Technology: Impact and Implications for ACE
Even at the time Come in Cinderella was released in 1991, few
people were alert to how rapid would be the proliferation of technology
throughout all areas of our daily activities. In an education context,
changes have been manifested mostly in the personal use of computers,
and the advent of an interactive, networked communications environment.
ACE has not been immune from these developments. Already the impact of
technology is clearly evident in the demand for computer courses and in
program administration. The potential impact on course delivery mode is
significant and promises significantly increased access to adult and community
education across the community.
ACE and technological literacy in the information-based economy
According to the Employment and Skills Council, the education industry
like other industries before it, is being fundamentally transformed
by three linked factors: globalisation and increased international competition
for `market share'; changing market requirements for services and products
with the move from the industrial economy to a knowledge economy; and
the transformative impact of information technologies on the structure
and organisation of the industry in responding to these imperatives.
[1]
Full participation in many aspects of a society built upon an information
economy requires a new form of literacy. The Council's report argues that
this is more than computer literacy. It is a form of literacy which involves
skills of information retrieval, selection and utilisation, `not only
to convert information (data) to knowledge, but to convert knowledge into
insight, foresight, and ultimately wisdom'. [2]
The immediate challenge facing the education system, and it is described
in the report as an urgent task, is to raise the level of computer literacy.
Although the report focuses on the schooling, TAFE and higher education
sectors, it also identifies a role ACE may play in achieving this goal.
An option available to increase the opportunities for adults to
become self-directed lifelong learners would be to expand public support
to the adult and community education sector, especially in relation
to computer training. This may be necessary in regard to disadvantaged
groups, many of whom will require strong social encouragement and support
to undertake further education and training. Such an option makes sense
as the sector is already doing substantial and important work in this
area. [3]
ACE as a provider of technology courses
The impact of technology to date on ACE is most clearly evident in the
increase in demand for courses related to computer literacy.
[There] has been a dramatic increase in both the level and demand
for computing provision, both accredited and non-accredited in recent
years. [4]
Many factors combine to generate this demand including the increase in
the number of homes with computers [5]
and increasing requirements in the workplace for computer literacy. Because
computer training sits comfortably within the VET framework, it has allowed
many providers to seek and gain accreditation and hence funding for the
delivery of computer courses. Purchasers of computer training through
ACE include employed people seeking to upgrade their work skills, unemployed
people seeking work related skills, small businesses offering professional
development to their employees and personal computer owners seeking various
degrees of computer literacy.
The Committee concurs with the views expressed by many witnesses that
ACE providers have a robust future in the teaching of technological skills.
It is likely that ACE providers along with more specialist corporate
sector training houses, will continue to be the major source of short
no-fuss training programs for adults in search of the vital skills they
need in the workplace. [6]
Many of the traditional characteristics of the ACE learning environment
account for its success as a provider of computer training. As one witness
observed:
Anecdotal evidence suggests adults feel more comfortable in the
ACE environment, where they can come to grips with current computer
technology through short courses delivered in a flexible, responsive
and learner-centred environment. The level of repeat business through
follow-on enrolments ... supports this observation. [7]
The Committee considers ACE has clearly demonstrated that it has the
potential to significantly contribute to raising computer literacy skills
of the community. If it is to fulfil this potential, however, serious
attention needs to be given to questions relating to equitable access
to facilities, training and participation. Issues such as support for
the implementation of technology in ACE must also be addressed.
Access to Technology Training and Facilities
The case for broad community access to computer training and facilities
is well rehearsed and for at least one witness, carries a note of urgency.
More knowledge of and access to the Internet and other computer
based information and education services are required, as technology
penetrates more and more into peoples personal, employment and financial
lives. It will soon be necessary for everyone to be computer literate
or else it will be impossible to function effectively. To enable people
to gain computer skills etc, there needs to be reasonable access to
facilities such as libraries, computer rooms, craft workshops with a
rEducation in fees so that everyone has the opportunity. [8]
Alarm is also evident in the Employment and Skills Council's reference
to the emergence of a new equity groupthe `information poor'as an overwhelming
issue. The report describes a division in society `between those who have
the means and have gained confidence and skills to `drive on the information
superhighway, and those who haven't, mirroring the split between the literate
and the illiterate, the readers and the non-readers'. [9]
In this context, the Committee was pleased to note a clear recognition
of the importance of providing access to programs incorporating the use
of technology for the wider community, particularly those in greatest
need, in South Australia's State Training Profile 1997. [10]
Access is a particularly critical issue to small community-based providers
and to members of the community who are neither part of the workforce
nor engaged in any formal education or training.
The community-based ACE providers are very much under resourced,
and unable to meet the growing technology needs. All community providers
would benefit from shared access to technology which is available in
public education institutions such as schools, libraries and TAFE...
