NSW+Feedback

 **1. ****What are the most widespread digital literacies held by teaching and learning staff in Australia? **  · Ability to access the Internet · Ability to conduct basic Internet searching · Sending and receiving email – including adding attachments, photos · Basic use of Microsoft Office software – Word, Powerpoint slideshows, Excel
 * NSW RESPONSE TO REVIEW OF TOOLBOXES **
 * Questions for consideration **

Perhaps also basic HTML editing for customisation of toolbox resources to suit the client.

Perhaps not widespread, but an increasing development of social web skills including web conferencing, wiki and blog engagement and self publishing tools eg Twitter and Face Book

There is a move to non-proprietary Learning Management Systems (LMS) -> Moodle

In the digital media area there is a move (which will be strengthened by the recent TAFE NSW/Adobe Agreement) to Adobe products eg Photoshop, Indesign, Premier, Dreamweaver, etc Toolboxes should be developed with the understanding that teachers are the educational facilitator, not the developer. We should not be trying to upskill all teachers in being “developers” – their skills are in teaching and learning.  **2. ****<span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What kind of product will support the needs of the base digital literacies, but also engage the leading edge, thus creating a ‘life-long learning product’. ** The product needs to have a consistent design, with well-established routines for achieving specific tasks. The Toolbox should not be dependent on being used in its entirety.
 * Each toolbox would need an identical structure and sections, even down to the “look and feel” to ensure consistent experience for the end user.
 * The Toolboxes need to be flexible and easy to use.
 * Toolboxes need to be able to be customised easily to facilitate accessing and editing of its components.
 * Users should be encouraged and be able to develop their own teaching strategies, interactive methodologies and lesson plans which incorporate the parts of the product they wish to use – a structured holistic product with restrictive pathways will tend to cause resistance amongst users.

A product that provides a framework which allows users to incorporate their own ICTs eg webconferencing, blog and wiki, mobile learning options
 * Web-based products which allow easy access through links
 * Products based on familiar platforms, ie Office.

<span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">
 * 3. How can Toolboxes provide a structure that accepts user-generated content? **
 * The toolboxes need to be constructed in a commonly used and user friendly medium.
 * They need to be able to be easily altered and customized by the user
 * The toolboxes should provide a proposed structure for delivery but also have the capacity to be adapted by the user
 * These aspects would enable the user to fully customize the product to suit local needs
 * These options however would make it very difficult to reverse engineer the product ie the customization would make moving the ‘new customized product’ back into the original difficult if wanted

To create a scalable system for this would require a system that does not require editing by novices. For example the toolbox could use an easily edited HTML “skin” which is divided by unit of competency.

It could then reference content developed/customised by the trainer such as external spreadsheets/text files, powerpoint slideshows, glossaries, learning activities, RPL tools, assessment, web pages (blogs, Flicker, SharePoint sites. This enables the trainer to provide content in a way that is familiar to them.

The Toolbox could however also incorporate advice to the trainer on customisation.

The Centre for Learning Innovation in NSW DET have a product which will allow for user-generated content. It is known as Learning Resource Repository and is having some take up by VET staff. It is web-based and uses meta-data defined by users to identify material contributed.

Invite users to import media assets and content at relevant points in the structure. The structure can provide the framework in which the learning objects make sense pedagogically but users can generate and import their own objects.

Invite users to import their own avatars if appropriate

<span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> See above.
 * 4. Given that training packages change frequently, what kind of Toolbox structure will allow for a simplified export of old content, and import of new. **
 * Content could be defined using a standard such as XML.**

Discrete learning objects within the structure. Again, the familiar tools of Microsoft Office products will be most easily used to export or import objects.

The toolbox resources need to be developed: 1. against a more generic title 2. with the competencies, elements and performance measures a secondary grouping of detail 3. the actual resource (as the core of the resource) needs to be developed in specific object groupings that relates directly to the specific topic

The Training package specifics could be incorporated at the front of the resource with specific linkages to the relevant parts in 1, 2 and 3 above. This would allow the easy alteration of 1 and 2 as training packages changed and would also enable the easy deletion and archiving of items at level 3 above

** 5. Is a more standardised approach to back end development (i.e. template based/CSS design) a way to simplify the development process? ** <span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">**Yes, but avoid complicated design styles. Most teachers don’t understand the concept of CSS or templating, so the implementation must be transparent and include expanded advice on customisation.**

The major issue is choosing the platform, style and instruction design that will form the basis of the template. It needs to be simple to use and scaleable; it also needs to be ‘familiar’ to users and needs to give the feel of ‘ownership’ to the user.

