EduONE—Education Our New England

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Funded under the Digital Regions Initiative National Partnership Agreement.

Funding recipient

Organisation: TAFE NSW New England Institute

Project partners

TAFE NSW New England Institute in association with the University of New England and Community Technology Centres Association

Project overview and objectives

The project is trialing new models of education services and resources using ubiquitous reliable high-speed broadband enabled by the National Broadband Network. It provides an interactive media learning space for the delivery of state‐of‐the‐art virtual classrooms and resources.

This learning space incorporates high definition internet protocol television, video on demand, 3D representations in trade skilling packages and 3D immersive virtual learning environments. Learners have access to stimulating and high quality interactive educational content and can participate in interactive learning wherever they are located. Content is being created according to learning content interoperability standards and is available free of charge to users under the trial. The trial also includes a media rich, interactive literacy and numeracy open education resource for adult job seekers to help improve their job readiness, career pathways and entry into employment. Over 400 users are expected to participate in interactive learning during the course of the trial.

The trial aims to contribute to addressing the challenges of teacher and trade skill shortages and difficulties accessing courses by students in regional communities.

Expected benefits from the trial include:

• improved access to high quality vocational and adult education and training for students at home and in the workplace, leading to increased take-up of relevant skills development programs
• greater workforce participation as job seekers can more readily access appropriate training and professional development to get back into the workforce faster or to further enhance their existing careers, including training in literacy and numeracy skills
• improved retention of apprentices and skilled staff through ongoing and flexible learning opportunities that fit around their work and family commitments
• increased participation by mature-age workers, migrants and itinerant workers through online retraining opportunities
• increased experience of Australian education institutions and teachers of how best to use high-speed broadband to deliver training will give Australia a competitive edge in the international education market including offering a means to deliver open access resources (free content)
• improved usage of existing teaching resources that will help to address teacher shortages.