Common themes

There were many common themes that emerged from the various focus group sessions. These are some of the more frequent ones. The practical guide section provides a wide range of more detailed examples of how ACE is addressing the specific issues as outlined in this section of the report.

Accredited and non accredited programs
Organisational learning: building organisational capability
Teacher support
Key people
Open access and volunteers
Resourcing and infrastructure
Online learning and communication platforms
Partnerships as pathways
The learner perspective – an access and equity issue?
Conclusion: how flexible are we?

Accredited and non accredited programs

The delivery of VET programs continues to be an important growth area for a large number of ACE organisations. Data gathered from the ACFE annual report for 2001-200 indicates that vocational education made up 36.6 per cent of student contact hours and 51.7 per cent of enrolments. Potentially this is an area that can benefit greatly from the tools and resources produced by the State government to facilitate more flexible delivery practices. Issues around flexibility in both accredited and non accredited courses tended to vary between regional and metropolitan ACE, but there were also many commonalities. The debate on accredited/non accredited approaches was a lively one.

Chunking courses
Many smaller ACE organisations are now modularising larger certificate courses into smaller chunks to better meet the needs of their local community. They combine modules and outcomes targeted to what is needed in the workplace and customise their courses accordingly. This delivery is often supported by ICTs. This is particularly prevalent in business qualifications.

Centres like GECC (Geelong Ethnic Communities Council) in Geelong and Campaspe College of Education in Echuca have developed a sophisticated distance learning approach to delivering Certificate and Diploma level courses for specific client groups, and targeting specific training packages and integrating a range of resources such as toolboxes and online communication tools in its delivery. At the other end of the spectrum, many ACE organisations continue to meet local community needs through programs that have a formalised structure, high standards, incorporate ICT and multimedia but are not necessarily accredited.
(See the practical guide section on the web site for examples such as Dingley Village Neighbourhood Centre and Flemington Reading & Writing).

Debate
Metropolitan participants expressed the view that accredited courses tended to lock organisations in to a style or delivery pattern, whereas non accredited courses allowed much greater flexibility and also offered a greater opportunity to accommodate differing student needs and to building a sustainable community - which was seen as a key issue. Regional participants indicated that the social and employment climate had changed so much that providers and policy makers needed to rethink how they address this issue. Many participants thought that current funding models did not recognise this shift.
One metropolitan group discussed accredited/non accredited provision in relation to preparing students with IT skills for the workplace. Their students want the IT skills to facilitate a return to work but did not necessarily need the qualification. They agreed that the reality of the workplace was that employers are looking for workers who are computer literate to the point where they can be trained in specific software and many employers were not concerned whether or not these people held an accredited certificate.

Full certificate & diplomas – ACE advantage
The growing group of regional and rural ACE organisations who do deliver full certificate and diploma courses see their size as a definite advantage in competing with larger organisations for market share as they feel that they are more responsive and therefore more flexible. Practical placement arrangements were cited as an example. These organisations have been able to be more flexible by meeting individual student needs, something that more structured block placements in larger Institutes makes very difficult.

Scope
Another area of particular concern to many small ACE organisations in rural communities is the absence of a local TAFE, or private providers able to offer accredited courses. For these small rural ACE organisations the cost in adding courses to a scope of registration is prohibitive, and this impacts greatly on the educational opportunities and pathways available within a local community. In their pathway to employment, many learners are forced by circumstances beyond their control, (e.g. with the effects of the recent drought) to re-train and change their career path completely. This often involves retraining with the expectation of gaining some level of VET qualification, where transferability and portability of skills and qualifications are paramount.

A suggested model for regional and rural ACE – to enable smaller ACE organisations to deliver accredited courses to their communities - was for the regional ACFE office to hold the Scope of Registration and ACE organisations prove to them that they can deliver under that Scope. The benefit of flexible learning for smaller non RTOs would be the availability of using someone else’s Scope to deliver accredited courses and which will in turn help them build capacity and credibility as a reputable training organisation in their community.

RCC/RPL
Participants felt that when small regional and rural ACE providers deliver accredited courses as short, non-accredited courses, the client can be grossly disadvantaged. Whilst RCC and RPL theoretically exists, cost, fear and reluctance of many training organisations to offer it, means that it is just as expensive to undertake the RCC process as it is to re-do the course. The learner is the loser – financially and in time spent retraining. This poses a dilemma for the small provider - are they really offering a service by delivering non-accredited courses or are they offering their communities false hope?

