2007_053

DIGITAL CONVERSION STUDIO
 * PROJECT TITLE

FINAL REPORT** //Our Going Virtual 2- Digital Conversion Studio project took many of us into unchartered territory- allowing us to explore effective digital file conversion and use in web conferencing. Throughout the course of the project, it was the great sharing between participants in different states and diffferent faculty areas that really provided the impetus to achieve the project's aims, and the inspiration to continue trying new technologies and e-learning strategies with our own students. Our trainers were fantastic, gently nudging us along through our unchartered territories, and celebrating with us when we planted our flags on new discoveries. You can check out our presentation at: [|Going Virtual 2 Learnscope 2007 report]//

Sam Meredith; sam.meredith@tafensw.edu.au
 * MANAGER**

Dianne Van Berlo; dianne.vanberlo@tafensw.edu.au
 * FACILITATOR**

This project will provide staff development for institutions in three states- TAFE NSW New England Institute, Northern Territory VET, and TAFE Tasmania. In Phase One, //Digital Conversion Studio//, participants will learn how to convert digital resources eg video, audio, photos, powerpoint files and documents to formats suitable for use in virtual meeting spaces eg virtual auditoriums, meeting rooms and training rooms.
 * SUMMARY**

In Phase Two participants will learn how to use the resources successfully in the virtual meeting spaces. In addition in Phase Two, participants as teachers will use the technology with their students assisted and mentored by the Learnscope trainers.

Participants will be chosen by expression of interest from across all four faculties in NEI and across TAFE Tasmania and across the Northern Territory. NT staff will be drawn from both Charles Darwin University VET sector as well as Batchelor College.
 * CONTEXT**

The trainer for Phase 1 Digital Conversion Studio is Mr Chris Richter, an experienced teacher and trainer with a depth of knowledge and skills in elearning. Trainer for Phase 2 is Vivian Evans who is a highly experienced and skilled user of virtual classrooms and meeting rooms. New England Institute is a small Institute spread across New England North West Region of NSW. It delivers education and training to small communities throughout the region as well as beyond its geogrphic borders. The two largest campuses are Tamworth and Armidale. The region has minimal population growth. The Institute is committed to supporting innovations and systems to support flexible learning for example in the workplace and in the home in order to maximise the opportunities provided for students as well as deliver high quality training.

The participants, and in turn the TAFE student learners, are drawn from across all four NEI faculties. These faculties share similar needs in terms of the necessity to deliver training in flexible ways to overcome issues such as learner isolation and the need to combine training with work. Similarly the participants from TAFE Tasmania and NT VET are drawn from a variety of discipline areas.

A representative group of teachers from all discipline areas, and in turn their students. These participants will be drawn from three states and territories- approximately 10 from NEI, 5 from Northern Territory VET and 5 from TAFE Tasmania.
 * TARGET GROUPS**


 * TEAM**

Dianne Van Berlo, PTT Agriculture dianne.vanberlo@tafensw.edu.au **- Regional Event 3** Graeme Wilton, PTT Building and Construction graeme.wilton@tafensw.edu.au Phil Pamment, HT Agriculture phil.pamment@tafensw.edu.au Jacqui Sheehan, PTT General Education jacqueline.sheehan@tafensw.edu.au Col Bale, Teacher Ecotourism col.bale@tafensw.edu.au Kamahl Barhoush, PTT Fitness programs barhoush@ozemail.com.au Annick Marsh, PTT General Education, French annick.marsh@tafensw.edu.au David Gilchrist, Temporary FT, Screen david.j.gilchrist@tafensw.edu.au Craig Rogers, PTT Agriculture craig.rogers2@tafensw.edu.au
 * TAFE NSW New England Institute**

Janet Fearns - teacher, Hospitality; Drysdale north campus (Launceston); (janet.fearns@tafe.tas.edu.au) Marcus Ragus - teacher, Horticulture; Clarence campus (Hobart); (marcus.ragus@tafe.tas.edu.au) Roberta Blackwood-Beattie - teacher, Library Technology; Alanvale campus (Launceston); (roberta.blackwood-beattie@tafe.tas.edu.au)Jocylyn Cross - teacher, ALBE; Burnie campus; (jocylyn.cross@tafe.tas.edu.au) Kirsty Sharp - Manager Learning Centres; Hobart campus; (kirsty.sharp@tafe.tas.edu.au) Graeme Kirkwood - Manager, Learning Development; Hobart campus; (graeme.kirkwood@tafe.tas.edu.au)
 * TAFE Tasmania**

Bill Wade, Lecturer Multimedia and Communication Design - Project Facilitator; bill.wade@cdu.edu.au Judith Trezise, Lecturer and Co-ordinator in Graphic Design; judith.trezise@cdu.edu.au Leon Lee, Multimedia Centre System Administrator /Technical Demonstrator (Participant & technical support); leon.lee@cdu.edu.au Mark Hilton, Casual lecturer - School of Creative Arts and Humanities; mark.hilton@cdu.edu.au Cal Williams, Co-ordinator Contemporary Music; cal.williams@cdu.edu.au Trevor Billany, Teaching and Learning Director; trevor.billany@cdu.edu.au
 * Northern Territory VET (CDU)**


