Teaching face-to-face is becoming more limited with the new government changes. The new system encourages students at TAFE to do some course units online rather than face-to-face. Many teachers and students argue that online study does not suit all students at TAFE. This is true because the background and quality of some students, if I can use that term, need face-to-face teaching in order to get the best results.
I started a new role, few months ago, working at OTEN, NSW. This is part of TAFE, NSW where students are enrolled to study online. I work in the disability support unit to support accounting students with their study. A very challenging and rewarding role.
Hi Nagi! Many of the participants in this blogg - I think most of them - are doing their VET teacher training programme when working (either in their industries or as unqulified teachers in VET). Their VET teacher training programme is blended, i.e. mostly distant-based and with some days at campus. I am the teacher at the university and we have developed this blended programme. It has definitely been quite a challenge. I think it is possible to create a good learning climate also by blended studies but it requires much teacher development. The main challenge, I think, is to create assignments that not only are text based. We have Adobe seminars, for example. Do you have that? What do you think is the hardest part? Kind regards from Ingrid
ReplyDeleteHi Nagi,
ReplyDeleteWhen you have a on-line course. Do you ever meet or is it 100% online? I study the VET teacher training program as Ingrid describes above. We are divided in studygroups and we can take part of each others tasks at the universityplatform. We use Skype and facebook to communicate. It works but I miss the possibility to have face-to-face dialogue. That´s why I find the meetings at campus very worthwhile. In your new role, how do you organize your lessons? When you work on-line, do you have contact with the students on by one or in a group where they can see each other and communicate? Kind regards Ann
Hi Ingrid and Ann,
ReplyDeleteAt OTEN all courses are delivered online. We have students from different states and also international students. Blended delivery is almost recently introduced at all TAFE colleges except OTEN, which is part of TAFE. If you are a student at OTEN you have a number of useful resources including videos, tutorials using adobe, written resources, recommended text books and use of other social media like face book. We communicate with students via telephone or a special program which allows us to have access to the students computer and see their work saved on their computer.
We can still see students for a short time if they require further face-to face assistance but this is very limited.