Assignment 2 – Impact and implications of educational change
Assignment 2– The impact of
educational change and the
implications on teaching practice
3011VTA: Contexts of Adult and Vocational Education
Convener: Leesa Wheelahan
Submitted by: David Martin
Student #2636349
David.Martin3@student.griffith.edu.au
Date Submitted: 25 October 2007
David Martin
Student #2636349
3011VTA – Contexts of AVE
1
Assignment 2 – Impact and implications of educational change
A key change within vocational education is the rapid uptake of information and
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communication technology (ICT) being used in the delivery of teaching and learning
outcomes. This assignment will examine how distance education has used ICT for
decades and its use is being transformed into flexible, blended delivery and lifelong
learning opportunities. There are new pressures on teachers to keep up with technology
along with new opportunities. New industries have been created, while others, including
the education sector are being transformed to take advantage of technology with claims
of education for anyone, anywhere at anytime. However, for the most part existing
socio-cultural divisions and problems are being replicated. The policies of federal
government have a very strong impact on vocational education in Australia, and
examples of committees, reports and frameworks that shape delivery and content of
education have been examined.
Distance education was the start of using ICT specifically for learning and Australian
distance education has moved from using post and radio as the primary communication
methods to using systems involving multimedia, computers and data sent between them
using the internet and satellite technology (Kearns, 1998, p. 75). Further, the
development of web sites and computer based learning systems plus an increase in
non-centralised computer learning systems and international standards have changed
the distance education model into what is commonly termed flexible delivery. Flexible
delivery is being promoted as a method of increasing the access to lifelong learning for
a wider range of students, not only those is physically remote areas but for workers
competing in globalised economies forced to learn and re-learn job requirements to stay
employed. Concepts of lifelong learning are influencing government policy and are
David Martin
Student #2636349
3011VTA – Contexts of AVE
Assignment 2 – Impact and implications of educational change
increasingly being seen as tied to a connected learning society, connected primarily
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through ICT (Kearns, 2002, p. 9). Further, new global and information economies have
been creating new education and policy challenges (Kearns, 2002, p. ii) for over 15
years. Vocational education is now expected to be accessible by people at different
stages in their lives, and through an appropriate media (Chapman, Gaff, Toomey, &
Aspin, 2005, p. 104) . However statistics reveal that internet usage in Australia is not
concentrated on education, with only 10% of internet use being done at a TAFE or
tertiary institution and 97% of internet access at home being for personal use in 20052006 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006, pp. 19-20). These statistics show what I
believe to be a broad trend of ICT being available for education, and yet not being taken
up at the rates hoped for by promoters and educators. This is a reflection of people
wanting to be taught by people, regardless of policy or flexible delivery’s technological
capabilities. Further, traditional users of distance education have received the benefits
of ICT but TAFE institutes that use face to face delivery having less success with both
access and successful wide range implementation of ICT.
The VET sector has been impacted in a number of ways by the pervasiveness of ICT,
not only in how things are taught, but what knowledge is actually needed in the
workplace to effectively use new technology (Kearns & Grant, 2002, p. 31). This has
been the case throughout the history of vocational education. As Australia’s
industrialised economy based on production grew, education was influenced to provide
apprenticeships and training places in primary and secondary industries. Now the
economy is being recognised as a knowledge economy, therefore a new wave of skills,
training and information apprenticeships will be needed. The uptake of computers and
David Martin
Student #2636349
3011VTA – Contexts of AVE
Assignment 2 – Impact and implications of educational change
ICT in the workplace, both locally and on a global scale has required changes in the
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education sector to keep up technology. As a teacher I see ICT as teaching and
learning tools that allow building technological solutions into existing pedagogies;
however, ICT has also been reported as a worthwhile commodity and in Australia is
often seen in terms of an information economy, in contrast to other countries that see
the development of an information society of more importance.
Building a globally competitive ICT industry is an attractive and
worthy objective. The ICT sector has the potential to make a
significant contribution to domestic growth and the nation’s trade
balance. It can also generate many benefits for the broader
economy by enabling efficiency gains in a raft of industries. It
deserves substantial industry and policy attention. (McKinsey &
Company, 2002)
Industry interested in efficiency gains are focusing on ICT and becoming involved as
partners in ICT education (Kearns, 2002, p. 47). Further, companies with a view to
export Australian products as well as encouraging domestic use are able to take
advantage of government policies funding research and development. TAFE has
traditionally been slow to respond to changes, and if institutes cannot implement ICT
strategies quick enough, private enterprise will. Traditionally the VET sector has been
driven through policies and ideals from industry, and this is not likely to change. VET is
about getting students ready for interaction within industry, therefore industry input is
not something that can be dismissed or ignored.
