ELearning in an incarcerated environment

December 2005

Mark Norbury 2005

Welcome to the planning, preparing (and hoping) stage of eLearning in the AEVTI training environment.

Mark Norbury 2005

AEVTI

Delivers accredited programs in literacy, numeracy, vocational training, life skills and recreation so inmates acquire skills and address deficits enabling them to live constructive law abiding lives.

Staff at Correctional Centers include Senior Correctional Education Officer, Correctional Education Officer and Teachers.

Head Office develop policy and plans, set standards, monitor programs, provide professional support and manage programs.

Mark Norbury 2005

29AEVTI

regional‘offices’

Mark Norbury 2005

AEVTI

In 1996, AEVTI was the winner of the NSW ‘Outstanding Learning Organisation’ and ‘Outstanding Learner’ Awards

Mark Norbury 2005

Brief points about our current education environment!

Correctional Education Officers and Teachers at Correctional Centers deliver courses according to their discipline. So not all curriculum available at all centers.

Students (Inmates) with varying education background

Students (Inmates) move from centre to centre at varying random times. They may move on whilst engaged in education!!

Mark Norbury 2005

Brief points about our proposed education environment!

Teachers with varying computer skills - Can they use technology to improve their training?

Students (Inmates) with varying computer skills background - Can they use technology and still achieve learning outcomes?

Mark Norbury 2005

Our eLearning hope!

Grow in skills, resources, availability and output that uses the benefits of eLearning to enhance and supplement existing f2f teaching.

Mark Norbury 2005

Our eLearning plan

Apply, and enhance, existing Adult learning principles into successful skills and practices that uses eLearning effectively whilst maintaining strict secure environment.

Mark Norbury 2005

Overview of our eLearning issues

Computer access for students

Learning material suitability Students accepting new

teaching methodology, (certainly not a concept unique for AEVTI)

Staff development…(what are we doing?)

Departmental approval… (and can we do it?)

Mark Norbury 2005

Will it be eLeaning?eLearning AEVTI

24/7 access Restricted access

Probable separation of learner from trainer

Probable co-location of student and trainer

Communication via Virtual Communities such as forums, bulletin boards etc

No internet access for learners

Feature rich PC, hardware and software, used in most cases to create interactivity etc

Secure PC environment to ensure secure environment

Mark Norbury 2005

Steps so far

Become LearnScope identity to develop staff Evaluate existing toolboxes Explore other technology such as Digital Video

manipulation Learn, ponder eLearning environment Explore EdNA Establish departmental policy Consider virtual community options eg

Mark Norbury 2005

So we setup three blogs, turned ourselves into blogees, then we blogged, we looked at other blogs, we were blogged at.Things started to change into blogs…. Overall the new comers were thrilled to be a blogee!!The following three slides show our blogs….

Mark Norbury 2005

Set up to evaluate toolboxes:Eg “Where’s the party at”

Mark Norbury 2005

Evaluate ohs module of SB toolbox, Identify skillsrequired to use, develop skillsto customize

Mark Norbury 2005

Objective to plan, develop and design an elearning resource

Mark Norbury 2005

Further considerations

IMPORTANT

Any successful eLearning event needs careful planning. This is the case with AEVTI. We hope to ensure that any implementation of technology is not done for the sake of technology, but for the sake of the learners.

Mark Norbury 2005

So we must:

Decide to: Use existing resources eg toolbox Use digital editing features eg ClickView Use current authoring tools to produce our own

resources eg convert existing paper lessons into technical equivalent

Identify those eLearning principles that can be incorporated into AEVTI (and also those that can’t!)

Mark Norbury 2005

Other issues!

Teachers need a usable tool, not an expensive and unmanageable appendage.

Ensure adherence to departmental policy. Consult in the development process as required. This is new, policies will be needed because the policy says “You need a policy to do anything !!!!

Mark Norbury 2005