Resources & staffing
Many participants highlighted issues around resources (or the lack thereof) in delivering accredited courses – be it multimedia or print based. Their experience is that when a training package is released there are often no accompanying teaching resources. This is an issue for smaller RTOs who are reliant on a sessional workforce. These organisations are constantly and actively seeking out strategies that will significantly reduce work loads for their sessional trainers. They reported that toolboxes are being used but more as an add on in the classroom or as a reference for the trainer. Most identified the need for more information on how to integrate these “off the shelf” products into their programs.
Participants highlighted the fact that getting and keeping qualified staff was really difficult and funding models were often restrictive and unhelpful.

Nonetheless, the work that is being done to specifically meet the needs of learners through the range of (accredited) training options offered, is impressive, although several providers felt they were being reactive rather than proactive in relation to flexible learning in VET. Regional and rural ACE face unique challenges, but as the practical guide illustrates, they have developed an impressive range of unique solutions.

ACE prepares students for the workplace, further education, community participation and enhances life skills. The feedback from all the focus groups was that ACE sees true flexibility as allowing a student to work their way through a course in a way, at a time and a pace that suits them. Approaches may or may not include ICT but for ACE flexibility is always about meeting the individual needs of a very diverse group of people.

Organisational learning: building organisational capability

“In the beginning I wanted to do everything. I can’t do that. I don’t have the manpower and I don’t have the money, so the TAFE VC concept is really good…because half of it is done for you. If I can go in there and enhance and develop, that is the way I want to go. But, I need to have a model up there that I can adapt. I would like things aimed at me as a manager rather than the teacher or the webtooler.. I have learners who are hungry for different experiences and I want to give it to them. I am trying to find my way in this maze… and I can’t find it.”.

For ACE managers flexibility can be summarised as being responsive – responsiveness to community and individuals needs – whatever form that takes. An ad hoc approach to offering such flexibility or a disinterested senior management can create a significant strain on the financial and other resources or stifle innovation completely.

The changes in delivery practices around the uptake of ICTs have been mainly a bottom up approach – a professional development led change management model. For many teachers it was also a shift in attitudinal change. The uptake of ICT enabled teaching and learning specifically, represents a significant shift or even in some cases threat to the way ACE sees its role in meeting community and individual needs.

ACE favours more emergent approaches to change management which is typified by a “bottom up rather than a top down approach to change which sees change as an open–ended and continuous process of adaptation to changing conditions and circumstances ”
Mitchell, J. and S. Young (2001). Change management strategies for VET. From High-Skilled High performing VET., ANTA: page 15

This approach often appears in more turbulent environments. Lack of adequate funding and professional development support to embed ICT practices in teaching and learning, teacher employment conditions, technical issues such as equipment and connectivity, and no clear policy direction from policy makers are just some of the issues raised by participants.

In this turbulent environment most ACE managers operate on both a strategic and an operational level, partly because of their size and partly because they operate under severe budget constraints.
The ACE organisations represented felt that budgets are still a restraint and that most of their flexible learning initiatives were reactive rather than proactive; they felt that they would like to change this but that required money.

And yet the size and culture of ACE can have distinct benefits for the organisation in the exploration of innovation and the introduction of change. One such organisation is PAEL (Peninsula Adult Education and Literacy) in Rosebud, where the manager has driven the change. This is partly due to their size, and partly due to the nature of their provision.

Organisational change is a slow process and ACE managers are finding that the majority of teachers are still struggling with ICTs themselves and are therefore not keen to take it into the classroom. One manager remarked that it had taken her three years to get her staff on board – relevance to their employment situation and teacher buy in were seen as crucial.

The integration of ICTs into work practices was seen as both a personal and organisational achievement . It empowered staff, and individuals reported that it made the organisation more effective.
Staff turnover is still a great problem – with some managers commenting that as soon as teachers are skilled up they are offered employment outside of ACE. Teachers who have taught outside ACE agree that ACE is often better able to respond to student needs - can still be flexible by providing alternative learning solutions.

Time to explore and prepare is a constant issue – organisations want regular opportunities for trainers to have time to explore and share resources, and they need a person in a paid continuing role, who can facilitate and speed up the exploration process. (See PRACE (Preston/Reservoir Adult and Community Education) and Olympic Adult Education in the Practical Guide section of the website for examples of organisations who have appointed e-learning coordinators). The reality is though, that it is still common practice within the sector for teachers to put in significant amounts of their own time in order to pursue innovation.

