Culture (ANTA)
• New Partners, New Learning, State VET Plan (NSW)

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Aboriginal Programs

• IDL provision provides educational opportunities
  to rural and remote Aboriginal communities
• provision is flexible and innovative to meet
  community and industry needs
• community infrastructure is no barrier

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The Future

• high-quality resources and application design
• integrating IDL into other regions in NSW
• possible Asia-Pacific partnership

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IDL Delivery

• Denise Smyth
• Outreach Coordinator
• TAFE NSW Western Institute

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Introduction to IDL Delivery

• Aims
• to address barriers for disadvantaged groups in
  communities, and
• to provide access to vocational education and
  training
• Target groups
• parents carers of students of the air
• rural and remote Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal
  communities

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Teaching and learning

• Current delivery of lessons is from any of three
  studios
• Broken Hill
• Dubbo
• Port Macquarie

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Teaching environment
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Teaching environment
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Learning environment
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Pedagogy - approach

• Student-centred approach
• needs based analysis
• negotiated courses
• f2f, phone, fax, mail, satellite, email
• courses flexible adaptable to change
• Relational
• interactive satellite lessons

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Pedagogy - approach

• The best thing about doing the satellite course
  is being able to do it at home. I just couldnt
  do it otherwise. It was good to hear the ladies
  because sometimes their questions or problems
  were the same as mine. -student
• I liked not having to travel long distances to
  attend classes and getting to know the teachers
  and others in the class. - student

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Pedagogy - methodology

• David Thornburgs three environments for all
  learners
• campfire
• learners gather, listen absorb information
• watering hole
• learners share ideas knowledge, discuss
  learning, interactive
• cave
• learners individually reflect on their learning

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Pedagogy - methodology

• The good bits are as always the invaluable
  experiences of others all trying to do the same
  thing. The interaction that is possible with us
  and you two facilitators, means that questions
  are answered as they arise. - student

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Mode of delivery

• Teachers tools
• visual document camera, SAS, VHS, DVD,
  whiteboard, studio camera, (demonstration)
  online tools (email, web sites, etc)
• auditory microphone, telephone
• hands on notes, equipment, computer
• Feedback
• audio and participation in satellite lessons
• work samples posted or online

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Mode of delivery

• The teaching approach is different because you
  cant see your students. You cant read their
  body languageat times you are running blind. -
  teacher

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What is involved in an IDL lesson?

• Prior to the lesson
• distribute notes/equipment
• load and scan documents
• discuss strategies
• start up technology
• The lesson
• call on, audio checks
• content, state changers flag, mail, call
• call on, questions
• After the lesson
• shut down
• evaluation of lesson
• follow up

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TAFE NSW programs

• Current programs
• Introduction to Technology
• Basic Home Maintenance
• Cert I in IT
• Home Tutor Training Pilot
• Introduction to Computers
• In the pipeline
• Basic Mechanics
• Welding
• Work Opportunities for Women
• Literacy Numeracy
• Fashion

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Student feedback

• Evidence collected to improve teaching practice
  and ensure we are meeting student needs
• collected within sessions, end of lesson
  reflections, end of course evaluations, telephone
  conversations, emails
• overwhelmingly positive and supportive

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Student feedback

• The TAFE delivery via satellite is fantastic
  making learning possible for us out here. I would
  not have been able to do this course if not for
  the satellite. It would have been too hard to get
  the time in town, baby sitters and organise
  things on the station too. I would have just
  fumbled my way through and done things the slow
  hard way or not at all.

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Student feedback

• I like the fact that it was delivered in a
  relaxed manner and into my home.
• The best thing was learning from home during the
  evening when I could afford the time to sit down
  and take in what I was learning about.
• Ive had a great time learning and I wouldnt
  have learnt at all if it wasnt for the
  satellite.
• I am only self taught and have only basic
  computer skills, so the evenings instruction
  opened a whole new realm of possibilities.
• The TAFE delivery via satellite was fantastic.
  It was very clear so it made the actual learning
  easier.

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Teacher feedback

• challenging
• exciting
• personal
• gratitude
• So far its been a magical experience. These
  students are so keen, so positive and so grateful
  its a joy to teach them. It makes you feel
  that you are making a difference to peoples
  lives.

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Challenges

• adapting teaching/learning strategies to suit IDL
  mode of delivery
• exploring new technologies
• delivery aspects
• working within a diverse team
• introducing new teachers to satellite teaching

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Technology and the mobile classroom

• Bill Richardson
• IT Manager
• TAFE NSW Western Institute

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Technology and the mobile classroom

• Technology overview
• What makes up the mobile classroom
• Classroom Set-up
• Support
• Operational issues

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Technology overview

• 3 NSW delivery studios
• multicast video stream, two way audio, white
  boarding, application sharing, Internet access
• Terrestrial network links from studios to Optus
  satellite hub
• Two way satellite to
• homesteads, satellite trailers, schools
• Student technology
• PC Win 9x-XP, OneTouch browser based software

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The mobile classroom

• Heavy duty purpose built trailer
• rugged construction, electric brakes
• 1.8M satellite dish
• Satellite modem (2 way)
• Gateway
• Wireless LAN access point (802.11b)
• 16 Notebook computers
• Tools for erection, alignment and testing

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Mobile classroom setup

• Tow to site behind large sedan or 4WD
• Trailer setup - 1 hour, 2 people
• Battery operated winch to lift dish
• No electronics or power required outside
• Finding the satellite - more art than science
• Wireless LAN for flexibility in room setup
• We locate trailer up to 60m away

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Support needs

• Remote client support - homesteads/classrooms
• Client satellite connection issues
• Trailer setup and configuration
• PC notebook issues
• IDL Software support
• Wireless LAN support
• Delivery Support (Host studio)
• Presentation shared application server, encoder
• Network support for WAN and satellite
• Learning resource development support
• Teacher training and live delivery assistance

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Operational Issues

• Mobile classroom setup requires technical
  competence
• 2 people satellite dish setup (ideally)
• 3 part alignment process (vertical, horizontal
  horn rotation)
• collapsing the dish is a sequenced process
• satellite modem, gateway and wireless LAN setup

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Operational Issues

• Security Safety Issues with the Trailer
• trailer is susceptible to vandalism theft
• cables and leveling legs protrude from the
  trailer and may represent a safety risk
• assemble and disassemble every night?

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Operational Issues

• Health hygiene
• Cannot re-use headsets/microphones
• Software support
• annual software maintenance costs
• Notebook support
• Student self-help via automated PC rebuilds

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Conclusion

• The satellite technology has broken down barriers
  of distance and isolation, enabling us to provide
  quality vocational education and training to
  adult students in rural and remote areas of NSW

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Final comments from the students....