THE LEARNING POWERHOUSE 2005 …

   What’s Happening in the Engine Room?

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Session Details

• Concurrent Sessions 1
• Concurrent Sessions 2
• Concurrent Sessions 3
• Concurrent Sessions 4
• Concurrent Sessions 5

CONCURRENT SESSIONS 2 - 11.50 - 12.40 PM

Blended Chocolate – Shareable Learning Objects – Engaging Industry in Flexible Learning
Theatre

Gary Sewell
Head Teacher, Tourism and Hospitality
TAFE NSW Hunter Institute

Alison Stuckings
TAFE NSW Hunter Institute

The baking industry relies heavily on traditional training and learning models. This project investigated the implementation of a shareable learning model in the baking industry and explored the possible different outcomes for students, teachers and industry. Outcomes from content delivery using technology and shareable resources were compared against those using traditional face to face methodology. An integrated model for delivering flexible content will be suggested from the findings of the project.

Paper (74 KB) MP3 Audio (13.6 MB, Duration: 29 mins)

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Mind the Gap! Honest Conversations and Leadership
Dining Room

Alison Cutler
Project Officer, Teaching & Learning Development
TAFE NSW Western Sydney Institute
Open Training and Education Network (OTEN)

Andii Jane Anderson
Co-ordinator, Business Development Unit, International
TAFE NSW Western Sydney Institute
Open Training and Education Network (OTEN)

This Café Conversation will focus on how organisations can develop leaders at ALL levels based on OTEN’s recent – and ongoing- attempts to do just this. Alison and Andii Jane will describe how OTEN adapted a strategic fitness process (Beer and Eisenstat) to have an honest conversation across the organisation about leadership and how to use this to inform a real change in our approach to developing and supporting leaders. They will discuss the journey so far and hope that other VET practitioners, faced with similar challenges, will bring their own experiences to the table. Between them, Alison and Andii Jane admit to over twenty five years’ experience in education in a variety of roles including professional development, international marketing and teaching and share an interest in what makes for good leadership (and good coffee!).

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Pathways- Teaching Employability Skills in an Integrated Way
Dining Room

Tess Julian
Director, ratio 

Tess Julian is the Director of ratio, a consultancy which specialises in vocational education and training.

Over recent years Tess has been working on the development and trialling of a new Certificate I in Industry Pathways. With funding and support from DEST, the qualification is now being trialled in ten sites, across three industries.

In this presentation Tess will discuss the program, the trial and any findings which are emerging.

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Skill Ecosystems – An Overview of Local and International Features
Room 9A

Belinda Smith
Director, SmithComyn & Associates

ICVET was contracted to develop a national knowledge sharing and professional development strategy to support the further roll out of skill ecosystems. During this project Belinda examined international and local research on skill ecosystems and industry clusters and consulted with pilot projects. This presentation will provide an overview of the findings of this research and will specifically discuss the success factors, the role of intermediaries and industry sectors where they might work well. This national initiative provides the VET sector with many opportunities, many of which TAFE are already involved in.

Belinda Smith has been involved in VET for twenty years working on state, national and international projects.

Paper (106KB)

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In Search of Evidence–Based Assessment AT Park Island
Room 5C

Paula Williams
eLearning Development Officer, SEO
Teaching & Learning Development
TAFE NSW Western Sydney Institute
Open Training & Education Network (OTEN)

This very interactive workshop will demonstrate how mLearning technology can be used for evidence-based assessment in the workplace. The ‘hypothetical’ workplace is called AT Park Island. Participants will complete an activity and photograph the outcome. The picture will then be saved and sent (by MMS) to OTEN’s Learning Support site (OLS) to be assessed online by the presenters. In conclusion, the groups will discuss the pros and cons of evidence based assessing using mobile technology. Paula’s background spans 12 years in teaching and learning. As a Teacher, Educationalist, and Instructional Designer she has been actively involved in National projects for online learning and e learning technologies for numerous TAFE NSW Institutes.

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Support the learners: a way forward for TAFE NSW
Room 9BC

Sue Roy
R/Program Manager, Vocational Literacy
Access and General Education Curriculum Centre

Carmel Ellis
Faculty Director, Employment Programs
South Western Sydney Institute

The workshop will draw on findings from a recent research project investigating current delivery of tutorial support across TAFE NSW and identifying models and strategies for future learner support provision. The research covered the broad aspects of learner support including: delivery approaches, collaboration between teaching sections, promotion of support strategies to learners and management of the process across the organization. SWSI has initiated a pilot College based project to address aspects of learner support and this pilot will also be discussed. There will be an opportunity for participants to discuss some of the issues and recommendations raised in the research and share.

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Personalised Learning Round Table
Room 7ABC

Beth Hobbs
Head Teacher, Administration Services
TAFE NSW Western Sydney Institute

Margot McNeill
Senior Project Officer, Teaching and Learning
Support Centre for
Learning Innovation

 

Liz Renshaw
Senior Head Teacher
Foundation Studies
TAFE NSW South Western Sydney Institute

Sam Meredith
Manager, Online Projects
TAFE NSW New England Institute

To what extent do the teaching and learning strategies you currently employ reflect a personalised approach to student learning?

What areas of current learning and assessment practice lend themselves most to the development of personalised learning strategies? 

This round table session will involve discussion of what personalised learning means in the flexible learning environments of TAFE NSW. Three of the managers of the pilots currently supported by BVET will offer their perspectives and illustrations:

Beth Hobbs, WSI - Personalised Learning Plans for Admin Students
Liz Renshaw, SWSI - Increasing Student Voice and Choice
Sam Meredith, NEI - Personalised Assessment using PDAs

Evalu8 assessment validation tool, developed as part of the project, will also be demonstrated and available for participants to access.

MP3 Audio (16.8 MB, Duration: 36 mins)

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Appreciative Inquiry – positively changing!
Heritage Room

Marie Jasinski
Director
Design Planet

Discover how positive change models like Appreciative Inquiry (AI) are rapidly emerging as contemporary approaches for effectively embracing the demands of the fast-paced knowledge era. Appreciative Inquiry is a cooperative search for the best in people and organisations. It involves identifying what is working well and then amplifying it to heighten strengths and potential. Learn how AI and other positive change approaches can be used in contexts like professional development, change management, designing learning experiences and diffusing innovative practices. You’ll be invited to tune in to what gives life to your organisation when it is at its best and how this can be amplified to sustain vitality.

MP3 Audio (11.7MB, Duration: 25 mins)

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Strategic Conversation - Excellence in Teaching (Part 2)
TAFE Industry Partnership Centre G11

Virginia Baker-Woolf
R/Manager Staff Learning
TAFE NSW Sydney Institute

Jai Waters Manager Organisational Development
TAFE NSW South Western Sydney Institute

A Strategic Conversation is the art of talking through a problem or issue in an open, free flowing dialogue. Instead of directing by presentation or objectives the facilitator opens up the thinking process to everyone. This unleashes a great surge of creative energy. The Strategic Conversation is lead by a Design Facilitator using visual facilitation techniques to free up thinking. The focusing question for this Strategic Conversation is ‘How can we create even greater excellence in teaching?’ Virginia and Jai will guide the room through the ABCD Model: A Present situation, B Future Vision, C Design, D Connections & Consequences.

Copyright © TAFE NSW ICVET, 2005