Teacher support

Professional development …what works

If one word could summarise such a complex concept, it would have to be integration. Managers across the state commented on the fact that what teachers needed most was support in the integration of ICT resources into the curriculum.

Many of the focus group participants, specifically managers, noted that time was a significant issue in the uptake of something as specialised and relatively radical as the introduction of ICTs into an essentially face-to-face teaching culture. This was borne out by many teachers who reiterated the need for sustained, supported and continuing professional development over a period of time. Experience in the Southern Western Port Region has demonstrated that it can take as much as 4 years for teachers to successfully integrate ICT enabled teaching and learning into their repertoire.
Schooneveldt, M. and J. Rose ( 2003). Flexible Learning in SWP - Making it Real., TAFE frontiers Case Study.

Continuing, ongoing support mechanisms were highlighted by most participants as very important for teachers who had participated in work based professional development opportunities.

Participants indicated that the most effective work based learning model was a combination of face-to-face instruction and online i.e. a blended approach to PD, which models good practice over a period of time. The opportunities for networking as well as being part of a group, who were working towards a common agreed goal, were invaluable. Participants agreed that a model which allows for reflection and application in the workplace was the most productive, especially when it allowed for opportunities to follow through and re-visit specific aspects.

Having a dedicated, responsive facilitator was also seen as important. Tangible outcomes / products at the end of the project were also seen as valuable.

However, managers acknowledged that it was often not practical or feasible to embark on such and extended PD program unless it was adequately funded. The context and employment conditions of ACE teachers is not, on balance, conducive to opportunities for PD.

Money available for extended PD is often predicated by an in-kind contribution which puts severe strain on the organisation’s budget and the time of the sessional teacher. One manager remarked on the fact that even if she had project funds, workloads would make it impossible for teachers to attend a more extended PD project.

Building confidence in the integration of ICTs requires complex skills and knowledge and takes time to develop. Teachers who may work for more than one ACE organisation are reluctant to give up classes to attend PD. They are understandably reluctant to continually attend PD on their days off. It therefore stands to reason that a variety of PD models will need to be available. Some of the suggestions included:

• One day workshops on very specific topics for manger and teachers
• Peer mentoring - learning from others @ their centre
• Task / project based PD
• Conferences
• Becoming a member of a community of practice – within your own state or across boundaries
• Team teaching opportunities within and across centres

Participants were very encouraging in their descriptions of the impact and flow-on effects of PD. They felt that it introduced a broader range of opportunities for learning, a broader range of resources within the centre and greater use of existing resources within the centre. Everyone agreed that the impact of PD on individuals and course delivery was significant. Centres reported a broader awareness of the potential of ICTs. For many teachers it also confirmed their own abilities and provided an opportunity to broaden interests and skills. It excited people to try out new things and it has a big flow on effect to the learners.

Teachers reported on many and varied PD opportunities in ACE. ICT specific ones were mentioned, such as Mooing, WebCT, the accredited short course ICT Skills for Teachers and various LearnScope initiatives. Participants noted that PD in complex learner management systems often left participants confused if it was not well targeted, with the result that application at centre level was patchy. There is also a perception that much of the PD at that level is aimed at people with technical skills. This is frustrating for managers who feel they can direct the learning but often feel left out.

One organisation reported that there was great enthusiasm for TAFE VC after their last LearnScope project but that the knowledge and skills that had been developed were hard to maintain. There was also a problem with funding ongoing time to continue to develop skills for teachers individually, until it became an integral part of their work commitments. Sustained funding to cover hidden cost of flexible delivery and sustained support for deliverers needs to be ongoing, and current ACFE funding models do not support this.

The ACE sector has long been heavily dependent on a sessionalised, casual workforce. This is one of the single most important factors in tempering the uptake of any new initiatives. Stehlik et al found that while there are professional development opportunities for contract and casual staff they tend to be less accessible. Contract and casual staff need to be more active in seeking out information and opportunities, and the extent of the access they have is dependent on the culture of the organisation, and the extent to which contract and casual staff are included in the communication networks and the internal support available to them.

