2003
December 2003
Christmas Present for Toolboxes!
The Toolbox Resource Collection (Repository) was awarded the 2003 ASCILITE Award for the Best Web Project.
The
Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE)
is a society for those involved in tertiary computer-based education and training,
including educational interactive multimedia. It provides a forum to stimulate
discussion of relevant issues in the educational use of technology, as well
as promoting research and evaluation.
The ASCILITE awards are designed to reward leaders in the use of electronic technologies in teaching and learning in tertiary education. Each year at the ASCILITE conference these awards recognise exemplary product design and development in this area. The Best Web Project is awarded to the best application of information and communication technologies to learning and teaching evaluated in terms of quality, innovation and demonstrated educational effectiveness, nominated in 2003.
Ralph Wirski, the developer of the repository, is holding the trophy on behalf of the team from Edith Cowan University and the Toolbox national project managers.
October 2003
Toolboxes for Cutting Edge Learning @ Networking 2003
Many
enthusiastic treasure hunters dug up ‘clues’ in different Toolboxes
in their quest to enter in the draw to win a Toolbox. Congratulations to Julie
Manning from Challenger TAFE who won a Toolbox of her choice.
The Toolboxes program involved three concurrent sessions across three rooms with thirteen sessions altogether. The program was well subscribed with approximately 200 delegates attending ‘hands on’ workshops and presentations on various aspects of Toolboxes by developers, Toolbox Champions and practitioners.
Delegates attending the Toolbox sessions found out how to customise Toolboxes for their learners, how to deploy them in their organisations, how to use them completely online and how to combine Toolboxes with Learnscope projects (amongst other things).
At
the Framework Central Exhibition Stand, eight current Series 5 developers
previewed their upcoming Toolboxes on a large plasma screen. These included
the Maritime, Small Business, Metals and Panel Beating Toolboxes. There were
opportunities for delegates to meet the developers and ask questions, to explore
any of the seventy Toolbox products and place orders for Toolboxes through
Australian Training Products.
An emphasis of the Toolbox program was to establish contact with people currently using Toolboxes or people interested in using Toolboxes. To this end, delegates were invited to provide contact details so that they can access advice on professional development activities and networks of Toolbox users.
Presentations:
For people wanting to see the conference schedule or the PowerPoint presentations, they are available for viewing on Toolboxes at Net*Working 2003.
If you would like to make contact with other people using the same Toolbox as you or would like to find out more about professional development and Toolboxes, phone Lisa Wait on (03) 9637 3734.
Toolbox Treasure Hunt
Click on the blank parchment to see the clues which will appear on the left of the screen. Click on the RED X every time it appears to progress through the Hunt.
Tip: The Clues refer to the navigation of the Toolbox. If you are directed to page 3 of the Toolbox you might need to use the Toolbox scroll bar to see the navigation page numbers.
Visit the Toolbox Treasure Hunt.
September 2003
Toolbox Implementation Guide
This Toolbox Implementation Guide (Word - 345 KB) has been designed to help you get started with your Toolbox, and is based on the experiences of training providers nationally who have been working with Toolboxes over the last few years. This guide focuses mainly on supporting teachers involved in Toolbox implementation, but will also be a useful reference for technical, support and other staff.
The guide contains four main sections:
- Finding your way around the Toolbox.
- Different ways you can use your Toolbox for training delivery and support.
- Planning for the implementation of your Toolbox.
- Helpful websites.
A New Series of Toolboxes
A
sixth series of Toolboxes is underway.
Negotiations are proceeding for Toolboxes to be developed in the following areas during 2003 - 2004.
More details will be provided when contracts are finalised.
- Amenity Horticulture / Rural Production - CIII to Dip in Horticulture and CII to Dip in Irrigation
- Business Services - CIV in Business (Frontline Management)
- Community Services and Health - CIII in Community Services (Aged Care Work)
- Financial Services - CIII in Finance
- Food Processing - CIII in Food Processing (General Foods)
- Information Technology – Dip of IT (Web Development & Database Design & Development)
- Business Services - CIV Training and Assessment
August 2003
Series 5 Toolboxes
Most of the Series 5 Toolboxes have passed the midway stage of completion.
Information about these projects is available on the View Toolbox Products page.
Four new projects for Equity Groups have started:
- For Indigenous Learners (3 projects)
- For Learners with Literacy and Numeracy Needs (1 project)
The successful teams are currently developing their Proof Of Concept sites.
July 2003
New User Groups
Three new Online Communities have been established for teachers using Toolboxes, and others are being planned.
One of these is a general Toolbox Users Forum on the Australian Flexible Learning Community site. This community is for everyone who uses Toolboxes.
Another is the Community Services Learning Community for teachers in the Australian Community Service Industry.
And a third website for VET Teachers in Schools has just been created.
More special interest sites are planned. Check the User Groups section for more details.