As new technology and teaching methods are introduced into the sector, teachers have
been faced with new challenges. Firstly, technical difficulties with the equipment is now
David Martin
Student #2636349
3011VTA – Contexts of AVE
Assignment 2 – Impact and implications of educational change
more complicated, fixing teaching equipment has gone from changing an overhead
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projector’s light bulb to computer systems and network troubleshooting, all in a
generation. Further, class management has transformed into a situation where
teaching, in many cases, has become helping students with computers (Monteith, 2004,
p. 19). Both of these developments have led me to become a teacher. My working
history as a computer technician gives me excellent troubleshooting skills and my main
teaching role is that of helping students use computers. Therefore without ICT I would
not be involved with education, even if it is only on a casual and contract basis.
However the trend of educational institutes employing contract and casual staff shows
several disadvantages. Firstly, it is difficult to participate fully within the institute
environment (Palmieri, 2003, p. 9) as these types of staff are normally on campus for
only short periods of time. Secondly, casual staff may not have the necessary
qualifications and expertise to deliver properly. Finally, job security and satisfaction of
teachers can be adversely affected by high levels of casual and contract positions.
Workload and working conditions of teachers are also being affected by flexible delivery
requirements and policy implementation. It is increasingly “difficult to manage and report
on performance in a way which reflects the actual activities” (Palmieri, 2003, p. 14) and
it is being found that existing methods of data collection used for funding and
performance indication are based on traditional classroom situations rather than the
flexible delivery methods (Palmieri, 2003, p. 5). These types of problems are not
isolated, but found across institutes and the VET sector. Professional development for
teachers is required to make the uptake of ICT in education successful. ICT became a
compulsory part of teacher training in the UK in 1998, and offered as professional
David Martin
Student #2636349
3011VTA – Contexts of AVE
Assignment 2 – Impact and implications of educational change
development in 1999/2000 (Dore & Wickens, 2004, p. 127). Further, the Certificate IV in
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Assessment and Workplace Training is not enough to sustain a professional field of
teaching staff, and both formal and informal professional development is necessary to
fill the gaps (Palmieri, 2003, p. 24).However, in Australia there are a number of preservice and professional development courses available through universities and
departments, but none are compulsory. ICT policy highlights the need for teachers to be
able to delivery blended and flexible delivery, but most teachers tend to teach the way
that they have been taught. There are generations of teachers that have not learnt
flexibly or in a blended environment, and even those embracing new technology are
finding that teaching methods are changing quicker than staff can be trained.
One of the main roles of government is to ensure the quality and responsiveness of
education and training systems (Productivity Commission, 2004, p. 3); however equal
access also needs to be a concern. Further, ICT policies in education are influenced by
the socio-economic situations of the country, as well as the history and established
education system (Kearns, 2002, p. 3). However, the pace at which ICT is impacting
upon education is outpacing the regulatory and policy changes that government can
implement. Policies, reports and conferences on ICT in education are generally
organised and created by government councils or ministers holding meetings,
appointing taskforces and working groups that consult with stakeholders. A problem
with this situation is that existing socio-cultural problems and structures are likely to be
transferred to the new technology because the same groups that have controlled the
traditional education system are now in control of the new frontier. This is evident in the
digital divide that separates those in society that have easy access to ICTs and those
David Martin
Student #2636349
3011VTA – Contexts of AVE
Assignment 2 – Impact and implications of educational change
that do not. As the technology associated with ICT has become lower, the perceived or
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expected benefits have increased (Productivity Commission, 2004, p. 5) therefore
making ICT more attractive and seemingly cost effective and ICT is now perceived as a
part of normal society, but access is not available to everyone. With the internet fast
becoming the primary access method to technology those without access remain
unable to participate in flexible delivery and lifelong learning. Households with the
lowest income quintile have much less connectivity; only 40% of households have
access to internet (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006, p. 11). The people with the
most need of education also have the least amount of access to the new technology. .
This concept of a digital divide is the issue of those that are information rich and
information poor is evident and policy makers need to be aware of it and should be
working towards bridging or filling the divide. It is also a challenge for government policy
makers to address the growing vulnerabilities of ICT, including privacy, security and
surveillance as well as the existing imbalances of knowledge and electronic resources.
