E-LEARNING PROGRAM

53 Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (10 July 2007). What are the details of South Australia's 'e-learning' program to train and up-skill the workforce, including the costs of developing, implementing and maintaining the program and how many South Australians have benefited from this since its inception in 2006-07?

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton—Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Youth, Minister for Gambling): It must be clarified that there is no overarching, badged ‘e-learning program. An e-learning strategy for the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector in South Australia was developed by the Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology (DFEEST) in consultation with public and private VET providers, and industry, and launched on 25 May 2007. This strategy aims to promote e-learning as a key contributor to innovation and flexibility in teaching and learning, and draws together experience, case studies and advice from within the wider SA VET sector.

Various strategy and policy initiatives are being undertaken by DFEEST to increase the level of uptake of e-learning. The main initiatives are:

TAFE SA E-Learning Strategy implementation group (comprising cross-departmental representation, and led by Executive Director TAFE SA North); and

Policy development and advice from the Information Economy Directorate.

E-learning development in the state is the result of investments made by:

TAFE SA (at both the State and institute level);

Private RTOs investing in various e-learning technologies to meet demands from their markets;

DFEEST (which provides e-learning platforms for TAFE SA);

DFEEST through a recent pilot program to assist non-public RTO e-learning development (an initiative of the Information Economy Directorate); and

The Australian Flexible Learning Framework.

Much e-learning activity is carried out by individual RTOs—TAFE institutes and private providers—from their regular delivery budgets. It is not necessarily identified as a distinct program, except where there is a large capital investment.

Insofar as these investments are identified separately to other inputs to the SA VET sector, e-learning expenditure is not currently measured. The quanta of funds for South Australian development of e-learning through the Australian Flexible Learning Framework is relatively easy to summarise as (a) and (b) (from attachment 1).

DFEEST currently has no way of estimating amounts invested by private and enterprise RTO’s, but I refer you to the findings of the Australian Learning Framework’s E-Learning Benchmarking 2006, available at www.flexiblelearning.net.au.