 * KEY DATES**
 * 1) Project induction session: Friday 20th July 11:00am to 12:30pm; Tuesday 24th July 2:00 to 3:30pm
 * 2) File conversion session- images/ photos: Friday 27th July 11:00am to 12:30pm; Tuesday 31st July 2:00 to 3:30pm
 * 3) File conversion session- audio: Friday 3rd August 11:00am to 12:30pm; Tuesday 7th August 2:00 to 3:30pm
 * 4) File conversion sessions- video: Friday 10th August 11:00am to 12:30pm; Tuesday 14th August 2:00 to 3:30pm
 * 5) File conversion session- powerpoint: Friday 17th August 11:00am to 12:30pm; Tuesday 21st August 2:00 to 3:30pm
 * 6) Webconferencing strategies: Tuesday 11th September 2:00 to 3:30pm; Friday 14th September 11:00am to 12:30pm
 * 7) Webconferencing strategies: Tuesday 18th September 2:00 to 3:30pm; Friday 21st September 11:00am to 12:30pm
 * 8) Implementation of webconferencing sessions with students with reflector, 24th September to 31st October.

All training will be held in our webconferencing room located at: [|Vet Virtual]

This project presents an opportunity for powerful collaboration among three State VET systems. Participants will be drawn from across each of the State systems in NT and Tasmania as well as from all four faculties in NEI. Through this collaboration, not only can participants share ideas, knowledge and skills across different discipline areas and State jurisdications but also build rapport widely as well.
 * SHARING KNOWLEDGE**

Other collaboration activities will include: · EdNa discussion forum and team wiki. See http://digitalconversionstudio.wikispaces.com/ · Update of NEI website to ensure information is available to others. · Attendance at the NSW Planning Workshop in May and presentation at the NSW Learnscope Showcase E-Learning-07 in November, and updates to NSW Learnscope, for example by project ‘postcard’ for inclusion on the Learnscope website.

This Learnscope project will provide training for participants from the three State systems.
 * WORK BASED LEARNING STRATEGIES**

The training program is structured around an action learning process whereby participants will gain new skills and knowledge and be able to apply them in their own work practice in ways suitable to them. Student evaluation and comment will be taken into account in order for the teachers to improve their practice in terms of delivery using virtual spaces.

The Learnscope program will involve a combination of whole of group activity in the virtual meeting space as well as individual one-on-one assistance provided by the project trainers, particularly when the participants are running virtual training sessions with their own students.

An initial program orientation session is being held via webconferencing for all the participants. Two sessions will be run at different times to provide choice for participants. The subsequent sessions (again duplicated) will be conducted in the virtual training space together with individual support and assistance provided by the mentors/trainers.


 * ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES**
 * Improved knowledge and skills of participants in preparation of media for delivery via webconferencing
 * Improved knowledge and skills of participants in effective delivery via webconferencing
 * Enhance provision of education and training programs particularly for off-campus delivery for all organisations- NEI, TAFE Tasmania and CDU VET
 * Provide evaluation data on how to improve real-time communication strategies and options for regional and remote learners.

Participants have experience in using webconferencing via Adobe Connect. This project will extend those skills. They are highly experienced educators and wish to engage with their learners in new ways, wherever the learners are located.
 * CLIENT / INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT**

The participant group have varying skills in use of elearning. For instance some participants have experience with online delivery and use of multimedia resources on CD ROM (eg Flexible Learning Toolboxes), some in use of other technologies such as handheld devices (eg PDA) in teaching and learning. However the common interest in this Learnscope project is the need for participants to continue developing skills and knowledge in use of virtual training spaces in order to engage in a stimulating way with their learners in real time and across distance.

In addition, in this project participants will be exposed to experienced colleagues from other States (ie NT VET and TAFE Tasmania) who share a similar need to deliver training across large areas to individuals and small communities.

Participants will complete a skills audit both at the commencement and conclusion of the project. The answers given in this audit will provide evidence of the increase in knowledge and skills of the participants across the life of the project in terms of both technical skills as well as knowledge and skill in facilitating distributed groups of learners.
 * IMPACTS ON LEARNERS / CLIENTS**

The skills audit will also identify gaps in training which can be used as evidence to work with the NEI Organisational and Improvement Unit to implement further targeted training. Similarly the skills audit outcomes will assist TAFE Tasmania and NT VET to identify further staff training needs. The final sessions will include ‘where-to-from-here’ discussion and strategy development.

Participants will deliver training to their students by use of virtual training spaces during the life of this Learnscope project. These students will be asked to complete evaluations of the effectiveness of this training. The data can then be used to improve practice both during the Learnscope project as well as subsequently.

Replace this text with your URLs ( links ) when you have completed the requirements listed below. Midway through the project your team will be required to; Meet with a member of the NSW LearnScope Management team face-to-face. A podcast recording will be conducted during this meeting which captures your progress and reflections on your teams learning. These podcasts will be available via the [|NSW LearnScope podcast] Your team will be required to submit a 250 word Postcard From The Field for publication in the [|NSW LearnScope blog]. Note : This should be submitted in text form only and be accompanied by a link ( URL ) to an image in your own respective Flickr site.
 * REPORTING MID PROJECT**

Celebrate with the "Going Virtual" team and view our slidecast show summarising our project for 2007- go to http://www.slideshare.net/dvanberlo/goingvirtual2-report-2007/
 * END OF PROJECT REPORT**