ALA

Voice technologies are being used to support Indigenous learners in land and conservation management – an area of growing employment opportunities. GippsTAFE in Victoria has been awarded $67,270 for its Cultural Studies with E-learning pilot, which has been funded and supported by the national training system’s e-learning strategy, the Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework). Currently learning opportunities in the Certificate II in Land and Conservation Management are limited for regional and remote Indigenous learners as the trainers are based in Melbourne up to 350 km away. E-learning tools, such as spoken discussion boards, voice email, chat and web conferencing, allow a blended learning approach with the trainer backing up fortnightly face-to-face workshops with voice enabled activities. Team Leader Doris Paton said e-learning not only provided a solution to the geographical barrier of accessing education and training but allowed an alternative to traditional text based learning. “The culturally sensitive approach of oral learning and story telling is ideal for Indigenous learners, who can have low literacy skills due to English not being their first language.” The Cultural Studies with E-learning pilot will engage learners from the Koorie Unit of GippsTAFE, Woolum Bellum Campus, Wandjana Lidj Parenting Group and Community Development Employment Project Morwell. They will access the technology via community learning centres. On completion of the course, learners will be supported in gaining local employment. “Land conservation and management is currently experiencing a skills shortage of Indigenous workers in Gippsland, particularly in relation to the conservation of land which has been identified as having significant Indigenous importance,” said Ms Paton. “Parks Victoria and Department of Sustainability and Environment actively recruit Indigenous employees into land management work. This project will assist students to gain the skills required by these employers.” Once the pilot is complete at the end of the year, the e-learning model will be shared with other Land and Conservation Management training providers across the state and throughout Australia. For more details on the Cultural Studies with E-learning pilot and other e-learning models embraced by Indigenous communities visit: http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/indigneous For more information about the Australian Flexible Learning Framework, telephone (07) 3307 4700, email: enquiries@flexiblelearning.net.au or visit: http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au