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eFest Day One


Here we all are at the first day of eFest. The feeling is relaxed and friendly and it looks like the emphasis is going to be on round table conversations - well the set up of the room has set the scene. Lots of familiar faces and it is good to have time to catch up with old friends and eLearning colleagues.

Presentation from NorthTec introduced by the CEO and several staff - They have six campuses and lots of Learning Centres scattered around Northland. They use Moodle and have set up wireless and computing and video conferencing in all the LC. Also have a staff portal to provide information management, ICT access which is the same for all staff - RSS, document sharing, web space. They have Mobile programmes - f2f courses delivered in communities including on marae - horticulture, forestry, environmental studies, construction, sport and recreation.

Case studies
1. Bachelor of Nursing - five semester development, e-capability eCDF funding, team approach. Supported by senior management and evaluated by action research - Dr Nancy George. Video interview with a nursing student illustrated how important it is for a woman with children and a part-time job to be able to study flexibly.

2. Certificate in eLearning Design and Development (eCDF) - video clips of students talking about what they got out of the programme.

3. Mobile programmes teach skills as part of a community project. For example, gardening in schools.

4. Learning support - eTech support, online counselling, online learning objects. also reconfiguring technologies and buildings around the flexible approach.

Nursing communication scenarios using actors - example in palliative care - appropriate and non-appropriate.

Also have a student portal - blogs, portfolios. also have virtual classrooms.
Staff development in staff and student portals.

Polytechnics and universites are going to be connecting to KAREN (advanced research network) - ultra fast Internet connection.

Presentation by Murray Brown from Ministry of Educationjoined the dots about what has been happening - funding, eLearning advisory etc.

Barry Ogilvie from Tertiary Education Commission speaking about eLearning project updateThey have four projects under discussion. Looking for a vision for network capability. Also flexible and distance learning options. Looking for a range of methodologies for assessing capabilities across ITP sector - e.g. maturity model.

District Health Boards - Wintec and Northgate - nursing education - use mentoring, reflection, innovation. Staff want to have fun when learning. Mandatory training - national online campus, generic material with local contexts. Liked Moodle.

NorthTec nursing programmeDevelopment and action research of Bachelor of Nursing programme. using a blended model as they do not want to lose face-to-face component. Have students who can study even though they live in isolated areas in Northland. Gave away online discussion as not popular with students.

Contextualisation of multimedia resourcesDeveloped communication modules. Read information and choose correct answers. simple to change text. Originally created by WELTEC - not available in a repository and not sure abut IP issues. Have Grammar online. have a lesson and go through and choose options. Read information and do a test - so they changed it. Flash object with xml file at the back - replace text here and leave the codes. Could be easy to delete code if staff are unaware. Design perspective given and then pedagogical perspective given. How does it affect the learner?

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