SSI gets recognition for e-learning innovation with Great Gardens

Environmental Sustainabilit-e Online – Skills Strategies International In 2008, this project used online training to increase the provision of not-for-profit organisation, Great Garden’s, sustainable land management program, which delivers free environmental sustainability workshops across Western Australia. The workshops show participants how they can create a sustainable home and garden which uses less water, energy and nutrients, and produces less waste.

In its initial phase, the project used e-learning in a range of ways to supplement and support the delivery of Great Gardens’ face-to-face workshops. This included redeveloping the Great Gardens website, resulting in a 35% increase in use of the site. The revamped site comprised a mixture of:

• E-information – Skills Strategies International worked with the Great Gardens trainers to film and edit a series of short gardening instructional videos, which are available for free on the website.

The website also features an article database and soil search database, which allows users to type in their suburb name or postcard to access a document explaining the properties of the soil in their local area, and associated plants suitable for their garden.

• E-learning – Skills Strategies International used Ning software to create a social network which is accessible through the website. The network is a popular way for people who have attended a Great Gardens workshop to maintain a community of practice, and currently has more than 300 members.

• E-business services – The site includes an online events calendar, and an electronic booking system where users can see upcoming workshop dates, and book in to attend.

Project Manager Steve McVey explained that due to the success of the project in 2008, Skills Strategies International has continued to work with Great Gardens to extend their adoption of e-learning.

“Great Gardens is now working to deliver their workshops in remote areas via Elluminate web conferencing, and they’re also using RFID technology to deliver just-in-time learning to workshop participants.

“Great Gardens also recently negotiated to make the Western Australian Water Corporation’s Water Wise professional level training program available for free online. Great Gardens will transform the delivery of this program, making it more engaging by using Moodle software to give learners access to a range of material including PowerPoint presentations and interactive quizzes.”

Moodle and its pros and cons

Our online learners have noticed that we use Moodle and may notice that the online courses usually do not make adequate use of the excellent collaboration tools that Moodle enjoys. This is purely for pragmatic reasons. A full certificate course delivered collaboratively would take longer to complete than learners are usually willing to comit. However there are still opportunies to get a significant amount of collaboration occuring- and we are exploring them.

Read more about collaboration and Moodle in this article:

http://www.learningconversations.co.uk/main/index.php/2009/11/13/moodle-the-wrong-tool-for-the-job?blog=5

Retail Industry Project and Collaboration

The Retail Industry project that we are participating in in partnership with Retail Traders of WA under the Australian Flexible Learning Framework has provided some useful learning for us in terms of online collaboration........or should I say lack of it.

Engaging learners online has not been difficult. They definately engage with the notion of flexible delivery. But as Melanie Brenton from Service Skills NT said, "There will be barriers around online collaboration. They won't do it!"

This article also outlines barriers to collaboration in organisations http://elearnmag.org/subpage.cfm?section=tutorials&article=9-1

Our face to face workshops have a heavy emphasis on collaboration and we are keen to see the same practice reflected online.

We are commencing a new course with Truck Centre - one team from 3 different locations........maybe an opportunity for success :-)

Trends

The Industry Engagement Retail project has resulted in a focus on the Retail Industry at SSI. Much of the learning is also applicable to other areas. I am sure we apply this thinking anyway...but reflection just makes us more aware. Even as a teacher we were aware of trends and how they impact on younger learners. Trends impact on retailers in terms of customer buying habits....and on trainers in terms of client expectations.

I read this blog post on Nowism...and I am sure we all know about it.....but it is interesting to reflect and apply it to our training.....or decide not too....

http://trendwatching.com/briefing/

Blogs for Marketing

Working with retailers and ebusiness has promted some reflection on what a blog should look like if it is used for marketing.

This one is pretty cool............

http://www.clarelancaster.com.au/

Working with online groups

Most of the online work we have done at SSI to date has been working with individuals. While this has been a little dissapointing for the team (because we have had some GREAT groups working online) it has met the needs of the learners. It is the only way to facilitate people being able to work self paced. Unfortunately this is at the cost of group dynamics and interaction.

There is also the issue that has been clearly evident in the retail project, that people get too shy to share ideas when they haven't met face to face first. It seems to be time to put the creative juices to work to develop a suite of user friendly options.

This social network concept has something going for it too.....

http://socialelearning.flexiblelearning.net.au/social_elearning/index.htm

TAA for teachers

We are now delivering a customised workshop for teachers wanting to gain the TAA qualification. It includes RPL, two days of workshop and recognition of the teacher qualification and experience. The two day workshop focuses on aspects that teachers don't usually cover in their teaching ie History of the formation of the National VET System, the frameworks, policies and strategies that impact on the system, Unpacking of training packages to create learning programs and assessment tools, and the development of assessment plans and assessment tools which are then validated at a validation meeting.

So far the feedback has been really good with even experienced practitioners saying that they learned new things.

The Esperance workshop went well with a mix of experienced and new practitioners. Coodanup Community College become a Senior HIgh School next year and will offer VET subjects to year 11's for the first time. However some teachers have been offering Vocational Learning for many years.

Back on Track

Yay the AQTF audit is over and we did ok :-). No non compliances and best practice in three standards. It was actually a good process as it made us stop and look at what we are doing .........and what we are as an organisation.

And we felt pretty good about it.

Now back to productive work that makes money to buy food.

Making a Difference

It is one of my beliefs that all businesses should give back to the community - in no matter how small a way. It would be nice to be like Dame Elizabeth Murdoch and be 100 years of age and still giving back...but until we have that money and that wisdom it is good to do even a little.

Today I did my usual contribution at the Girls in Enterprise conference at CCIWA. 8 women from business talked to the young ladies about what it was like to run a small business. It was interesting in that 3 of the 8 were ex-teachers and all said there was too much focus in schools about making the right decision and getting the right grades. All had done many jobs...and were happy to move on and do something different.

One of the activities was for the young ladies to utilise limited resources (lego) to create a product (tower). They were introduced to skills that will stand them in good stead for their future. And sadly they are skills that are not focused on in formal schooling.

Great Gardens Even Greater

SSI worked in partnership with the Great Gardens team in 2008 with funding from the Australian Flexible Learning Framework to engage the business in elearning and ebusiness strategies. The final report has now been completed for the Great Gardens project and can be found here

Garry Heady who lead the project has been thrilled with the improvements made to his business operation. He is keen to have Steve work with him into 2009 to continue developing Great Gardens' Elearning capacity.

It is worth a visit to the Great Gardens web site to see the wonderful work they do promoting environmental sustainability...and the see the great strategies that Steve and Garry have designed and implemented for the Great Gardens team. www.greatgardens.info

Well into 2009

In spite of the economic downturn 2009 seems to have come with a rush. Schools are are large part of the business at this time of the year as contracts are developed for auspicing and delivery. The new Secondary Schooling contracts for students at risk is also providing some interest. On the other side of the equation there is more than normal interest from organisations who are exploring Elearning as a strategy to reduce costs and increase environmental sustainability. And of course it is funding submission time as well. I can't help thinking it is a bad time for a 3 day AQTF audit....but we did know it was coming :-(.

The free/low cost TAA that is government funded if you have an apprenticeship or traineeship is still very popular and people seem to be keen to take up the opportunity to increase their skills. In times of uncertainty qualifications and skills gain new importance. We expected a drop in traineeship numbers but they seem to be maintaining their popularity.

In spite of all the G&D predictions (gloom and doom) it seems that things are bubbling along nicely so far