The most recent example of this is the federal government’s nation wide brochure on
internet safety for families. Further, international policies that affect ICT in education in
Australia and International standards are being developed and adopted and while this is
outwardly sensible it is another effective way of continuing the existing socio-economic
distribution of information, education and wealth.
There are many strategies aimed at meeting the skill needs of the ICT economy across
Australian states and these have been collected in a searchable database through the
EdNA website (Kearns & Grant, The Enabling Pillars: Leaning, Technology, Community,
Partnership: A report on Australian Policies for Information and Communication
David Martin
Student #2636349
3011VTA – Contexts of AVE
Assignment 2 – Impact and implications of educational change
Technologies in Education and Training, 2002, p. 4) . Some are federally based, and
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others are implemented at a state level, which in itself can be a problem with different
levels of government trying to implement different policies (Butterwork, 1998, p. 61). In
Queensland, the Smart State initiatives are in place to promote ICT, particularly in the
vocational education sector. Increasingly, policy in this area is a partnership between
education and industry. (Kearns, 2002, p. 47). These strategies are aimed at filling
vacancies, sometimes globally and providing a training framework in information
technology (IT) skills as well as the use of ICT directly in education. The newly released
Information and Knowledge strategic plan 2007-2011 aims to “bring(s) learning
resources within easier reach of every Queenslander” (Department of Education
Training and the Arts, 2007, p. 3). It recognises that knowledge is a primary part of
production and is now ranked as important as capital and labour. The strategy promotes
learning experiences as something that can be accessed from anywhere at any time.
The real key for teachers and other VET staff is how these ideas are transformed into
policy and implemented at a working level. At the Gold Coast TAFE we have a blended
learning unit who are employed specifically to assist and develop e-learning and flexible
delivery by using ICT. There are also new forms to fill out for approval of teacher
created blended learning ideas and projects. These are steps forward, but teachers
should be sceptical about the government’s true commitment to ICT in education. How
can all these objectives and ideals be met if there isn’t even one computer per staff
member, and never enough computer class rooms even for normal delivery?
Expectations of blended delivery and development of flexible delivery courses still seem
out of reach from a teacher’s perspective when current resources are below demand.
David Martin
Student #2636349
3011VTA – Contexts of AVE
Assignment 2 – Impact and implications of educational change
In 2000, under the coordination of Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs
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(DETYA), the Australian Action Plan was published. The Ministerial Council for
Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) make regular reports
on the Australian Action Plan for the Information Economy, which was released in 2000
and has separate plans for school, VET and higher education and is focussed around
five action areas; people, infrastructure, online content, policy framework and regulatory
framework. (Kearns, 2002, p. 24). On an international basis, Australia is unique in that
implementation of policy is done along the lines of organisational and regulatory
frameworks (Kearns, 2002, p. 27) due to our existing VET structure and separation of
educational sectors.
Education Network Australia (EdNA) has been in operation since 1996 as a joint
initiative of the both state and Australian Government. It provides national cross-sector
information including possible technology based frameworks for lifelong learning and
best practice (Commonwealth of Australia, 2007). There have been good consultation
processes with both governments and stakeholders, with visible outcomes in the form of
web portals (Mason, 2003, p. 3) that allow collaboration and access to varied resources
including events, toolkits and workshops. EdNA has also been recognised
internationally as an outstanding contributor to social and policy challenges of the
internet.
Australian Information and Communications Technology in Education Committee
(AICTEC) is an example of a committee setup specifically to provide advice to ministers
on economics and effective use of ICT in education (AICTEC, 2007). This committee
has influence over government policy in the area of ICT in many ways, it provides
David Martin
Student #2636349
3011VTA – Contexts of AVE
Assignment 2 – Impact and implications of educational change
information to policy makers, encourages innovative approaches to embedding ICT
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policy into broader education policy, developing and reporting on research on key
policies, reporting international comparisons, developing cost effective funding models
for the uptake of ICT and encouraging all sectors to review their structure to
accommodate ICT environments.
ICT is having a major influence on the development of educational resources and the
learning environment. It is also an industry in itself and along with other stakeholders is
transforming the global economy. Teachers are challenged and yet mostly positively
involved in the changes and government policy and infrastructure is trying to keep pace
and maximise access to the community.
David Martin
Student #2636349
3011VTA – Contexts of AVE
Assignment 2 – Impact and implications of educational change
List of References
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AICTEC. (2007). AICTEC - About AICTEC. Retrieved September 18, 2007, from
Australian Information and Communications Technology in Education Committee:
http://www.aictec.edu.au/aictec/go/cache/offonce/pid/2;jsessionid=139DFF039C80
3B9ED49AD4688EFE36C8
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2006). Household use of information technology.
