E-Learning

The thrust of this edition is looking at the Skill sets required for the VET professional now and into the future. __Responses to some Knowledge Tree questions about e-learning__ **What do you see as the most significant skills that vet practitioners need to implement e-learning with their learners?** **What are the main differences between the skills required for face-to-face learning and those for using e-learning pedagogy?** **What are the most significant skills to facilitate learners taking on e-learning courses particularly those that are fully online?** **What changes have you seen in the importance or prominence of required skill sets for e-learning over the last five years?** **What do you think are the emerging skills sets needed particularly for new technologies used for learning?** **What essential aspects of digital literacy and experience do you think VET practitioners need in relation to Web 2.0 tools?** **What position do you take with respect to content development? To what extent do VET practitioners need to develop content for online environments or should this be left to instructional designers and multimedia IT experts?** **How can we better acknowledge the new and emerging skills sets of VET practitioners as e-learning becomes more embedded as a teaching and learning practice?**
 * Determining learner needs - particularly with respect to flexible learning choices, evaluating the benefits to learners of e-learning in particular contexts, and being mindful of the level of access to any necessary learning environments or technologi
 * Management processes and tools for learners and learning in online and blended learning environments.
 * VET practitioners should question existing assumptions about e-learning, both students and their own. Changes in the way training packages may be implemented, changes in quality assurance practices and changing learning technologies may mean that perceived barriers in using e-learning may be out of date.
 * VET practitioners should take a playful attitude toward new technologies using them for personal or recreational purposes while exploring their potential for learning, teaching and assessment.
 * Different ways of building relationships, establishing and facilitating groups
 * different ways of monitoring attendance and participation
 * different time commitments
 * different planning and management processes for learning experiences
 * different processes and tools to manage learners and learning
 * Overcoming technical and/or access problems
 * understanding of the online learning environment and the nature of online relationships and interaction
 * regular and frequent monitoring of participation
 * building relationships with students and between students
 * catering for diverse learning styles
 * establishing an online identity
 * clarifying learner needs and expectations
 * facilitating personalised learning and personal learning networks
 * Increased proficiency required to manage online communications
 * Increased emphasis on personalised learning
 * increased emphasis on active participation of over passive attendance
 * increased emphasis on engaging learners and retention
 * increased emphasis on recognition of prior learning
 * increased emphasis on professional learning networks - local and global
 * increased emphasis on home and mobile access - and supplementing technology, software and services provided by the organisation
 * Confidence to upload and post online
 * valuing play and exploration for learning and as learning
 * understanding the re-mix and re-use online culture
 * understanding online identity and privacy settings
 * ability to undertake a risk assessment of online environments, products and services
 * Password management
 * risk assessment
 * RSS aggregation
 * professional networking
 * online identity
 * mobile computing
 * Online learning resources can be developed by students, VET practitioners and online content development experts.
 * Online learning resources can be developed collaboratively and shared as open education resources.
 * The focus of VET practitioners should be on facilitating learning, teaching and assessment rather than the development of content.
 * The focus of VET practitioners should be to source existing content collaboratively with other practitioners, facilitate learners to individually and collaboratively develop learning resources, and work with online content development experts to provide useful, meaningful and engaging learning resources.
 * Ensure organisational support structures and services for VET practitioners recognise, value and promote the affordances that e-learning brings to learning, teaching and assessment. For example ensure that there is a match between requirements and capability for ICT service provision and the quality assurance processes that become possible as e-learning becomes more widely embedded.
 * Ensure that increasing flexible learning options for students are matched by supporting flexible teaching options for VET practitioners.