The critical issue facing the ACE sector in relation to information
technology in South Australia is the fact that those community members
not in the workforce or engaged in formal education do not have ready
access to computer based resources. There is also an urgent need to
improve educational opportunities for an ageing population with regard
to emerging technologies. [11]
Access is also a critical issue for people living in rural and isolated
communities. It is ironic that technology is most expensive and its access
most limited in those communities which have most to gain from it. Foremost
among factors inhibiting the use of technology in rural communities is
the cost factor. As one witness noted:
The vast distances and dispersal of population ... means that alternative,
technology would be ideal for adult education. At present the cost of
developing materials and installing and accessing hardware is beyond
the financial boundaries for the majority of community-based educators
and trainers. [12]
Many comments concerning limited access by rural communities to technology
specifically related to access to the Internet where not only set up costs
but also the ongoing charges, especially the STD and ISDN rates charged
for connection, are a major impediment to greater use.
The irony that this new technology [Internet], which is so useful
to geographically isolated people should be so expensive for them to
use for useful amounts of time, is inescapable. Only when this area
is connected with cable will this be overcome. [13]
Internet has, where affordable in country areas, only just reached
the stage where on line education programs can be seen as a normal and
regular option for delivery. [14]
The use of Internet in rural areas is not likely to increase significantly
unless charging schedules become more affordable. Expediting the provision
of cabling will also assist access. The ACE sector must continue to be
pro-active in lobbying appropriate authorities to achieve its aims in
this area.
Enhancing access
There are two principal means of expanding access to computer training
and facilities. The first of these relies on an injection of funds to
enable smaller providers to purchase equipment for running courses and
to subsidise the costs of participating in courses for those who would
not qualify under employer sponsored or government funded labour market
or vocational education and training programs.
The second involves the adoption and strengthening of partnerships between
providers, and more cross sectoral collaboration between ACE providers
and the other education sectors. In South Australia, for instance there
are some instances of school sites being used by community centres. The
Committee was also interested to hear of a significant initiative taking
place in the New England area in which the NSW of Board of Adult and Community
Education has facilitated the establishment of a cross-sectoral partnership
between various providers in the New England and north west region. The
partnership is designed to promote cross-sectoral professional development
and learning pathways:
Adult and community education providers and TAFE teachers from
the New England Institute of TAFE are working together in conjunction
with the Open Learning Access Centre to implement flexible learning
opportunities. Adult and community education will be delivered in the
Region as part of a joint pilot program which will enable adult and
community education courses to be offered as part of a joint flexible
learning pathway strategy. [15]
Given the potential of such cooperative ventures to offer broader access
to facilities, it concerned the Committee to hear evidence that other
pressures are having a contrary effect.
Increasingly, public resources and assets are being hoarded by
institutions as their own personal resources and increasing limits are
placed on public and community access. ACE providers have been increasingly
excluded from what in the past were considered community resources such
as schools, colleges, universities, government department's premises
and facilities by the application of user pays policies. Given the potential
of the ACE sector to demonstrate its provision of service to those whose
needs are not being met by these agencies, a policy of collaboration
or partnership might be more consistent with meeting public policy objectives.
[16]
The role of public education institutions in allowing access to facilities
has been discussed earlier in this chapter. The only further comment the
Committee makes at this stage relates to the fact that the acquisition
of information literacy is something that the whole community must embark
upon, not just those who are part of the traditional student population.
Already a number of schools are offering computer training to parents
as part of their parents participation programs. At least one government
has included in its priorities for computer education the establishment
of after hours computer classes for students, teachers and parents who
want to increase their access to technology. Increasingly also, more schools
are becoming interested in establishing themselves as community centres
of learning. It seems but a natural progression and mutually advantageous
for schools to open their facilities to enable ACE providers to offer
computer training to other adults 'so that everyone has the opportunity.
[17]
Libraries also have a significant role to play in expanding access to
computer facilities and in developing computer literacy. While their charter
is broader than adult and community education, they are increasingly involved
in the provision of ACE, as has been discussed elsewhere in this report.
That their role in the community is being redefined is largely a result
of the convergence of information and communications technologies.
The Committee was pleased to note that a number of libraries are striving
to improve equitable access to technology.
Libraries ... play a vital role in educating their clients in how
to find information, use library catalogues, search databases and reference
sources. They assist their clients to interpret their information need
and to develop research skills that will be continually useful. They
are also increasingly providing community access to the Internet and
other electronic services. [18]
The City of Yarra in Melbourne, for example, is implementing YarraNet.
Its Carringbush Regional Library is used as a central hub for communications,
linked to the State Library, and also to eight local access points. Computers
are located in neighbourhood houses, a disability resource centre, some
Skillshare centres and ethnic community centres. [19]
The NSW State Library is also actively participating in community education
by not only providing computing resources, but also training people, and
advising on how to use the Internet. The Committee is heartened by the
library's initiative.
