May 16th - Reflections on Project PALM using innovation research criteria

Accessing the RIPPLES Implementation model used in the Innovate and integrate research as a focus for this blog entry provides a structure for my thoughts as to where we are at and some of the issues impacting on our project right now...

1. Resources
If we consider that there are three key resources, human, physical and financial then there are a number of issues related to each one of these that is worth mentioning here.

• Human - currently there is a lack of human resources to support the PBL approach
• the core priorities of our project;  e-learning, assessment and instructional design require us to encourage the use of current TQR e-learning infrastructure and tools, e.g ; My.tafe, Resource Bank, videoconferencing and iConnect web conferencing to name a few.  To provide this timely coaching and mentoring support for our teachers ( in what amounts to a three month time frame) We need to provide the enabling support to allow teachers to explore and develop their skills and knowledge of this infrastructure and explore how they could reinvigorate their teaching with these tools.  This  requires us as the facilitators to design and provide customised JIT (just in time) learning options to our project participants.  Thereby meeting the identified learning needs that people identify as part of this Problem Based Learning approach.
• In some instances this requires set up of My.tafe frameworks, setting up permissions and access to other Institute modules so that the teachers can learn from their colleagues and use these models and examples for their learning purposes. 
• This assistance needs to be provided from the already heavily burdened Learning technology/innovation teams across the TQR Institutes and the staffing allocation to these units to support this learning and innovation is not meeting the current needs, let alone new PD initiatives such as our project!  Project PALM has no more priority than any other e-learning work already being completed and this has caused some issues with project participants being unable to commence or being delayed in their monthly activities aligned with their projects.  So...... human resource allocation of skilled and experienced people who can coach, mentor and train teachers needs to be considered and planned accordingly.  It is an imperative, if we are to expect teachers to have skills in e-learning and more blended learning options and to be able to do some of the work currently being done by learning technologies staff. 

Infrastructure: The current infrastructure being utilised across the Project PALM projects, varies considerably.  Primary technology being explored and reinvigorated and used as part of these projects includes; My.tafe, Resource bank, videoconferencing, iConnect webconferencing and a variety of social software tools that we as a team are using and exploring, bubbl.us, voice thread, wallwisher.

1. The current My.tafe set up and management occurs through the Institute learning technologies teams and their staffing levels are proving to be an issue in terms of getting set up processes done for the Project PALM projects that are focused on my.tafe use.  So even if the infrastructure is available you need to resource it so that it can be effectively used and implemented by teachers.  Current strategic documentation is proposing that all teachers have an e-learning component in their delivery.  It would be interesting to read some statistics as to where we are currently in this ideal and where we need to be in the next three years aligned with TQR strategic intent.  What will this require in terms of teaching skills and support and have we done these calculations?  I also think that it is important to consider that just putting resources online is only one part of the learning design equation.  As we know this is only one part of a teacher role. think historically when we had a text book and now we have online content.  The other core activities teachers must design and develop are the learning processes around this online resource and then facilitate the learning using a variety of strategies. I think that this might be being forgotten .....

2. The current LRM team based in Brisbane and the cohort of my.tafe trainers that was supported in 2008 - 2009 by TAFE Qld is not offering systemic training at this time due to to enhancements and changes to  Resource bank and my.TAFE infrastructure.  The training role in Institutes varies and the current priority has not focused on teacher my.tafe training even though the online resources and how to documents are available and extremely useful to provide some relevant information.  This has varied across institutes.  The problem is that if you are a teacher new to online learning I can bet that you are unlikely to go to online training as your primary method of learning.  Flexibility and identification of varied training methods needs to be re-explored.  Add in the fact that any  my.tafe training that has been done by teachers in the past has in fact in many instances been forgotten (see image reflecting the use it or lose it)  facts associated with an PD or learning approaches.  Our focus in project PALM is about JIT learning and we need the support of innovation/Learning technologies teams if this reinvigoration of teaching approach is to be successful.  The best case scenario would be to know that funding is available in 2009 so that planning for the PD processes can be planned and resourced accordingly, the year before.  The capacity to employ casual staff to support the e-learning process is also problematic and currently there are no collaborative approaches to learning design and my.tafe set up due to the Institute design of My.tafe sites and the difficulty in sharing across Institutes.  The primary way to share is to get these resources packaged and into Resource bank and the staff to do this at the institute level are not currently available, due to very heavy workloads. 
3. Plus.... don't get me started on the trial for iConnect.  If we compare its implementation with videoconferencing use we can see the history of this tools implementation and learn some valuable lessons.  The current support for VC use is outstanding, due in fact to the contract negotiations around the use and access to this tool.  Each campus has an officer who is responsible for the set up and management of VC sessions and also trainers and support personnel offering training in its use across the varied contexts, be they meetings and or training delivery.   Does anyone remember when VC was there and no-one really used it?
4.  Compare this to the IT issues that have been changing at Institutes over the last months and the need to have set up documents provided to individuals that involve complex activities in terms of changing proxies, access and permissions to load java and the need to set up work computers every time you log in toy your computer and need to access an iConnect elluminate session.  All this and the fact that many teachers and staff have limited IT skills!!!  It is amazing that we have been able to get over 100 people to explore web conferencing and the learning and PD options this technology could provide in the future.  This tool is going to be a useful accessory and tool for teachers in the 21st century in terms of collaborative social learning as this will be a context in which they will all be forced to work and clients expect.