Key people

How this internal support manifests itself was very apparent. Some organisations have appointed specific individuals to provide this internal support in ICT enabled teaching and learning. The availability of a person who can provide that immediate just-in-time support was recognised as crucial. The role of the person depended somewhat on the size and the region in which the organisation operated. Some organisations in rural and regional ACE appointed an IT technical expert who was responsible for the organisation’s infrastructure, and also had the brief of developing ICT enabled flexible learning solutions. One regional provider commented on the fact that making this permanent appointment had been one if his more significant achievements in taking the organisation forward in flexible learning. It is interesting to note that many of these individuals attended the focus group sessions.

Others felt that they needed someone with a more educational background but who also had a good grounding in technical matters. These e-learning mentors, who had knowledge and experience in content development and the educational issues involved, and were also connected to others in the field was seen as a crucial for the development of flexible learning in their organisation.

There is knowledge and skills base already available to the sector but teachers do not, universally, tap in to this. Access to this support base needs to be efficient and effective in order to maintain enthusiasm and momentum. Often innovations in flexible learning at centre level are driven by one or two enthusiastic teachers or managers. This is hard to sustain. There are still many teachers who are not particularly confident or don’t have the skills to “go it alone”. These e-learning mentors are also vital in getting reluctant staff interested. Most online initiatives need a champion to keep them going – resources to support this are often lacking. Centres like Olympic Adult Education and PRACE have appointed e-learning coordinators who provide this on-site support.

ACE has a high turnover of staff, and this often results in lost expertise. The many flexible learning networks that were in operation in Victoria from 1999 – 2002 often operated as de-facto e-learning mentors for smaller ACE providers. The continued growth of the Southern Western Port Learning Communities partnership is a good example (see practical guide). This model allows for the network as a whole to:

• nurture, support and develop the expertise available in the region
• seek out suitable funding opportunities
• work with member organisations to provide professional development
• provide administration services for online delivery platforms
• research issues around ICT in the community

ACE has developed considerable expertise in developing, integrating and embedding ICT enabled teaching and learning resources into a range of program areas. Knowing who these key individuals in flexible teaching and learning are in ACE, and utilising their considerable expertise, will do much to share skills and expertise across centres and regions.

Open access and volunteers

“Sometimes flexibility is just having access to the equipment“

Another positive move has been increased public access to computers within ACE centres. This can sometimes be a difficult issue but has the crossover effect of introducing ACE to the community and makes resources available to the local community. They use the open access facilities predominantly for internet and email, and many centres reported that it was an excellent marketing strategy to bring more potential students into the centre. Many language and literacy providers have set up open access language learning spaces with a tutor available for guidance and mentoring support.

ACE centres depend on the skills end expertise and significant time commitments of volunteers to staff their open access facilities. One such centre who has had excellent success with open access is Ontrack in Eaglehawk. (To find out more – see the practical guide on website).

In fact, the crucial role of volunteering (even within a paid position) was raised in all the regional and rural areas we visited. In regional areas a class of four is not uncommon. Examples were given where an accredited course began with four people, two of whom then got jobs but needed to continue studying as well. The tutor continued to ‘teach’ the class of two at the provider level and then voluntarily continued teaching the other two, individually in their own homes and at times to suit them. Payment was not possible for the teaching done outside the paid time. This delivery was often supported by ICTs such as a email and bulletin boards.

Metropolitan ACE is also exploring the design and availability of flexible learning spaces. One organisation had experimented with one computer in most classrooms and felt that it was rarely used very well within the classroom. It was generally agreed that one computer is too little, and that the ideal flexible learning space would have 6 – 8 computers as well as tables and chairs so face-to-face classroom activities and computer usage was seamless and integrated.

This is an emerging future for all ACE organisations. Many metropolitan organisations can already see the end of IT application training and the need for the computer to be used as a tool rather than as the object being studied. This realisation is happening in varying degrees across the state; with pockets of regional areas still very heavily delivering application training.

There was a sense that regional and rural organisations were much further down the track in providing Open Learning support for the community, especially for those who were studying various flexi- courses through TAFE. They acknowledged it as being an option worth pursuing for ACE in regional and rural Victoria as demographics often prohibited them from filling a whole class, despite the fact that not many community members made use of this facility. Everyone agreed that connectivity was still one of the greatest factors that mitigated against this becoming a mainstream activity in flexible learning for them.

