Computer network and firewall access
Background
Appropriate access to computer networks and across firewalls is essential for VET practitioners and learners. With the rapid growth of new web technologies however, computer network access is now seen as a major issue across the VET sector. There is a fine balance required between reducing barriers for access and innovation and maintaining appropriate levels of network security. The E-standards for Training and Access to Bandwidth Projects undertook a study in 2007 to explore these issues further and the outputs of this study can be found on this webpage.
Available resources
| Resource | Purpose |
| Basic technical requirements for commonly used VET e-learning applications in PDF (236 KB) and Word (637 KB) | Provides information on commonly used e-learning applications including examples of use and basic technical requirements. Useful for e-learning practitioners requesting access to new applications/functionality. Also of use to IT staff involved in developing and maintaining VET computer networks. |
| Computer network and firewall access report in PDF (100 KB) and Word (360 KB) | Contains a summary of the 2007 study including key findings and recommendations for future work. Suitable for all interested parties. |
Planned activities in 2008
Following the 2007 Computer network and firewall access study, further work in this area will be undertaken in 2008 to gain national agreement on a list of e-learning tools that should be available to all practitioners in VET. A key aim of this work will be to raise awareness of the computer network needs of e-learning practitioners as well as the requirements for secure, reliable and safe computer networks. A national workshop to discuss these issues will be organised with representatives from each jurisdiction.
How can I contribute?
We are committed to maintaining the documentation on commonly used e-learning applications, but we need your help. If you believe we should add or change any of the information in the documentation, please email us. We would particularly like to hear from you if you’ve experienced computer network-related access issues with these applications (as a technical support person or a user). Similarly, if you believe there are other applications we should add to the list in the future, please email us.
The technical information we provide is a guide only. It is not intended to replace the documentation supplied by the software vendor. If you find an error in our documentation, contact us and we will update it.
