Disability Standards for
Education e-learning
courses for school staff
Frequently Asked
Questions
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Context
Accessing the DSE for Educational Leaders
Privacy and confidentiality
Context
1. Why is the ‘Disability Standards for Education (DSE) e- learning package important?
The Victorian Government is committed to delivering high quality learning and wellbeing outcomes for
the children and students in its education system. It is committed to building a vibrant education
system that values diversity and respects the dignity and rights of all individuals. All education providers
have obligations under the Disability Standards for Education 2005 to ensure school students with
disability are able to access and participate in education and training on the same basis as their peers
without disability.
2. What is the purpose of the DSE e-learning package?
The DSE professional development e-learning package of eight courses has been developed to improve
understanding of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) and the Disability Education Standards
2005 (DSE). The DDA /DSE outline the rights of an individual with disability in the area of education and
the obligations education providers must meet in order to provide students with disability access to the
same educational opportunities as their peers without disability by making reasonable adjustments to
teaching and learning practices.
The DSE e-learning courses have been developed in partnership with the University of Canberra and
Australian, state and territory governments. These courses are designed for educational leaders across
Australia including principals, school executives, senior department administrators and assistant
principals and school staff.
3. What are the courses being developed?
A total of eight e-learning courses each comprising eight interactive lessons are being developed
relevant to the participant’s context in the school:
1. Early Childhood
2. Early Years at School
3. Primary
4. Junior Secondary
5.
6.
7.
8.
Senior Secondary (Years 11 & 12)
Educational Leaders
Education Assistants
Parents and Community (due to be released in 2014)
4. What is the connection between the DSE e-learning courses and the More Support for Students with
Disability (MSSD) National Partnership?
The DSE e-learning package is part of the implementation plan of the MSSD National Partnership with
the objective of building school capacity to deliver improved outcomes for students with disabilities
through professional learning. As a part of the MSSD, all Australian states and territories have invested
in the development of this resource.
5. Where can I find out more about the DDA and the DSE?
For more information about the:
o DDA visit the Human Rights Commission website http://www.humanrights.gov.au/brief-guidedisability-discrimination-act
o DSE visit the Commonwealth Department of Education website
http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2005L00767
Accessing the DSE for educational leaders
6. Which of the DSE e-learning courses are available now?
Lessons 1-3 of the DSE courses are now available to suit the participant’s specific context in the school:
1. Early Childhood
2. Early Years at School
3. Primary
4. Junior Secondary
5. Senior Secondary (Years 11 & 12)
6. Educational Leaders
7. Education Assistants
8. Parents and Community (to be released at the end of 2014)
These lessons will provide participants with accreditation and will provide a vital baseline level of
knowledge around the DDA and DSE.
7. Is the DSE professional development package available to Catholic and Independent Schools?
Yes, the suite of eight courses being developed by the University of Canberra to suit the participant’s
context will be available to all Victorian education authorities in government and non-government
sectors.
8. How much does it cost to access the DSE professional training?
These interactive courses are free for all schools.
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9. How do I log-in to access the lessons?
To access the lessons please follow the log-in instructions below:
i.
See Circular S243-2013 for the registration key for Victorian government school staff to access the elearning
ii.
Visit http://dse.theeducationinstitute.edu.au and click ‘Create a new account’ on the right hand
side of the screen
iii.
Complete the registration form.
iv.
Log in using the user name and password (for security purposes, it is recommended that this
password be different to your DEECD log in).
v.
Access the Educational Leaders package (allow pop ups) and or the other courses to suite
participants’ context
Please contact the Help Desk, University of Canberra on 02 6201 5649 or 0458 373 373 for any
problems accessing the courses.
10. How long will the first three lessons take to complete?
Each of the lessons takes approximately 40 minutes to complete or two hours to complete all three
lessons.
11. Will I get a certificate at the end of the lessons?
Yes, when you have completed the three lessons, you will be awarded a Certificate of Completion. Just
follow the prompts to print out the certificate with your name on it. The DSE e-Learning courses may
be considered as professional development undertaking by the Victorian Institute of Teaching
12. Who do I contact if I experience difficulty in accessing or navigating the lessons?
For difficulties accessing the lessons, contact your organisation’s dedicated helpdesk support:
 DEECD school staff – 1800 641 943
 DEECD funded kindergarten cluster managers and community-based early childhood education and
care service providers- (03) 8664 7001 or 1800 629 835 (for country callers)
 Catholic school staff - (03) 9267 0422
 Independent school staff – (03) 9825 7200
For difficulties navigating the lessons, the following helpdesk support options are available from the
University of Canberra:
 Help! Video is available on the Welcome page and also at the bottom toolbar in the lessons to
assist participants navigate through the lessons.
 Call 0458 373 373 or 02 6201 5649 or SMS to 0458 373 373 for immediate technical assistance.
Please note that call charges apply but the Helpdesk staff can call you back.
 Email http://ticket.ise.canberra.edu.au to log a support request.
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13. Can I complete the lessons at my own pace?
Yes, you can quit out of the lessons at any time by logging out and resume where you left off when you
are ready by logging in using the specific username and password you have set for the lessons. The
program will save the lessons you have completed and when you resume, it will open to the lesson you
last visited.
14. Is the DSE professional development accessible for people with disability?
Yes, the DSE professional development e-learning courses have been developed for people with visual
or auditory impairments with closed captioning provided for audio.
15. Would my computer system be compatible to access the lessons?
The online professional training has been developed on the following technical specifications below:
 Systems
- Windows based PCs and Apple Mac desktops and laptops.
- NB: not recommended for iOS and Android mobile/tablet devices.
 Internet Connection
- Designed to a minimum bandwidth for use on ADSL connections, and 3G wireless
connections*. Computers with slower connection speeds may experience difficulties in
accessing course content.
* 3G wireless connection speeds may differ depending on the network coverage of your area at the
time of participating in the training.
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Web Browsers
- Internet Explorer versions 7-10
- Safari
- Firefox and Google Chrome are not recommended for Victorian Government school system
Video
- Computers with slow internet connection may experience slight delays accessing videos.
Audio
- Set sound volume to appropriate volume level.
- Headphones are optional, to be plugged into headphone jack and volume adjusted.
Screen resolution
- 1024x768 resolution is recommended for full screen display of professional training lesson
- Screen resolutions of 800x600 and below are not recommended, as users will need to scroll
in order to read all the information within the lessons.
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File Types and Sizes
- The file size will be streamlined so they download with the designated bandwidth
connection in 20 seconds or less.
- File types include XML files, Javascript files, HTML files, and folders containing all
multimedia.
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Accessibility by participants
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The presentations are developed to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 for
learners with visual or auditory impairments.
- Closed Captioning is provided for narration audio.
Help! video
- A help video is available on the Welcome page and also at the bottom toolbar in the
lessons to assist trainees in working through the lessons.
Privacy and Confidentiality
16. Who will have access to my progress in the lessons?
The University of Canberra has developed the Disability Standards for Education for educational leaders
in partnership with the Australian, state and territory governments. The University also manages this
web based training including managing the status of lessons taken by participants across all education
systems in Australia. Important information about individuals’ progress will not be accessible to
Principals or other school staff.
17. How can I be sure that my lesson progress is kept confidential?
The University of Canberra has a Privacy Policy process for managing the collection of personal
information provided by individuals undertaking its courses. For further details about its Privacy Policy
visit http://www.canberra.edu.au/university/governance/privacy
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