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ACENET
Case Management Approach to Student Support
( Dale Pobega)
Summary
ACENET Flexible Learning Network is a collective of ACE (Adult Community Education) providers located across metropolitan and regional
Victoria, and one of the ten original Learning Networks established in Victoria to support the activities of the TAFE Virtual campus.
Context
To date, ACENET has provided more than 300 adult students with the opportunity to study online. For the last 3 years, ACENET has been developing an extensive student case management process and approach to its course deliveries. Independent research into the network’s approach to online delivery and case management, conducted over two successive years, is available from the Office of Employment, Training and Tertiary Education (ETTE), Victoria.
Key Features
Total Online Delivery Mode
We believe strongly in continual synchronous communication as a means for cementing group cohesion of learners studying totally online and over a long course duration. Weekly online conferencing facilitates strong support and leads to students generally feeling ‘in touch’ and satisfied with their remotely located learning situations. Each course group has a mailing list and bulletin board at its disposal for quick and sure proof communication with online facilitators.
Mixed Delivery Mode
Our mixed delivery classes (ESL, Literacy, Numeracy) are very well supported with students having classroom teacher support (and also online teacher/facilitator support).
The course, Dream Holiday, for example, where we have over 100 ESL students studying the unit from a variety of classroom based settings,
there is an online teacher who coordinates the activities for all. This is a strategy we are developing further and implementing across other areas for 2001/2002 cycles of deliveries.
Students have access to ACENET member computer facilities and are supported from our local ACENET centres around Victoria. Anyone can come in to our centres, be interviewed face to face by an education coordinator, be shown what ACENET offers and then apply to enrol in our courses. We make use of open access strategies (part of our Case Management Process) devised at a local level and also add online components to traditional course deliveries so, for example, in adult literacy programs being delivered face-to-face many students do an Online Numeracy component. We also make use of programs like Skillsnet Training (5 hours free face-to-face tuition)
Orientation Processes and Learning Contracts
In the case of the Online Ace Teachers Program and Spanish Online there is a three week set up and orientation process preceding the delivery. Facilities are provided for students to enrol via TAFEVC and receive direct support from course facilitator(s)/network manager for set up of required software and technical trouble shooting well before delivery of the course officially commences. Terms and conditions of acceptance into an ACENET course, which forms the basis of a learning contract, outline what the network will and will not do for students, attendance and other course requirements. The terms and conditions of acceptance are emailed to participants upon enrolment and must be replied to before a student is accepted into an ACNET course.
Totally online students are able to apply to enrol from our website where there are links to TAFEVC for actual enrolment. There is a process that is followed.
Contact
ACENET web site: http://www.vicnet.net.au/~acenet
ACENET
brochure: click here to download the
PDF version
TAFE Virtual Campus web site: http://www.tafevc.com.au/
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