Toolbox+Champion+Comments

​This page contains comments from the Toolbox Champions who work to support the embedding, customisation and increase the use of Toolboxes nationally.
A Toolbox Champion's workshop was held in Melbourne 30 September 2009. Some outcomes from this workshop are published here:

Learning Object Model
There was a strong preference for a Learning Object Model, with comments that more users each year were requesting and using learning objects as opposed to full Toolboxes. The Learning Object popularity is being largely driven by the ubiquity of the LMS.
 * Need for increased granularity of content, preferably at a Task, as opposed to a Unit level. "We want lego not castles"
 * Reduce size of learning objects to facilitate easier download.
 * Provide tools to support aggregation and discovery of similar Toolbox objects.
 * It is currently difficult to break down whole Toolboxes, teachers (anecdotally) are requesting an integrated set of resources, not a Toolbox.

The Toolbox team have been examining the potential for reversing the development process and starting from a learning object model, and then providing tools which support the amalgamation of learning objects into sequences of learning.
 * Provide Learning Objects to Toolbox Champions on their hard drives.

Structural requirements:
Im not convinced that standardising content structuresor navigation wil achieve anything but a boringly conformist look and feel...Different structures and so forth reflects different content needs and so forth.
 * Filenaming conventions
 * Standard content structure
 * Standard navigation across Toolboxes
 * Need to Tidy up files.
 * Provide flash source files with the Learning Objects
 * Need greater consistency across the Toolbox product.

Customisation
I dont think its too difficult for the average teacher to customise, say, a learning object. When a teacher finally embraces e-learning they seem to move quickly into customisation starting at the easy level and moving through the stages HL. We perhaps need to provide more information about levels of customisation that a teacher can aim for. Im not sure I understand what this point is about? Customisation can make a Tbx ot TLO more meaning to particulay learners or subject matter...HL
 * Currently it's too difficult for the average teacher to customise.
 * Should we be looking at personalisation as opposed to customisation? (why not both, introduce personalisation using some non-threatening tools as a step on the way to cusomisation).


 * People would like to be able to unify the appearance of learning objects sourced from different Toolboxes. Create a 'skin' or CSS which enables users to quickly streamline the appearance of multiple learning objects. This would be much easier once standard design elements and navigation (see above) have been created.

I see people wanting to do much more than this. I think we could aid this practice by looking into how we "package", "talk about" customisation and what tools we have avaliable for it.. and help teachers understand the various approaches. I also think we might be imformed by research into PD for enhancing teachers skills in the application of education technology... are there any clues to be had here?
 * Users only really want to make basic changes - ie. upload a photo, change a heading etc, at the moment the customisation options are too complex.
 * Provide increased mapping support tools.
 * TAA mapping is good.
 * Provide contextualised tools to support reuse of older content.

Maintenance

 * Identify which Learning objects in toolboxes get the greatest use and maintain those. Identify maintenance priorities by value. Server logs could provide some of this information.
 * Stop maintaining entire Toolboxes.
 * Provide units of competency titles only on content pages, don't put them on inside pages.
 * Develop a knowledge banks for Toolbox use.

Toolbox Development priorities

 * Source requests for development from a broader base than just the ISCs. Why not ask on the toolbox search page? Again, the server logs will have a wealth of information about what trainers are currently searching for and with a little work this can be used to highlight where the gaps are in the current collection.
 * Identify requests for content throughout the year via Champion networks.

=Create a digital Toolbox Champion to increase support structures.=

An online learning guide - Camtasia e.g. - A 'teachy' point of view..... and in Knowledge Base... Make the videos/the guides etc not buried in a learning object...
 * What is a toolbox
 * what is a learning object
 * how do i use these
 * "it's not meant to be......
 * What are your motivations for using this?
 * How do i blend it with what i already do?

Stop talking about content talk about learning design...etc, SMEs How do we get input from equity groups Generic mapping - by task. conduct a meeting, wash hands, Add powerful search ESL/numeracy/literacy

Define customisation - do we want it back If you customise for another industry..? Develop Guidelines around this... Capture what has been done.... LORN - acknowledges content creator as owner (QLD....)

Don't lose richness... In future add templates to e.g. L