5. Policy and strategic planning needs to keep in mind the flexible use of these social software tools and how they can best be managed within the IT policies and procedures currently being planned.  Are they asking the right people and recognising the changing nature of VET learning design!!!  Simple article that describes types of learning and the use of tools for current workplace learning initiatives and how this is working and developing and reinvigorating!.

People: We need to determine a structured approach to the professional learning for the teachers aligned with our TQR strategic plans. We have probably three levels of teachers that have varied needs when it comes to reinvigoration of their teaching processes.  We need to align these people with relevant coaches mentors and support staff so that their issues can be cooperatively managed for the benefit of our core business and clients.   We need to provide them with relevant pathways and a mix of formal, informal and just in time learning options appreciating also that as professional teachers we too, have a responsibility to source and maintain ongoing learning activities to remain  a viable and successful 21st century VET practitioner.  This means that not only does the organisation need to provide flexible learning options but also that it is a teacher's responsibility to investigate and source their own learning activities and complete these in their own time to maintain their competence.

1. Lisa Erbacher at SQIT has developed a model that is focused on having a structured approach to this teacher development and it is timely to enhance and build on Lisa's model for teacher currency options and this professional development pathways document that is being considered for use across TQR. If we could have a strategic plan for staged teacher development in e-learning (blended learning) and learning and assessment design and provide the varied support mechanisms needed this might allow us to pursue our innovative teaching agenda and minimise the implementation issues of moving teachers to 21st century learning delivery.  

Policies ; Without having complete knowledge of the developing TQR policies it is vital that as part of our PALM project that we provide a succinct summary of how various TQR policies could be developed and enhanced with the learning from this project.  The current TQR innovation Powerpoint needs to have some more detail before we can see if the sorts of issues we are identifying in our project will have use in refining this policy document.  Not to mention the staff training and development policy for TQR staff.  The hard work that is being completed at these TQR subcommittee levels needs to consistently focus on the TQR strategic plan and identify the key priorities to make us a successful regional Qld training entity.  Plus ask the practitioners where possible!

Learning/Evaluation: Lots!!!!!!!  the proof will be in determining the evaluation strategy and criteria for our Project PALM initiative so that we can best share the learning from this Problem Based action learning model with relevant stakeholders and inform the people and sub committees developing current TQR policies.

Support: we have implemented a variety of support strategies from personal, team, ITG, learning technologies, financial and management.  A summary of these support strategies and what has worked and what needs to be enhanced will be a core component of our evaluation strategy.  Suffice to say that we have been extremely focused on the personal approach and promoting communication, connections and collaboration across TQR and TAFE Qld for teachers to learn from each other and not reinvent the wheel.  We have identified that there may be some opportunities for some support units e.g library to be more closely involved in collaborative design and delivery but also appreciate that this is currently done in a variety of  institute ways.  Perhaps this is a discussion that is occurring at the subcommittee level, we will stay tuned.   What we have tried to do is communicate widely what we are doing via the: my.tafe website, individual information sessions, online sessions, personal presentations at ITG;s Lead institute networks and the recent VC across TQR.  Our strategies will be reviewed and evaluated for use in future PD projects.  A link to the most recent promotional strategy via the VC is available below.  Check it out and feel free to add comments.

Here is the link to the recent TQR Videoconference where Project PALM was given a chance to publicise what it was doing.  Our Project PALM section starts at 1.20 and completes at 7.00 minutes.  Not sure of its use and whether this forum was really able to excite and publicise to the the people we need to get on board in terms of innovation in teacher PD.  You decide? What could I have done better in this six minute window of opportunity?     Plus.....Interesting that as I researched some concepts re 21st century learning I came across the paper I wrote for one my masters subjects  related to PD and Lead institutes.   I thought I should probably re-read this paper on PD and lead institutes and see what if any of these issues related to the current project PALM work still is relevant.

Mmmmm....F.A.C.T. S and the three P's - Policy, People and Platforms that impact on successful VET Professional learning.

• F- Flexible and focused
• A-Active and adaptable
• C-Communities and collaboration
• T-Technology and tools
• S-Supportive and Sustainable

Seems to me that these criteria are still relevant to what we are attempting to do in this project PALM initiative and it might be useful to build this into the evaluation process !

1. Policy - needs to be defined around IT and infrastructure use and staff capability requirements with clear pathways and flexibility as to how this is achieved.  We need to remember that our core business is learning and everything we do revolves around this as a focus. 
2. People - need to be clear as to what is expected from them as a 21st century VET teacher and support personnel in the form of coaches mentors and trainers identified within the TQR organisational structure to make that happen efficiently and effectively
3. Platforms - need to be used and enhanced and flexible enough to meet emerging needs of clients, industry and teachers to make the most of their capability.

To be continued....