Retrieved September 29, 2007, from Australian Bureau of Statistics:
http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/B1A7C67456AE9A09CA
25724400780071/$File/81460_2005-06.pdf
Butterwork, P. (1998). From the barrel of the public system? In The market for VET: The
product and the providers (pp. 56-62). Leabrook: National Centre for Vocational
Education Research Ltd.
Chapman, J., Gaff, J., Toomey, R., & Aspin, D. (2005). Policy on lifelong learning in
Australia. International Journal of Lifelong Education , 24 (2), 99-122.
Commonwealth of Australia. (2007). About edna. Retrieved September 16, 2007, from
Education Network Australia:
http://edna.edu.au/edna/go/about/cache/offonce;jsessionid=87FCC92AD4E8F4F4
9BB6E7A0EB07B6CE
Department of Education Training and the Arts. (2007). 2007-2011 Information and
Knowledge Strategic Plan. Retrieved October 5, 2007, from Department of
Education, Training and the Arts:
http://education.qld.gov.au/strategic/planning/pdfs/infostratplanto2011.pdf
David Martin
Student #2636349
3011VTA – Contexts of AVE
Assignment 2 – Impact and implications of educational change
Dore, B., & Wickens, C. (2004). ICT Capability and Initial Teacher Training. In M.
12
Monteith, ICT for Cirriculum Enhancement (pp. 113-126). Bristol: Intellect.
Kearns, P. (1998). The role and impact of flexible delivery on VET. In C. Robinson, & R.
Kenyon (Eds.), The market for vocational education and training (pp. 73-90).
Leabrook: NCVER.
Kearns, P. (2002). Towards the Connected Learning Society: an international overview
in policy for information and communication technology in education. Retrieved
September 16, 2007, from Department of Education, Science and Training:
http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/higher_education/publications_resources/profiles/t
owards_the_connected_learning_society.htm
Kearns, P., & Grant, J. (2002). The Enabling Pillars: Leaning, Technology, Community,
Partnership: A report on Australian Policies for Information and Communication
Technologies in Education and Training. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia.
Mason, J. (2003). An Overview of Government-Support E-Learning Activities in
Australia, Seoul E-Learning Conference 24th September 2003. Retrieved
September 14, 2007, from Education Australia:
http://www.educationau.edu.au/jahia/webdav/site/myjahiasite/shared/papers/elear
ning_seoul_jm.pdf
McKinsey & Company. (2002). Australia: Winning in the Global ICT Industry - The
McKinsey and Co Report Foreword. Retrieved September 14, 2007, from DCOTA
Archive website: http://archive.dcita.gov.au/2003/04/ict_framework_for_the_future
David Martin
Student #2636349
3011VTA – Contexts of AVE
Assignment 2 – Impact and implications of educational change
Monteith, M. (2004). Remodelling Education. In M. Monteith (Ed.), ICT for Curriculum
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Enhancement (pp. 13-25). Bristol: Intellect.
Palmieri, P. (2003). The agile organisation - Case studies of the impact of flexible
delivery on human resource practices in TAFE. Adelaide: NCVER.
Productivity Commission. (2004). ICT Use and Productivity: A Synthesis from Studies of
Australian Firms. Canberra: Commission Research Paper.
David Martin
Student #2636349
3011VTA – Contexts of AVE
Assignment 2 – Impact and implications of educational change
Critical Reflection
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This assignment has also shown how little I am involved in existing structure and
framework of the ICT crew in the overall TAFE system. Knowledge of how government
policies affect VET will allow me to make better decisions in and out of the classroom
that work within the frameworks provided.
Research was a little more challenging with most of my sources being outside of the
readings. Once I struck the correct keywords I found published documents rather than
internet pages. I am now realising how little of the internet I had access to before. The
Griffith portal allows access to a lot of material that is still hard to get for free.
My basic writing procedure was similar to previous assignments. Reading’s first, then
building paragraphs around main points. Leaving the assignment for 2-3 days and then
going back to the assignment description, to the readings, to the writing until I had
enough words and then went back through checking references and structure.
I tried to strengthen the introduction and conclusion after initially writing them as a
summary of the main points; and went through the feedback from the last assignment,
trying not to make the same mistakes. I have proofread the references this time.
David Martin
Student #2636349
3011VTA – Contexts of AVE