09-73

=**Spatial Information Skills for Professionals**= toc

RTO
TAFE NSW - Illawarra Institute

**Contact**
Elizabeth (Bess) Moylan elizabeth.moylan at det.nsw.edu.au

**Category**
RTO-Business Partnership

**Business Partner**
Shoalhaven City Council RTA - Engineering Technology (Southern) Southern Councils Group Australian Hydrographic Service

Executive summary
The spatial information industry has recently seen a rapid uptake in new information technology advances. Many organisations are making use of Global Navigation Systems (e.g. GPS) and mapping software such as Google Earth. Professionals from a range of industries have been expected to incorporate the benefits of these recent improvements into their work methods. Environmental scientists are using spatial skills to map potential sea level changes at a local scale, asset managers are using mapping methods to manage important infrastructure in our communities, and defence and emergency services rely on spatial information to respond to threats. However, those working with these new spatial technologies are finding that without relevant training it has become difficult to realise the potential advantages and related efficiencies. In some cases, considerable time and money has been wasted through inexperience and inappropriate application. This situation has the potential to contribute to poor planning decision, and reduce the ability to plan a sustainable future for Australia. These organisations are in need of training that is technical and flexible, at a professional and vocational level. Discussions with industry indicate that a distance education approach is a popular option when a range of training options are offered. Distance education provides the opportunity to train and assess a professional cohort who has limited ability to attend face-to-face training. This project will result in the design and testing of a training approach that reflects the need for self-paced and flexible learning to support a distance education approach. A framework to deliver spatial information skills using e-learning methods will be based on the needs of industry and the trainees. A series of web-based resources, self paced exercises, and self assessment tools will be created and tested to review the structure of the proposed framework.

The project team comprises members of industry and education. Illawarra Institute - TAFENSW is managing the project under Bess Moylan. Industry partners include Shoalhaven City Council, NSW Road and Traffic Authority, Australian Hydrographic Service, and Southern Councils. Illawarra Institute’s e-learning infrastructure will be used to create the project resources and tools. The framework and the associated resources developed for the project will be submitted to LORN for other RTO’s to access. This project will contribute to the national e-learning infrastructure by §  providing a guide to developing resources for learners in professional positions, but require technical training. § providing an exemplar to others who wish to incorporate flexible software and equipment based training options. § building resources for Industry e-learning in higher level qualifications.

Products
This project delivered four product outputs. 1. Framework for delivering Spatial Information Skills training in a flexible environment The powerpoint presentation provides an overview of the framework devised to delivering Spatial Information skills training in a flexible environment. It illustrates how changes from the paper based training methods have been replaced with digital resources and webaccess, and is now heading towards web-based self paced learning. The presentation also contains recommended steps for converting resources into the online environment. 2. E-learning module to support underpinning spatial knowledge. This module demonstrates the conversion of a 'knowledge based' unit of study that had previously been delivered via the classroom. This link takes you to the 'html' version of a module called 'Data Standards' that was developed in a moodle/wiki

3. Self paced exercises to support computer based learning These GIS study notes are exercises developed to demonstrate how a previously class based computing traning can be converted into a self directed e-learning resource. Please note: spatial datasets are not available to the general public due to licensing restrictions.

4. Project review Attached here is a review of the project in the AFLF examplar style.

Final report
- see examplar project review paper above