Projects: Research and Dissemination

Research activities have been integral to the Framework since its inception. The Australian Flexible Learning Framework's Research Program (2000-2002) conducted an integrated three-year research and dissemination program on pedagogical, technical and managerial aspects of flexible learning in vocational education and training (VET) with specific reference to e-learning.

The 2004 Research and Dissemination Project was made up of five projects as indicated below. The two Research Clusters formed the majority of the total research budget. The Policy and Research Program chose a Cluster model for the project in order to focus its research effort in 2004 on a small number of Framework and national VET priorities.

The 2004 Research and Dissemination Project consisted of:

1. Research Cluster 1: Engaging industry with flexible learning sought flexible learning solutions to foster high performance workplaces.
2. Research Cluster 2: Engaging Indigenous learners and communities in flexible learning provided a case study on Mobile Adult Learning Units (MALUs);a research report addressing the uptake of flexible learning in VET in regional and remote indigenous communities (4 below);and a partnership with New Practices project, Indigenous Inclusiveness: identifying indicators of success
3. Hot topics (Commissioned "just-in-time" research to inform FLAG and other 2005 Framework projects)
4. Longitudinal Research The report, Desert Disconnections: e-learning and remote Indigenous peoples, contributes to the longitudinal research being managed by NCVER; Growing the desert: effective VET pathways for remote Indigenous peoples

The objectives for each of the Research and Dissemination projects were:

1. Research Cluster 1: Engaging industry in flexible learning
Objective: to identify and communicate successful flexible learning solutions, which improve the quality of structured workplace learning and increase the take-up of structured training in Australian workplaces. Industry is taken to mean both enterprises and industry sectors.

2. Research Cluster 2: Engaging Indigenous learners and communities in flexible learning
Objective: to explore the relationship between technologies, cultural factors and learning processes and outcomes in Indigenous communities.

3. Hot topics (Commissioned "just-in-time" research)
Objective: to commission carefully targeted small research projects on strategic policy issues identified by FLAG in the first half of 2004. These could encompass school/VET collaboration for flexible learning; flexible learning in post-compulsory policy; and follow-up studies arising from 2003 activities.

4. Longitudinal Research
Objective: to engage in longer-term studies of emerging trends and directions within the VET sector. In 2004 a two stage process is proposed to address this issue and to provide research to support future policies and/or action by FLAG and other appropriate agencies.

5. Dissemination of 2003 Research Projects
Objective: to develop a dissemination strategy to effectively engage a wide range of stakeholders in the findings of the projects.

Ros Gill
Project Manager

Telephone: (08) 8303 2661
Fax: (08) 8303 2667
email: rosgill@tafe.sa.edu.au