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**ICE – It’s COOL e-learning**


Diana Khabbaz – Diana.khabbaz [at] tafensw.edu.au
 * Manager/ Facilitator:** Greg Riach – greg.riach [at] tafensw.edu.au


 * Sponsoring RTO:** Ultimo TAFE, Sydney Institute


 * Target client groups:** youth; learners in the workplace; skills shortage

ICE-It’s COOL ELearning is a project of the Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Section at TAFE NSW Sydney Institute aiming to integrate e-learning into a critical National Skill Shortage area and bring together full & part time teachers, employers, industry, professional associations and students to build capability to meet the **National Skills Shortage**. The primary focus is to increase full / part time teacher skills to plan, facilitate and manage blended e-learning for Certificate III in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning by integrating a variety of delivery and assessment modes into current practice. Formal professional development will focus on facilitating, planning and managing effective e-learning programs and providing opportunities to share the learning across a diverse network of learners, employers, professional associations and VTE stakeholders
 * Project summary:**


 * Online presence**


 * Postcard from the Field due date:** week staring 20 November


 * Proposed LearnScope visit/s:** ¦ Aug. 10 ¦


 * Team events**


 * FURTHER DETAILS:**

The outcomes of this project meet the 2006 Sydney Institute Results and Services Plan to:
 * Background to the project:**
 * Establish a blended learning development group to extend the use and range of delivery modes.
 * Drive innovative, flexible and adaptive teaching, learning and services
 * Expand the educational opportunities for students from targeted groups
 * Strengthen the Institute and community through collaboration within our region and with industry, local groups and other educational providers

Sydney Institute’s strategic focus is for more effective teaching and learning, with an emphasis on e-learning opportunities particularly in terms of access and equity, and providing greater flexibility in learning options. The skills shortage has created a heavy demand on our teaching staff. In order to meet that demand, there is a need for greater flexibility in delivery and assessment in the Refrigeration Training Package. This project will allow us to obtain knowledge and skills to use blended learning and create networks to enhance and validate our current delivery and assessment processes.

The Outcomes of this project are to: Benefits to client group: It is envisaged that as a result of this project, target client groups will engage in blended eLearning, access course materials remotely using a learning management system and Web2.0 technologies, communicate with their teachers using various available synchronous and asynchronous tools, and undertake workplace training and assessment more effectively. As one of our team members is actually one of our students, we are seeking their direct input and involvement in this project. In tailoring blended delivery options to meet various student needs, we will use Web2.0 technologies and synchronous and asynchronous communication tools to gain direct feedback and evaluate our blended learning solutions.**
 * Proposed project outcomes:**
 * enable teachers of Refrigeration & Air Conditioning to facilitate, plan and manage blended e-learning opportunities for more effective teaching and learning, and provide best practice models of delivery and assessment.
 * expand learning options specifically for targeted learner groups and or individuals such as indigenous, youth, disengaged and students with disabilities.
 * extend networks of collaboration between TAFE and the Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Contractors Association (RACCA), Australian Refrigeration Institute of Air Conditioning & Heating (AIRAH) and industry representatives to ensure industry requirements are met.
 * Tailor e-learning delivery which integrates employability and ICT skills for targeted learner groups, and ensures consistency of training, delivery and assessment across Sydney Institute
 * The outcomes of this project will benefit trade apprentices / trainees from a variety of ethnic and indigenous backgrounds in city and remote areas of Australia. The national training package UTE 309 99 incorporates flexibility in student pace, entry and exits points and at the same time complies with the AQTF and relevant stakeholders. The delivery and assessment processes will allow for larger numbers of completion rates in this area, particularly for indigenous learners, 15-19 year olds and students with a disability undertaking this course.

Evaluation strategies: Interviews and/or focus groups will be conducted to collect feedback on the impact of our project on our students, teachers and especially employers. Employers of our student trainees will also provide feedback on the impact of this project using online survey tools and or checklists. Qualitative feedback will also be sought and recorded in online journals and or Web2.0 tools such as Wikis. The whole team will be required to evaluate and provide feedback on project outcomes.**
 * Participants will use learning journals, portfolio and/or checklists to record and share their learning experience across Sydney Institute as well as the AFLF community.

We are capturing our learning via:
 * The project team will use the following strategies to capture the learning at various stages of the project:**
 * All participants will undertake a pre and post online skills audit. The pre skills audit will shape the skills development direction of the project
 * Minutes of meetings and records of online discussions will be kept to provide a storyline behind the learning journey
 * Team members will be encouraged to develop a team blog to provide both an ‘online’ experience but also a learning journal
 * Success stories will be shared in the project blog and/or EdNA groups
 * We hope to share our learning :
 * Showcase project findings and models at the Learnscope showcase day in October 2006.
 * Participate in state wide on line events.
 * Showcase at the National Refrigeration / Air Conditioning Exhibition Darling Harbour 2006.
 * Present the learning at the Institute showcase day on the first of December 2006 and publish project successes and outcomes through the communications news sheet and Institute web site-SydNet.
 * Collaborate with other Learnscope teams both within Sydney Institute and across various VTE providers.
 * Seek out and link with similar projects both current and previous
 * Link with previous Learnscope projects both team and individual that have explored trade areas.
 * Link with Institute eLearning Networks Web 2.0 project
 * Link with Reframing the Future projects across Sydney Institute
 * Collaborate with industry through industry site visits, industry project team members and professional associations

Proposed project products/outputs: Digital Stories An evaluation will be administered at the completion of each training workshop
 * We’ll connect with others via:**
 * Collaborating with industry through project industry representatives
 * Publishing the learning through Communication News Sheet and Institute web site
 * Collaborating and sharing with other Learnscope projects, both within Sydney Institute and outside
 * Identifying and linking with other trades projects
 * Linking with an Institute eLearning Networks project on Web2.0 technologies
 * Linking with other communities through EDNA and other state and national projects
 * Presenting the learning at the Institute Learning and Development Showcase Day
 * Presenting the learning at the end of year Learnscope Showcase Day and any relevant conferences
 * Lining with Reframing the future projects
 * Participants will be encouraged to records their learning activities through development of Postcards & Digital Stories
 * Learning Journal / Portfolio
 * Participants will record their learning experience & success stories in a learning journal that captures and reflects the learning
 * Learning journals will be published in selected blog
 * Evaluation Forms and Interviews**