**<span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">6. If a more standardised approach simplifies the development process, would this: ** <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· allow an increase in the numbers of Toolboxes produced each year That depends on how much of the current toolbox development time and money is spent in developing individual project backend solutions. Many simple options are currently available and if toolbox developers are already using these then only minimal increase would be envisaged. If a large amount of toolbox development money and time is spent on the backend then a large increase could be expected <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· encourage a broader range of development partners? Yes – simplifying the backend platform and development templates would enable a wider range of less technical developers to be involved <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· streamline the process of applying Standards based accessibility/usability and interoperability? A difficult concept – in increasing flexibility and customization options you make ‘enforcing’ rules such as accessibility and other standards requirements difficult to enforce. The only option is to provide indirect ‘written’ requirements rather than enforcing them within the template. These would then need to have a QA review as part of key milestone points within the project which may involve extra costs for the project <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· free up greater funding for top quality content and instructional design production? Difficult to determine as it would depend on the issues listed above. Generally, a simplification of the backend and other restrictive requirements would free up funds <span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> ** 7. What are the implications of Toolbox revision for the substantial back catalogue? ** <span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> The main impediment has been the lack of an active body charged with “continuous improvement” of the resources. A mechanism is needed for providing feedback on what improvements are required. Perhaps the Toolboxes most commonly used could be identified, and then only invest in updating these “high use” Toolboxes.

It may prove a costly project - maintenance/update funding allocation is always the hidden factor of any development project. A major implication is that only part of the catalogue can probably be revised (depending on funding). Key areas would need to be prioritized and developed and other areas would have to be left as is with the proviso that ‘interested parties’ may have a free reign to do the revision if they wish - with the copyright staying with the toolbox owner but usage privileges given freely to the ‘interested party’

Again, products which allow VET trainers and assessors to customise individual objects from a Toolbox may assist in this process and eradicate the need for significant revision. Disclaimers like "You will need to check that the content is relevant to continuous improvements made to training packages have been incorporated in this product." The more fine-grained the object ‘chunks’ are the easier the revision will be. Any media assets and learing objects that have been extracted can be placed in a reference library available for search and download..

Any new functional specifications eg. CSS should be established, even retrogressively.

** 8. Is there a way of easily transferring older content to a new platform? ** <span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Not that I know of. I have used Toolbox content in a variety of ways, including cut and paste into Word or similar text editing tool and produced appropriately customised products.


 * Toolboxes should ideally be designed from the outset to be scalable** – it seems many are self-contained and thus any maintenance or upgrade would effectively involve a new project. As with any learning material, the design should be platform independent as much as possible. One way would be simply to create the new HTML skin and include links to the older resources/learning objects.

Place in a library for search and download.

** 9. How can a learning object model support user generated content? ** <span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">
 * Create a container for content that is consistent – this would probably be implemented using Flash/XML for web based delivery.**

See suggestions at point 3 and 4 regarding user generated content in Toolboxes. This could be managed nationally through LORN or a similar repository. The meta data is the key to having good access and take up by VET trainers and assessors. Content could be presented in either of two ways. Either validated through an approval process or by the ‘market’ deciding which are the most popular objects and those not so popular after a period of time are archived.

The learning object approach enables users to take which ever objects they want and develop their own delivery structure incorporating the toolbox learning objects, their own learning resources and their own desired delivery strategy. **The difficulty is capturing this at the delivery level and returning the information back up the structure as input into the ongoing toolbox redesign/redevelopment**

The only suitable method would be to encourage the users of the toolbox to feed this information back. There may be reluctance as it may now be considered “the users special delivery strategy” and as such a competitive advantage against other deliverers. Perhaps a financial incentive would be needed.

There would need to be a “noting” process to quality review any resource. It could then be linked (perhaps the AESharenet model is suitable - where a user license can be generated instantly). **<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 15pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Key barriers/issues or problems ** <span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msobidifontfamily: Arial; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msobidifontstyle: italic; msofareastfontfamily: Arial; msolist: Ignore;">1. <span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">High costs for maintenance and upgrade of Toolboxes as technology evolves. <span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Suggest that this be devolved to users - and make the improved resources freely available under educational license. <span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msobidifontfamily: Arial; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msobidifontstyle: italic; msofareastfontfamily: Arial; msolist: Ignore;">2. <span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Quality Management is problematic as no functional specs are available or documented. <span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Agreed - particularly with respect to checking that the navigation (links) work. <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: Arial; msolist: Ignore;">3. <span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Testing is complex due to absence of functional specs. <span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Agreed

<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: Arial; msolist: Ignore;">4. <span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Penetration of Toolbox brand is patchy. <span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Don’t know. <span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msofareastfontfamily: Arial; msolist: Ignore;">5. <span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Customisation of Toolbox content is not happening as much as the Flexible Learning Framework would prefer. <span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> Customisation is probably happening but not being reported. Customisation guides need to be included to make the process simpler. <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; msobidifontfamily: Arial; msobidifontsize: 12.0pt; msobidifontstyle: italic; msofareastfontfamily: Arial; msolist: Ignore;">6. Current model requires an extensive development model, which restricts development output considerably. <span style="color: #4f81bd; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> <span style="color: #4f81bd; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; msoansilanguage: EN-US; msobidilanguage: AR-SA; msofareastfontfamily: Calibri; msofareastlanguage: EN-AU;">Agreed, and the multiplicity of formats/approaches (even within the one Training Package – eg Water) make it difficult for reviewers and users. I suggest that planning start with the functional specification, and then the design of the HTML skin to make it work. Programs such as FreeMind (mind-mapping software) are useful in this process.