Resourcing and infrastructure

Resourcing was a constant theme across all the regions. Knowledge of, and access to, resources for flexible teaching and learning was one of the major topics under discussion. Aspects of resources that were discussed can be grouped as follows:

• Multimedia resources: specifically Toolboxes and online courseware
• Hardware and software
• Portability
• Connectivity
• Multimedia resources

Toolboxes

A recent study (Eklund 2003) into emerging issues and key trends in elearning, identified that teachers regarded Toolboxes as alternative sources of content, which were useful to augment their existing materials and delivery. Using the Toolbox as a secondary resource allowed the teacher to become accustomed to the content of the Toolbox and gradually introduce it into their delivery. Blended approaches are emerging – they arise naturally from a consideration of context related to the adoption of new learning technologies.

The focus groups confirmed a similar trend in ACE. The groups presented with a very mixed response to Toolboxes. It usually depended on the blend of teacher skills, the user friendliness of the Toolbox, the technology available and the capacity of the audience to navigate the resource. A good case in point was the use of the Truvision Toolbox, an equity toolbox developed for vision impaired learners. Teachers who had tried to use it with ACE learners other than the intended one, found it disappointing.

The most popular Toolboxes were the Equity Toolboxes, and Toolboxes that related to the Community Services (specifically Cybertots), Business and Information Technology.

Finding resources

Rural and regional ACE feels very isolated in accessing resources – sharing across state boundaries was discussed, specifically in the accredited area. Many organisations suggested that a register of the most effective / popular resources be prepared which would provide details of customised resources and contact people who have used these successfully or otherwise.

Participants reported a limited use and knowledge of supporting resources such as the resource generator (http://toolbox.flexiblelearning.net.au/search.asp) - it was usually through more structured state based professional development activities such as TAFE frontiers activities, LearnScope or through individuals networks that ACE gained knowledge of the full range of resources available to them – specifically in relation to toolboxes and their customisation. In some instances participants reported that partnerships with TAFEs to customise specific toolboxes has worked work well.

Central Western ACFE region is exploring the notion of a repository of learning objects on a regional basis. Perhaps thought should be given at a more strategic approach to the collection and dissemination of information around online materials for ACE.

Online course ware

Participants agreed that online learning materials (as available on the TAFE Virtual Campus) gave smaller ACE organisations a lot more options and flexibility in the content and structure of their delivery. Many individuals and organisations have developed or customised modules (See Longbeach Place OH& S in the practical guide on the web site) from the TAFE Virtual Campus online course catalogue. Many of these courses have a broad appeal and application across the sector. Participants felt that there was a need to find a way of sharing these resources across the ACE sector.

This has been attempted on a limited and very regional basis. The Southern Western Port region funded a traineeship model in 2001 – 2002 where ACE organisations customised a range of generic course available to organisations in that region through the TAFE Virtual Campus. (See PAEL and their development of a volunteer literacy tutor training module online in the practical guide section of the web site.)

Managers commented on the fact that the online modules contained a lot of information and content but did not stipulate a clear pathway to training packages and related modules in (other training packages). Participants suggested a library with everything in one place, i.e. a reworked course catalogue which has, amongst others, a section for managers and coordinators with information on alignment with training packages.

Software and hardware

Many smaller organisations reported ongoing problems with upgrades, internet access and maintenance. Both centres and students need up-to-date equipment, software and internet access to make ICT enabled learning work. The need for firewalls and the resultant problems was also mentioned as a barrier to integration.

Organisations from one region (Loddon Campaspe Mallee) suggested that remote students who signed up for an accredited course which incorporated technology should be able to purchase a computer at a reasonable as part of their course: “Technology goes with the training”. All the resources would be supplied with the courses.

They also felt that this opened up possible partnership opportunities with businesses for regional and remote ACE organisations.

Portability

There were numerous examples of organisations taking the learning to the learner. Time and distance have given most organisations opportunities to tailor training to small, isolated communities, or companies and industry settings and to deliver programs on site. In rural areas their local ACE organisation is often the only place for adult education. And “local” may mean 50 to 80 kilometres of travel. Changes in the rural economy, of how and where people work, have led to some innovative methods of delivering programs to learners. This is where flexible learning offers organisations an increased opportunity to take the learning to the learner. This is done in a number of ways from mobile laptops to one or two face-to-face classes supplemented by email, CD ROMs, Toolboxes, printed materials and other ‘flexible’ options.

