Graeme Sawyer, Project Manager
This project has enabled a 'drilling down' into the very real and practical issues associated with learning through application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) within a remote Indigenous community where the primary language is not English. It is important to distinguish the sorts of learning scenarios and issues that are a reality within these locations, as they are not well catered for by the current Vocational Education and Training (VET) training system. Issues such as the inappropriateness of resources and learning models, language barriers, training access, training continuity issues in remote locations and currently available funding models all seem to work limit the degree of success that is attainable. These issues, when added to the other problems such as health and housing in the communities, make positive training outcomes difficult to achieve. Rather, a holistic approach, one that accounts for these issues, is essential to creating long-term solutions.
In light of these issues and needs, the focus of this project was the fostering of solutions to meet the identified, ongoing training needs of learners within the remote Indigenous community of Titjikala. This community is classified as a Category 1 educational context, which is defined by the National Aboriginal Education Committee (NAEC) in its 1979 submission to the National Inquiry into Teacher Education (led by John Auchmenty) as a Traditionally Oriented Community where the local Indigenous vernacular is the common daily language.
The project aimed to enhance specific, job-related training for priority project needs within the community. Areas of focus or concern for the community in relation to their training needs included:
- access and equity issues
- access to technology and learning opportunities, and
- English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL).
The project also sought to enhance job-related training through development of a learning Delivery Blend model that sought to address specifically identified barriers to both the provision of effective training delivery and the attainment of successful learning outcomes.
Areas and issues that were covered by the project included:
- the community's childcare initiative - their Plants for People project
- financial self-management
- development of English literacy
- Vocational Education and Training (VET) delivery provided by Registered Training Organisations (RTOs).
Based on the experience of the research team gained during this project, in combination with research undertaken by other New Practices in Flexible Learning projects conducted throughout the Northern Territory, the project team developed a set of practices designed to provide a workable solution to the needs and issues of the remote Indigenous community, as well as fit the emerging capabilities of Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) to operate in a flexible way when delivering training within such contexts.
One of the key outcomes of the processes undertaken within this project was the enabling of a critical mass of innovation and new ideas around using ICTs within learning. By being broader than one institution, involving a diverse array of expertise and interest and aligning with directions already being explored by the community, the project has been successful in bedding-down the opportunities possible through ICTs - particularly in the minds of the community and the learners involved.
In regard to the issues underpinning the work of this project, the project team emphasise that much of the work undertaken to this point is preliminary and, therefore, needs further exploration. Within this qualification, the project team hope that this resource will provide the reader with an introduction and overview to the work of the present project and, in turn, inspire the reader to join the movement towards working for better training delivery solutions for remote Indigenous communities.
Video footage
Hear two video clips about the project:
Download a video overview of the project - clip 1
Read a transcript of the video
Download a video overview of the project - clip 2
Read a transcript of the video
Who is it for?
- RTOs and organisations involved in delivery of training to remote Indigenous communities
- Practitioners and trainers looking for alternative models of addressing literacy and numeracy issues
- Indigenous communities looking for an example of how local community management can work with RTOs to address training needs
- Indigenous organisations involved in training delivery or initiatives requiring training
Resources
- Project report outlining the development of the project, the project team, summary of the project trial and outcomes. The link to the project report will open the PDF document in a new window.
- Evaluation report as the key document reviewing the development of outputs and reflecting on the impact of activities undertaken. The link to the evaluation report will open the PDF document in a new window.
- Case study documenting the complexity of issues that underpin the project, along with impacts and outcomes. Audio and video files of comments and discussions by practitioners are included. This material is available on the CD-ROM - see order form below.
Download resources
 Download the Project report
Download the Evaluation report
New Practices in Flexible Learning CD-ROM
The project resources from the all the New Practices in Flexible Learning projects undertaken during 2003 and 2004, as well as additional video footage, sound and images, have been developed into two multimedia resources of 'new practices'. These CD-ROMs can be ordered through your local Framework communication officer by completing the online order form.
Order the 2003 collection of New Practices in Flexible Learning projects
NEW - Order the 2004 collection of New Practices in Flexible Learning projects
|
