News and Reports

The VET E-portfolio Roadmap, a national strategic plan designed to support the diverse requirements for e-portfolios in vocational education and training (VET), was released on 18 June 2009 by the national training system's e-learning strategy, the Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework).

Developed from extensive research and national stakeholder consultations, the Roadmap aims to assist in the development of a national standards-based framework to support the use of e-portfolios across VET.

E-portfolios have been identified as a key tool to support VET initiatives including:

• RPL (recognition of prior learning)
• fast tracking apprenticeships, traineeships and work-based learning
• reengagement, retention, reintegration and supporting learner mobility
• empowering learners.

The Roadmap outlines nine strategic goals with a focus on portability, verification, privacy, ownership, access control, infrastructure, storage, embedding and transitions, and will result in three key outputs for the sector:

1. National guidelines for VET managers of learner information
2. Functional specifications for implementers and developers of e-portfolio tools and systems.
3. Strategies for embedding e-portfolios in VET.

The Framework's E-portfolios Business Manager, Allison Miller, realises that the continued uptake of e-portfolios in VET needs to be accompanied by professional development, adequate business structures and support.

"E-portfolios are becoming more and more popular, which makes developing a set of national standards, policies and business rules even more important. The Framework's strategic approach to e-portfolios will help ensure e-portfolios provide efficiencies in supporting lifelong learning."

"The Framework will now work with teachers and trainers, registered training organisations, and learners as well as business, industry and e-portfolio developers to ensure a successful national roll-out of the Roadmap."

People interested in joining the e-portfolio discussion can register to attend the Framework's VET E-portfolios Showcase being held in Melbourne on 16 October 2009. This event will showcase the key work being done with e-portfolios in VET and will stimulate collaboration at a local and national level.

The full VET E-portfolio Roadmap is available on the Framework's E-portfolios website: http://flexiblelearning.net.au/e-portfolios

The national training system's e-learning strategy, the Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework), has released an enhanced version of the Vetadata Tool, making it even quicker and easier to create Vetadata for learning resources.

Enhancements to the tool include:

• Multiple classifications can be added to a learning resource, such as competency, education level and discipline.
• The context-based help function has been updated and simplified.
• Where specific descriptive terms are required, these have been made available via a drop-down menu.
• Where specific terms or text can be predicted, these have been pre-populated.
• The XML output (metadata file) is more conformant to e-standards.

The new Vetadata Tool (v1.4.0) can be downloaded from the 'Tools' section of: http://e-standards.flexiblelearning.net.au/vetadata/index.htm. The same web page also contains a number of guides, including:

• Vetadata Specification- provides the background and rationale for the development of Vetadata, contains detailed technical descriptions of all the elements in Vetadata and refers to recommended vocabularies.
• Establishing a Vetadata System- provides a business-oriented rationale for the implementation of Vetadata and offers advice on how to establish business processes and information systems for storing and entering Vetadata compliant descriptions of learning resources. This document is intended for managers and IT professionals.
• Applying Vetadata to Learning Resources- step by step instructions on entering descriptions of learning resources, with extensive examples. This document is intended for content developers, cataloguers and data entry staff.

Important note: The Vetadata Tool currently produces Vetadata for SCORM/Toolboxes. The E-standards for Training team will be extending the tool in the near future to produce Vetadata for LORN.

For more information visit:

http://e-standards.flexiblelearning.net.au/vetadata/index.htm

An enhanced version of the VET Reload Tool has just been released. The VET Reload tool is used by training providers around the country to package and describe e-learning content so it can be used across a range of learning management systems. This assists the vocational education and training (VET) system to share education and training resources that support flexible delivery.

The popular VET Reload tool can create IMS content packages and SCORM which meet the standards required to contribute to online portal LORN and the Flexible Learning Toolbox Repository. The tool has been enhanced by the national training system’s e-learning strategy, the Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework) to:

• meet the standards required to contribute to the new version of LORN, launched in April 2009
• simplify the process for creating metadata for IMS content packages
• include more context-specific help and instructions for users.

The new VET Reload also includes improved support and instruction for the Framework’s 2009 E-learning Innovations project teams.

If you are currently using VET Reload, you should uninstall the tool and install the new version.

Refer to our Useful Tools page to download Reload.

Five projects will share in the $100,000 funding made available in the E-standards for Training's 2009 Emerging Technology Trials. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to explore emerging technologies and identify areas where future standards work may be required. The trials will also identify ways that emerging technologies may be utilised in teaching and learning. The emerging technology must have potential benefits to the wider national training system and the funded trials should identify how future standards work would support the implementation of the technology.