Connectivity

“a lot of our smaller towns don’t have ADSL or broadband of they just have dialup”

For regional and rural and some metropolitan ACE organisations connectivity is still an issue. Although everyone agreed that Internet access and connectivity has improved considerably through programs like Connected ACE and Networking the Nation, many regional and specifically rural ACE organisations deliver to communities that can still not access this improved bandwidth. ICT enabled teaching and learning has tremendous potential in regional and rural ACE as a means of conquering distance. Constant dropouts and unstable connections make this a less than attractive option. Internet speed varies widely across the region and for some offers wonderful opportunities, whilst for others, frustration and disappointment.

Online learning and communication platforms

“The TAFE VC concept is really good – because half of it is done for you”

Our research indicated that there are two main online systems currently in operation in ACE, My Connected Community (MC2) and the TAFE Virtual Campus. The extent to which they support or deliver content is unclear, as it was not explicitly part of our brief to investigate this aspect of flexible learning. At this stage it would perhaps be wise to pause and consider the differences in definition between flexible and online learning.

A recently published report (Hill 2003) notes the lack of agreed terminology to describe the different types of online practice in VET: the terms ‘online learning’, ‘online delivery’ and ‘virtual education’ tend to be used interchangeably. The report describes three ‘modes’ of online learning currently in use:

• as an enhancement to the traditional mode of delivery where classes are held on campus, with interaction with fellow students and the teacher;
• as stand-alone online delivery on campus with a classroom facilitator
• using only online material off campus

The online delivery paradigm in ACE has been summarised in the following table, See Fig 1. below. ACE is typified as having a “facilitated, interactive, group based, learner-centered delivery driven by participant objectives, with or without formal assessment and recognition. Its dominant e-learning model is “web in the classroom, with emphasis on collaborative tools and learner publishing”. And the meaning of blended learning for ACE is one of “short courses online, with emphasis on building the learning community’.

It is within this context that we need to view the use of online technologies and platforms in ACE. The extent to which TAFE VC plays a role in this varies from region to region and centre to centre.

ACE managers are beginning to see the potential benefits of online tools and learners demand it .The most creative and possibly successful use of the TAFE VC by ACE organisations is using it as a communications hub. In the Southern Western Port region the early adopters who tried it a few years ago (2001) are now ready to try it again as they feel that teachers and Committees of Management have now progressed enough ( in skills knowledge and understanding) to give an online intranet through the VC another go. Organisations who have implemented it successfully have done this to improve communications in what is largely a sessional workforce with significant support from management.

Olympic Adult Education reported that they decided on the TAFE VC for their staff communication tool:

“Our communication hub is working fantastically, we use it as our major means of communication. Most staff would log in twice a week. Very few times do we need to put files or notes in people’s pigeon holes – most of it goes on the hub”. They see the value in accessing it out of hours. We are now extending that through to the students. It is providing teachers and students will skills and confidence in using online communication tools”.

There were misconceptions regarding online study in general - the relationship between RTO status and accredited courses studies online needs to be made more explicit. The feeling was that online learning for non-RTOs was not realistic and that there was no perceived and direct benefit for ACE organisations. ACE sees its role in supporting online delivery through providing computer drop in facilities for online learning in partnership with TAFE, but in terms of SCHs there seemed to be little or no benefit.

There is a very real and accurate perception amongst ACE providers that setting up and maintaining online learning and its systems is cost prohibitive for ACE organisations. A constant theme was concern about the hidden cost of online delivery. Managers feel that they do not have the relevant information regarding what is available to them for free. Organisations need information to make decisions around appropriacy and cost. Online delivery components are not factored in to the Student Contact Hour(SCH) price. The SCH rate is the same for all regions across the state.

The majority of ACE organisations are not using TAFE VC – there were quite a few language and literacy providers who felt that it was too difficult for their teachers and learners and no amount of centralised support would convince them to use it. Many have diversified in different directions – for example some reported that web publishing was a more productive way of incorporating online. On the other hand, some other centres reported that they are using it very successfully in language and literacy provision.

Having access to a State based system open to all is an incredibly valuable asset and one that small to medium sized RTOs appreciate that they would never normally be able to access as individual organisations. Everyone agreed that it had a place in the delivery of accredited programs and that they would investigate the TAFE VC in the future delivery of accredited VET programs .

It would be a great pity to lose this valuable asset just as organisations are making great strides in embedding ICTs in more and more aspects of program delivery. The well managed and well supported integration of online tools such as the TAFE VC has an ever increasing role to play in this. It should be part of a flexible teaching and learning strategy for ACE that recognises the nature and diversity of ACE whist also recognising the ongoing support required by its greatest asset – its teachers.

