Recognition for stand-out e-learning projects

In 2009, a number of projects funded and supported by the national training system’s e-learning strategy, the Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework), received recognition at state/territory and national award ceremonies.

These projects represent the leading edge in education development, showing how e-learning can be used to enhance the learning experience and overcome traditional learning barriers.

Australian Safer Communities Award (Northern Territory and national)

Hosted by the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department, the awards recognise individuals and organisations that use best practice to build safer communities across Australia. This covers all aspects of community safety including risk assessment, research, education and training, information and knowledge management, and prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.

The Sundowner Project, which uses digital stories to allow learners to see and hear the experiences of others, received a highly commended at the national awards last year.

Program Manager, Judy McKay, credits the ultimate success of the Sundowner e-learning resource to the personalised nature of the project.

“The Sundowner DVD is a raw, emotional and captivating story of life in NT communities. We can't always reach night patrol workers for face-to-face training but they all have access to computers and this project gives new recruits an insight into what the job entails.”

*This project was developed with Framework E-learning Innovations funding and support.

eLearning Industry Excellence Awards (Victoria)

Hosted by the eLearning Industry Association of Victoria these awards celebrate industry achievements and highlight the best e-learning projects delivered in Victoria each year. The awards are open to all members of the Association.

The Box Hill Institute’s Virtual Learning Hospital was judged as the best entry in the Corporate eLearning category.

Judges said that the Virtual Learning Hospital, which uses a rich mix of video, audio, 3D and scenario based learning across competencies in Basic Life Support, Administering Medications and Medical Emergencies, was a visually attractive, engaging and exciting product that would improve learning opportunities and change the culture of health care learning.

Continuing Education Bendigo was also a finalist in the awards for its emerging technology trial which looked at ways of using RSS feeds in conjunction with collaborative web based platforms to create an effective and inexpensive way to deliver, assess and report when training.

Box Hill Institute’s Virtual Learning Hospital was developed with Framework E-learning Innovations funding and support; Continuing Education Bendigo’s technology trial was developed through Framework E-standards for Training funding and support.

IMS Global Learning Impact Awards

The Learning Impact Awards and Recognition Program recognises outstanding applications of technology that address the most significant challenges facing education. The awards are unique for their recognition of the use of technology in context. The top Australian finalists receive support to attend the International IMS GLC Learning Impact Awards.

The QTImPlayer received the Best Mobile Learning Solution award at the 2009 IMS Global Learning Impact Awards. Judges commended the QTImPlayer for leading the way in the relatively new question and test interoperability (QTI) standards field, and encouraged the developers to continue their innovative work.

This project was developed with Framework New Practices funding (2005 and 2007) and extended with Framework E-standards for Training funding (2008).

Handheld learning awards

These awards celebrate those practitioners, learners and participants who have excelled in the use of emerging technologies for the improvement of learning and teaching practice.

The awards were judged by an international panel of technology and e-learning experts, who commended the quality of the content management system developed for mobile devices by Goal Training and Development.

The project provides learners in the hospitality industry with ‘just in time’ information about workplace specific products and processes, anywhere and anytime – including on the job and in remote locations – and at their own pace.

The judges praised the project as an innovative platform to deliver any type of training content to industry and business.

This project was developed with Framework E-learning Innovations funding and support.

For more information about funding and support opportunities provided by the Framework, visit http://flexiblelearning.net.au/content/funding-opportunities

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Published on 20/01/2010