Details on each of these applications will be available shortly.

Also available are the outcomes of the 2008 emerging technology trials.

In 2009, the E-standards for Training business activity will make up to $100,000 available to Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) for the funding of 4-6 projects. A maximum of $20,000 is available for each application. E-standards for Training is focused on developing national standards to underpin essential e-learning infrastructure, conducting research into new technology areas and providing guidance materials and tools to support the effective use of emerging technologies.

The purpose of this funding opportunity is to explore emerging technologies and identify areas where future standards work may be required. The trials will also identify ways that emerging technologies may be utilised in teaching and learning. The emerging technology must have potential benefits to the wider national training system and the funded trials should identify how future standards work would support the implementation of the technology.

Successful applicants will be expected to conduct a trial of the technology with a group of learners. The trial must demonstrate the use of a technology that is emerging, but not already commonly used in the national training system, or the innovative (i.e. new) use of an existing technology. Trials will be guided by and report to a reference group established by the E-standards for Training business activity.

Applications for this funding are now closed.

Also available are the outcomes of the 2008 emerging technology trials.

Following the success of the 2007 Computer networks and firewall access study, further work in this area was undertaken in 2008. This included new research, and a second national workshop to discuss computer network and firewall access issues, held with representatives from each jurisdiction. The outcomes of the forum and research findings are summarised in report titled Tracking the changes: A follow-up study to the 2007 computer network and firewall access study.

To support gaining national agreement on web/desktop functionality that should be available to all practitioners in VET, the Teacher/Trainer E-learning Toolkit has been developed and is now available online. The Basic technical requirements for commonly-used VET e-learning applications has been reviewed and updated and is now published as Commonly-used e-learning applications and tools in VET. A new section has been added that includes information on virtual classroom tools in use in the sector.

For more detailed information about this project, visit the the Teacher/Trainer E-learning Toolkit web page.

This online tool has been developed to assist you in identifying applications, plug-ins and settings on your computer so that you may successfuly use e-learning content developed to meet the VET e-learning content standards, such as Toolboxes. No downloads are required (however Javascript must be enabled in your browser). Access the tool via the link below:

• Software Analyser Tool

The Learning Federation and E-Standards for Training Business Activity maintain the E-standards for the School and VET sectors respectively. This comparison work was undertaken to identify where differences in standards may cause technical issues with content interoperability and exchange.

• Comparison of TLF and VET E-standards available in PDF (210kb) and Word (304kb)

The E-Standards for Training Business Activity has released a discussion paper on the development of a 'trust federation' for the VET sector. This would allow the sharing of web-based services across organisations while supporting single sign-on for users. The paper and its recommendations have been endorsed by the E-standards Expert Group (EEG) and adopted by the VET sector's Flexible Learning Advisory Group (FLAG).

• Discussion paper: Towards a trust federation for VET available in PDF (143kb) and Word (289kb)

The Framework's E-standards for Training business activity has allocated funding to four emerging technology trials. E-standards for Training is focused on developing national standards to underpin essential e-learning infrastructure, conducting research into new technology areas and providing guidance materials and tools to support the effective use of emerging technologies.

The innovative trials will investigate:

• using e-portfolios (electronic portfolios) with web 2.0 social networking tools (Charles Darwin University, NT)
• developing innovative virtual teaching and learning spaces (Canberra Institute of Technology, ACT)
• trialling the use of video for remote assessment during workplace training  (TAFE Tasmania, TAS)
• creating a self-guided induction tour of an industrial workshop with mobile devices (Wodonga TAFE, VIC).

This document provides information for developing and customising e-learning content according to the national training system's e-learning standards (e-standards). These e-standards have been endorsed by the E-standards Expert Group on behalf of the National Senior Officials Committee (NSOC) for use in each state and territory.

The guidelines are aimed at anyone involved in the planning, management or development of vocational education and training (VET) e-learning resources. It is also applicable to those involved in customising existing content, including Flexible Learning Toolboxes (Toolboxes), and learning objects intended for LORN.

• VET e-learning content development guidelines in PDF (172KB) and Word (205KB)

The E-standards for Training business activity commissioned a survey aimed at documenting current Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and recognition of current competency (RCC) systems and tools throughout the Australian training system. The report makes recommendations for priorities of future work and advancement of technical standards and software tools for supporting RPL and RCC in the national training system.

The research was conducted based on recommendations of the Eportfolio report published in June 2007.

• RPL tools and systems survey in PDF (433KB) and Word (780KB)

The recommendations in this report will be considered as part of future work and collaboration with the AQTF. This report has been approved for release by the E-standards Expert Group.