Partnerships as pathways

With student centered learning being at the heart of flexible learning in ACE, it comes as no surprise that the focus group sessions revealed a dynamic, complex web of partnerships across rural, regional and metropolitan ACE. Organisations are actively pursuing partnerships with the community and other training providers in order to meet community needs.

In metropolitan ACE partnerships with libraries, councils and private providers, Koori communities were examples of the ACE approach to flexible learning. The sophistication of the partnering arrangements was an interesting feature of this group.

They reported on a wide range of partnerships that involved and created opportunities for learners:

• Work for the Dole projects/participants who work in retirement villages to set up MC2 sites.
• Carlton ESL students developing simple directory of Neighbourhood Houses in the City of Yarra.
• One centre reported a partnership with a computer recycling center in Collingwood.
• Many are meeting the special training needs of particular groups such as Probus.
• Partnerships with the Deaf community in Box Hill.
• Flemington Reading and Writing has formed a partnership wit the local library to offer a wider range of literacy and computer courses.
• Springvale Neighbourhood Literacy Centre’s highly successful partnership with the City of Greater Dandenong’s library network – English Language & Literacy Access (ELLA).

In regional and rural ACE partnerships enable ACE to widen their repertoire and deliver courses under the scope of a partner. One regional ACE provider has partnered with a TAFE in order to access its resources to create pathways to employment programs such as the Responsible Service of Gaming Partnerships. Murray ACE - Swan Hill has formed partnerships with private providers, Melbourne University and TAFE in order to meet the needs of its community.

Particularly impressive in the Barwon South West region was the range of initiatives in place for ACE organisations to work with local industries to meet specific needs. Corangamite District Adult Education Group in Camperdown, in their work with Avec Esprit & Tallyho, GECC in Geelong and the food processing industry plus their ability to offer dual certificates in Aged Care/Home care.

Partnerships as collaboration

Partnerships with other ACE organisations to reach out to more remote rural communities were particularly strong in regional and rural areas. One example is Learning to learn online where five ACE learning centres received funding in partnership with Wodonga TAFE. The role of ACE will provide learning to learn bridging courses that will enable individuals to enventually take up TAFE courses. Potentially this is a great network that could develop realistic pathways for the five communities involved.

ACE organisations that were part of the OTTE Flexible Learning Networks see its impacts as both a positive and a negative. Some miss the networking and sharing of a common goal, whilst others felt the pressure of delivering SCH delivery targets on platforms such as the VC was too great.
Organisations agreed that it provided them with a springboard to exploration of online learning and the use of online in their course delivery. They are now looking at ways of extending their partnerships online – by connecting students and adding another valuable dimension to partnerships: online collaboration.

The learner perspective – an access and equity issue?

“Our greatest achievement is that my language and literacy students want to use IT now. When we first started it was... oh no, we have to use pens but now they tell me when it is time to go to the computer room.. but, it is still their choice to go in. My beginners are really angry because I am here today and they are not in the computer room!“

Is e-learning what learners in ACE want? As the example above indicates, once introduced…they do!
Participants reported that in general learners’ skill levels were developing and they were becoming much more enthusiastic towards experimenting with a range of flexible learning options. Some regions reported that students were becoming more familiar with online terminology and they were also becoming more sophisticated in their requests of what they wanted to learn. They wanted to design and develop web pages and explore more sophisticated online tools. Most teachers still only have limited access to computer time but despite that the students still use online tools very creatively. The one area of ACE provision in which this was particularly significant was language and literacy. Teachers commented on how literacy students are benefiting from having control - as one teacher explained: “it is now in their power to change words”.

For example Cheltenham Community Education and Activity Centre is creating a newsletter for their centre – the ESL students are writing and producing this, the teacher is a resource in the classroom and the students have taken control. The teacher commented on how ICTs have changed her role to that of learning facilitator – in the classroom. For ESL students the connectedness that email brings is one of the most important factors in students wanting to use ICTs in their studies.

