ICVET Promoting Emerging Practice, TAFE NSW International Centre for VET Teaching and Learning

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Related Resources

• Indigenous Learning Overview
• Indigenous Learning – Capacity Building and Governance
• Indigenous Learning – Enterprise, employment and training
• Indigenous Learning – Identities, cultures, knowledge and values
• Indigenous Learning – Language and Literacy
• Indigenous Learning – Indigenous Partnerships
• Indigenous Learning – Professional Development
• Indigenous Learning – Training Packages
• Indigenous Learning – VET delivery

Exemplars

Educational Leadership: towards creating real opportunities for an engaged Aboriginal Australia THINKPIECE | eZine May 2008

Two-Way Learning EXEMPLAR | eZine February 2006

Indigenous Engagement through elearning in NSW North Coast EXEMPLAR | eZine February 2006

GARDNER, Margaret, 2006 Assisting learners on a pathway to independence

TAFE NSW VET Pedagogy Project, ICVET

MARTIN, Brian 2003, Indigenous learning in remote areas

TAFE NSW VET Pedagogy Project, Part C of Phase 1

MILLIKEN, Noelene 2003, Aboriginal Elders form partnership with TAFE

TAFE NSW VET Pedagogy Project, Part C of Phase 1

Papers and Reports

O’CALLAGHAN, K. 2005 At a Glance. Indigenous Vocational Education and Training Australian Government Australian Government National Centre for Vocational Education Research Adelaide ‘

Are our dreams big enough?’ CONFERENCE REVIEW | eZine November 2006

ANTA and KANGAN BATMAN TAFE 2004, Gettin’ into it – working with Indigenous learners ANTA. Melbourne. Australia.

The focus of this teaching and learning guide is on designing teaching and learning strategies relevant to Indigenous learners and communities. It offers practical advice and includes case studies to help in the delivery of training packages. The guide can be downloaded from the Resource Generator site (which will require logon – details available at the site).

BALATTI, J, GARGANO, L, GOLDMAN, M; WOOD, G & WOODLOCK, J 2004, Improving Indigenous completion rates in mainstream TAFE – An action research approach, NCVER, Leabrook, South Australia. (PDF)

The report is based on an action research project conducted at four Queensland TAFE institutes that examined factors that affect Indigenous students’ learning experiences and therefore their completion rates in mainstream courses. The main findings were that Institute practices have not generally kept pace with the increasing number of indigenous students now in mainstream programs. It is useful for managers to note that the areas that were found to need more attention were:

• The relationship between indigenous training units and the rest of the institute
• The development of appropriate expertise and better collaboration with all staff
• Organisational support for students with respect to education, career and work planning, creating a sense of belonging, and literacy and numeracy skills
• Concerted effort to increase the number of indigenous teachers, especially males

Of particular interest to teachers were the findings that the risk to indigenous students of being ignored were increased by:

• Only small numbers of indigenous students in any one course
• Learning interactions not drawing on indigenous students cultural, intellectual and social capital
• Monitoring of indigenous students’ learning not being a specific responsibility of any manager’s portfolio
• Limited opportunity for students to influence the learning opportunities offered.

Details on how each action research team developed and responded to challenges are included in the report as case studies.

EAGLES, D, Woodward, P & Pope, M 2005, Indigenous learners in the digital age: recognising skills and knowledge Paper presented at 8th Annual AVETRA Conference, Brisbane, Australia.

Great reading in this report of an action research project designed to remove barriers to recognition of prior learning (RPL) for Indigenous worker-learners. The researchers, working closely with a variety of Indigenous groups, developed an innovative model for conducting RPL, integrating what they saw as appropriate online voice technology. The technology was aimed at a particular group of Indigenous learners employed at a remote Aboriginal family services work unit. The project centred around voice technology and web design, Indigenous learning and cultural sensitivities, and less-commonly used forms of evidence for assessing RPL. The project was based on the belief that an option for the provision of verbal evidence might be more meaningful and valuable for (some, not necessarily all) Indigenous learners.

As their findings indicate, the responses to all aspects of the model were overwhelmingly positive. This included the response to the use of the technology itself, the cultural relevance of the website attached to the technology, and the submission of verbal evidence to gain RPL. It was found the learners engaged very positively with the assessment process.

SAWYER, G 2004, New Practices in Flexible Learning 2004: Closing the digital divide: increasing education and training opportunities for Indigenous students in remote areas Project Report, Australian Flexible Learning Framework.

This Flexible Learning Framework project unearthed as many issues as solutions in attempting to set up strategies to meet the ongoing training needs of remote Indigenous learners. The project team worked with the Titjikala (Northern Territory) community's self-identified needs for training that would support their childcare initiative, financial self-management, development of English literacy and VET delivery by registered training organisations (RTOs).

There are several recommendations made by the authors, most centring on the very real need for additional, on-going funding support (in part in the form of a specially-created training support position) so that the initial impetus provided by the project is not lost. This is a useful report for those setting out on a similar project. It is accompanied by a set of resources (CD-ROM), which include case studies and an evaluation report.