Tenders Called for Series 6 Toolboxes
Tenders called for new Series 6 Toolboxes!
Have We Got a Toolbox For You!
Follow the link to Find a Toolbox Unit to use the new database of Toolbox coverage. Even if your Training Package is not supported, you may find useful materials by selecting Competencies and searching for a topic.
June 2003
Native Title Toolbox Wins National Award!
The Learning about Native Title Toolbox has won the Best Teaching
and Learning Package Award in the Vocational education category in the
2003 Australian Awards for Excellence in Educational Publishing. The
award was presented during the APA Australian Book Fair at the Sheraton Hotel
in Sydney on 19 June.
The Toolbox, developed for Indigenous communities, local government and advisors working through the complexities of the Native Title claim process, provides an informative and educational reference and learning resource. Designed to simplify the five-stage application process, Learning about Native Title is a flexible learning Toolbox - a collection of online training materials comprising learning activities, resources and user guides.
In Learning about Native Title, one online pathway follows the Yarralang community - a fictitious Indigenous group - as they prepare, lodge and finalise a Native Title application. Users can choose to participate as an Indigenous community member, a project officer working for a Native Title Representative Body or a local Council officer responsible for Council land and water assets. Combining creative design, practical information and animated case studies bringing to life the Native Title claim application process, this resource aims to engage learners and steer them through a simulated Native Title claim in a simple and accessible way.
Learning about Native Title was developed by the Australian Flexible Learning Framework through consultation with Indigenous representatives and managed by a team including: Australian Local Government Training (ALGT) executive officer Nick Crosling, Planning and Land Management consultant Ed Wensing, Swinburne University and not-for-profit Internet, video and multimedia production house Fraynework.
Learning about Native Title is available on CD-ROM for remote communities lacking Internet access and includes teachers' guides and workbook activities.
To view a sample of Learning about Native Title visit: 423 - Learning about Native Title
Toolbox products are available through Australian Training Products.
Email: sales@atpl.net.au.
April 2003
Toolbox Support
Toolbox purchasers can obtain support in implementing their Toolbox from the Toolbox Champions again in 2003. The same organisations will host the service as in 2002, but there are some new faces in the team.
If you need technical assistance with a Toolbox, a single Help Desk call is all that is needed. The number is 1300 736 710 or you can email: Toolboxhelp@flexiblelearning.net.au.
Do You Have the Whole Toolbox?
A guide for teachers and trainers is provided on the distribution CDs for the series 2, 3 and 4 Toolboxes. If you are accessing a Toolbox from your organisation's server, make sure that you also obtain a copy of this usually comprehensive guide. Each Toolbox also contains an installation (or technical) guide.
Toolbox Codes
As you'll see from the Preview a Toolbox link, we've introduced a code for each Toolbox. This will help to distinguish individual Toolboxes that cover similar qualifications. Sometimes it's difficult to come up with a unique but informative title. The first digit in the code represents the series in which it was developed.
March 2003
Work in Progress
Development of the new series of Toolboxes is well under way. Samples of the products under development will be available shortly. Information about each project in Series 5 is available via the View Toolbox Products menu item. These products will become available from October.
Final selection of a new round of Equity Toolboxes was completed in February and the projects commenced in March. Each of these products will support one of the following groups of learners: Indigenous Learners, Learners with a Disability, or Learners with Literacy and Numeracy Needs.
February 2003
The Human Face of Toolboxes
The evaluation of the first year of this initiative (Word- 754KB)reported a very high level of satisfaction with their service.
In 2003, they will focus very strongly on supporting users to implement Toolboxes. You can find your Champion from the Toolbox Champions link on the left.
New Initiatives
There has been a strong interest in forming user groups for people who are implementing Toolboxes - watch this space for such a facility for the Community Services Toolboxes.
A digital repository of Toolbox pages is under construction to allow selection of individual pages from the whole Toolbox collection. The pilot version will be available by Easter.
Redevelopment and refurbishment of some of the earlier (Series 1 and 2) Toolboxes will follow a review in the first half of the year. Funds have already been allocated for a replacement for the Workplace Trainer and Assessment Toolbox to accompany the new Training and Assessment Training Package.
Toolbox development and support in 2003 will fall within the "Quality E-learning Resources" project, which is part of the new Resources for Teaching, Learning and Assessment Program. Working within this program will mean closer alignment of our online learning content and support with other projects in the Australian Flexible Learning Framework: EdNA VET Online, VET Learning Object Repository, Online Assessment Strategies and Models, and Collaborative Interoperability.
Aims in 2002
The Aims for 2002 document has been archived.
January 2003
Tour the Series 4 Toolboxes
Take one of the Series 4 Toolbox Tours. You can choose a quick tour of the collection, be guided to the features of selected Toolboxes, or examine each Toolbox in depth.