Flemington Reading and Writing Program reported that the response to IT programs has been positive and has added diversity to its literacy and IT programs. They have now developed pathways in response to requests from people in the community. Pathways in lT and literacy led to needing more advanced skills in computers - the mixing of those two kinds of learners has been a great community building aspect of the use of ICTs. The longer term older students are becoming more involved in induction programs and training the new ones – in some sense they are driving the curriculum development. (See Flemington Reading and Writing FLW 2004 Case Study in the practical guide section of the web site)

The research revealed that there was an important caveat: the acknowledgement that ICT enabled teaching and learning does not suit all students. Often the students who need it or take to it are part of a mixed group – they work online in the classroom for specific reasons: extension activities or specific training needs. The teachers acknowledged that it added significantly to their workload. One teacher reported that many students still accessed online materials used in the classroom three to four months later.

The discussions also reaffirmed the crucial role of the teacher in whatever flexible teaching and learning option was selected. Managers in metropolitan ACE indicated that students were hungry for the range of new learning experiences that ICT enabled learning brings, but that there were a number of factors that mitigate against introducing it. Research conducted by Daniels 2001 indicates that skilled, confident teachers made a difference in the successful uptake of ICTs in the classroom.

”the methodological process must stem from a thorough understanding of the online learning venue and media – the Internet, including (mainly) the World Wide Web and electronic mail, but also bulletin boards, newsgroups, chat and other technologies. In short, teachers should be proficient in the use of computers and in accessing, navigating, and otherwise utilising the Internet. And it is desirable that they not only have this proficiency as confident users for their own personal or professional purposes, but are able to deconstruct or break down their own experience of Internet as an essential grounding for understanding the difficulties that the Target Groups are likely to encounter because of their cultural differences, circumstances, learning needs and other factors”.

ACE works with many specific access and equity groups. The new Ministerial Statement (ACFEB 2004) identifies ACE learners as a wide range of learners, with diverse backgrounds.

Typically, ACE learners are people who:

• have few or low-level qualifications
• want to improve their basic English language and numeracy
• need basic education to obtain a job or further education
• want training to start work, or go back to work, or change jobs, or keep their job
• want to do personal interest courses or other enrichment programs in a local community
• prefer to learn in the smaller, more intimate environment of a local centre
• want to be part of a learning community.

The challenge for ACE in Victoria will be to continue to explore and introduce flexible learning solutions that will enable ACE learners to develop their full potential as lifelong learners, whilst being given every opportunity to access the skills and knowledge needed to fully participate in the information economy.

In conclusion: how flexible are we?

As outlined in the overview of the report, our research showed overwhelmingly that flexible teaching and learning is flourishing in ACE – as it has for a long time. The report demonstrates that ACE has a broad, inclusive view of flexibility, in which ICT enabled teaching and learning has a part to play. However, ACE has, to a certain extent, been on the periphery of the push towards flexible teaching and learning in VET. For a range of reasons, some detailed in this report, it has not been able or willing to fully embrace the potential benefits of ICT enabled teaching and learning.

Perhaps the answer can be sought in Roger’s Diffusion of Innovation model. Rogers identified 5 distinct categories for the adoption of technology(cited in Corbel):

• Innovators – interested in the technology and the application. Are often members of broad networks of like-minded individuals.
• Early adopters – this group are risk takers, but project oriented, looking for a practical application of the technology that relates to their work situation. They are reasonably self sufficient and willing to take risks.
• Mainstream: Early majority - this group is much more pragmatic and want proven applicability to their teaching situation. This group has predominantly vertical discipline based networks.
• Mainstream: Later majority - similar to the early majority but less comfortable with technology.
• Conservatives - may never take up the innovation.

The focus group sessions confirmed that ACE is moving into the mainstream – in most cases it is demonstrating many of the characteristics of the early and late majority – managers and teachers looking for vertical, discipline based networks where they can get practical advice and support, with varying degrees of confidence.

The literature (Geoghegan 1994) further suggests that there is a potential chasm between the innovators, the early adopters and the mainstream. It suggests reasons for this chasm as well as four steps that need to be taken to bridge the gap.

There needs to be:

• a recognition that the mainstream group is different, and not necessarily easily brought around to the visions of the innovators;
• a recognition that they need support from peers;
• a recognition that the mainstream needs a compelling reason to adopt this technology; and
• a recognition that there needs to be institutional commitment.

It is therefore crucial that we build on the successes so richly demonstrated in the practical guide section of the accompanying web site and also so clearly demonstrated throughout this report, by providing knowledge and training and by reassuring potential adopters that an innovation will or can meet their needs. Promoting and supporting innovation at organisational level is vital.

Perhaps it is time that we look at enriching and embedding ICT enabled teaching and learning and its concomitant organisational practice in an overarching flexible ACE framework.