December12

//**Welcome to the December e-newsletter from the NSW National VET E-Learning Strategy team. **//

What’s news?
Our website is changing to meet the requirements of WCAG 2.0 and Level AA conformance standards W3C. This means we will soon lose some old favourites and you will not be able to link to the following sites or files:
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The good news is you will still be able to access:
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Industry e-validation of assessment pilots announced
<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Industry and training organisations will develop approaches to independently validate assessment using e-learning tools through six new pilots announced on 13 December 2012. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">The automotive, aged care, children’s services, coal seam gas, fitness, sport and recreation and metal fabrication industry sectors will all benefit from investment in e-validation of assessment. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">RTO and industry investment of over $260,000 will add to co-investment of over $310,000 from the <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Industry System Change <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">business activity of the <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">National VET E-learning Strategy <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">. The Strategy is an initiative of the Australian and State and Territory Governments.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Industry validation of RTO assessment practices (including e-assessment) will further support the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) National Partnership Agreement on Skills Reform by aligning with key reform directions to improve the confidence of industry, employers and students in the quality of training courses.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Registered training organisations (RTOs) will engage industry employers and stakeholders as part of their e-validation of assessment pilots for the following six industry sectors:

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">1. **Automotive** led by Kangan Institute will focus on units of competency from the Certificate II in Automotive Vehicle Body. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">2. **Aged care** pilot led by TAFE NSW - New England Institute will focus on units of competency from the Certificate III in Aged Care. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">3. **Childrens services** pilot led by Tasmanian Skills Institute will focus on units of competency from the Certificate III in Children’s Services and Diploma of Children’s Services qualifications. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">4. **Coal seam gas** led by SkillsTech Australia will focus on units of competency from the Certificate II and III in Process Plant Operations. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">5. **Fitness, sport and recreation** led by TAFE NSW - Sydney Institute will focus on units of competency from the Certificate III in Fitness and Diploma of Sport and Recreation. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">6. **Metal fabrication** led by Canberra Institute of Technology will focus on units of competency from the Certificate III in Engineering - Fabrication Trade.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">“The RTOs selected to lead the pilots will utilise e-learning systems, e-learning tools and e-learning infrastructure to not only electronically engage industry, but to electronically collect and capture industry validation process and outcomes. The pilots will result in exemplars demonstrating best practice processes” says Kerry Manikis, Business Manager of the Industry System Change activity. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">The National VET E-learning Strategy is the responsibility of the Flexible Learning Advisory Group ( <span style="color: blue; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">FLAG <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">), a key policy advisory group on national directions and priorities for information and communication technologies in the VET sector.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">More information is available from the //E-learning for Industry// website at [|http://industry.flexiblelearning.net.au]

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">NSW Update
<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">A new and exciting Professional Development Schedule has been added to the NSW Innovations Wiki. Up and coming workshops include: <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Visit the NSW Calendar for more information
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Getting started in e-learning design
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Using social media with learners
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Universal design workshop

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">National Events
<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Up and coming online events on the <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">[|National Calendar] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> for January include:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Wednesday, January 23, 2013, 1:30pm ‘What’s new in 2013?’
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Tuesday, January 29, 2013, 1–2pm ‘Creating a Professional e-Portfolio and Digital Identity’

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Please note some sessions require registration. Please visit the <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">[|National Calendar] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> for more information.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Contact us
<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Each State and Territory has an E-Learning Coordinator and Content Services Advisor. Please visit our <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">[|website] <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> for their contact details.