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SOUTHBANK INSTITUTE
OF TAFE
(Morningside Campus, Qld)
Summary
At Southbank TAFE in Queensland it is ‘bottom up’ initiatives that have stimulated the move into the online era.
Context
The Morningside campus of Brisbane’s Southbank Institute of TAFE houses a Multimedia Delivery Unit within its Technology and Engineering department. The unit delivers a Diploma of Multimedia to close to 100 fully online students and 100 classroom-based students.
Originally, establishment of the multimedia unit was an initiative of the Technology and Engineering department rather than a strategic priority of the Institute. However, changes in the VET sector, technology and student demand have generated increased awareness of the online imperative.
The multimedia unit has partnerships with QANTM for development and training, and with TAFE Queensland Online for server support and other technical, communication and enrolment
services.
Key Features
Multimedia Delivery Unit
Originally the section that set up the multimedia unit offered Certificate IV in Multimedia to any staff interested within the Printing and Arts area. Those who participated became converts and some opted to teach the course. Currently there are 4 teachers and two tutors in the unit, with QANTM also providing additional teaching. All staff have done at least Diploma of Multimedia, with some having completed, or in the process of completing an IT degree. The unit is a tightly knit team with a high level of communication, supported by informal mentoring and moderation.
The Diploma of Multimedia and supporting online resources were developed onsite. The small size of the team meant that the same people worked on course design, development of content materials and instructional design. This approach is seen as contributing to the coherence of their final product, and the fact that pedagogical principles have been incorporated in a natural way.
Ironically, multimedia has not been used to a great degree because it is so bandwidth hungry. Southbank materials are largely written in PDF format, with a range of communication tools used to provide interactivity. Students download and work offline, and assignments are uploaded.
Telstra Site Induction
Southbank also offers the Telstra Site Induction online. This is a mandatory induction course that after successful completion enables contractors to enter a Telstra Site. There have been over 2200 enrolled students in this fee-for-service program that is delivered via TAFE Queensland Online.
Future Plans
Southbank is now in the process of developing an Institute-wide five-year plan incorporating a technology strategy. The multimedia unit will be reaccommodated within this plan and timeframe. Already an E-technology business unit has been created.
Key Messages
- The ‘sandwich model’ of change management recommends a careful mix of ‘top down’ and ‘bottom up’. But often the initial stimulus for change comes from unexpected sources that have little to do with organised processes of strategic planning. Progressive organisations remain open to these ‘messages from the edge’.
- The life of early adopters can be lonely. For organisations to harvest the benefits of individual initiative, it is essential to devise clever strategies for protecting and encouraging the ‘renegades at the edge of the organisation’.
Contact
Anitza Geneve or Gerard Cosgrove, Southbank Institute of TAFE, Morningside Campus, Multimedia Delivery Unit.
tutoronline@start.com.au
Jeff Deegan, Southbank Institute of TAFE, Process Instrumentation Unit.
jeff.deegan@detir.qld.gov.au
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