While the constant developments in technology make it difficult to predict
what the libraries of the future will look like, there is no doubt that
they will play a leading role in providing access to information and in
raising the level of information literacy in the community. An initiative
that conceivably parallels, and perhaps complements, the evolution that
is taking place in libraries is the development of telecentres as an important
piece of infrastructure for community access to technology. The Western
Australian WALLINK/Telecentre network comprises 28 telecentres:
The centres are equipped with both IBM and Apple Mac computers,
modems, CD-ROMs satellite dishes, TV and video, facsimile machines,
photocopiers, scanners and handsfree telephones. In addition, the network
has established links with universities (Edith Cowan, Murdoch), TAFE
External Studies College and government departments to provide a variety
of services, including some professional development programs. Video-conferencing
for delivery of education began in February 1994. There is a stated
objective of placing a telecentre, or a derivative of a telecentre,
no more than 50 kilometres from almost any person in Western Australia.
[20]
The telecentres are part of a wider, national program being encouraged
by the Department of Primary Industries and Energy.
The telecentre program administered by the Department of Primary
Industries and Energy (in smaller localities, rather than larger regional
centres) has great potential. These telecentres have the ability to
provide an avenue for rural people to come in contact with the new computer
and communication technologies. The role of individual telecentres could
be further improved by networking them together. [21]
The Committee applauds the establishment of telecentre-type infrastructure.
It also notes that there are important implications relating to the training
of users and the ongoing maintenance of equipment.
Connecting ACE to the information super highway
Early in 1996, the US Advisory Council on the National Information Infrastructure
introduced KickStart: Connecting America's communities to the Information
Super Highway. This is a nationwide initiative to accelerate lifelong
learning for all individuals, and will involve schools, community centres
and libraries in particular. The program recognises that the training
of teachers, librarians and community service providers is crucial to
its success.
There are already a number of initiatives in various States and Territories
that could be expanded along similar lines. Across the education sectors
the development of EdNA (Education Network Australia) and the work of
the Open Learning Technology Corporation provide a substantial base from
which to proceed.
Education Network Australia
The Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments and other elements
of the broad education community have been cooperating since mid 1995
in the development of a national education networking initiative known
as Education Network Australia (EdNA). [22]
EdNA's main aim is to:
provide networked communications for schools, TAFE colleges and
universities and other education and training providers. [23]
EdNA will enable students and teachers to have networked communications
access at affordable rates from both educational institutions and from
home, regardless of location. [24]
EdNA's key objectives include, among other things, to:
- provide a focus for a national collaborative approach to network development
in the education and training services sectors;
- encourage the development of educational services and high quality
Australian content which can be made available via the network; and
- stimulate the use of electronic networks across schools, TAFE and
higher education by students, teachers and lecturers. [25]
EdNA has the potential to contribute significantly to the development
of a learning society in Australia by providing access to learning for
the whole community, not just those involved in education and training
in formal institutions.
The main focus of EdNA at the moment is to use the particular opportunities
provided by the World Wide Web to improve the ways in which all persons
in Australia can more easily access the information that is there. [26]
The Committee considers that these initiatives provide a sound basis
upon which the future development of educational communications networks
can be built.
The following examples of community-oriented information technology networks
reflect a growing commitment by some States and local governments to the
public provision of accessible computer and information services.
VICNET
Since 1991 a number of initiatives in community-based networks have been
developed. Operational since early 1995, VICNET is a joint enterprise
of the State Library of Victoria and the Royal Melbourne Institute of
Technology. VICNET has as its stated aim, the provision of inexpensive
networked communications access to people in Victoria by
- providing inexpensive access to an international electronic network
(the Internet)
- providing access to a wide range of Victorian information in electronic
form, such as government information and services; and
- providing a means of exchanging ideas and information electronically,
through bulletin boards, new services, electronic discussion groups
and electronic mail. [27]
It is planned to expand VICNET in Victorian regional centres linked to
a Melbourne site. This would allow individual and smaller users to dial
into a hub site to gain access to the network. There are also plans for
larger organisations to connect to hub sites on a lease-line basis. It
is expected that others will be able to connect to a local node for the
cost of local call. The network can also be accessed by Victorians through
terminals in libraries and community sites as they are progressively connected
to the regional network.
Community Information Network
Another initiative, announced as part of the previous government's Working
Nation statement is the Community Information Network (CIN). CIN commenced,
on a pilot basis in June 1995, and aims to provide `an information and
communications network for access by individuals, groups and organisations'.
Information on a wide range of Commonwealth and State programs and services
and community information is made available through personal computers
and modems at local access sites.
Three hundred access points were set up in community centres, libraries,
community and welfare group shopfront premises, shopping centres, DSS
and other government offices. The system uses commonly-available Internet
applications, though general access to the Internet is not available.
Other Issues Arising from the Implementation of Technology in ACE
Professional development
The NBEET report on Education and Converging Technologies observed
that seldom in the early stages in the implementation of innovation is
there a structured program available to train participants. The report
notes that:
Compared with the commercial world, where adequate training in
the application of a new technology or software has been considered
an essential part of adopting change, the education sector seems to
have accepted that the provision of training is low on the list of priorities.
Once the institution has invested in and supplied the infrastructure,
hardware and software, it often appears that the innovators have been
left to their own devices as regards professional development and technical
support. [28]
The Employment and Skills Council observed that approaches to technology
related professional development in the schools, TAFE and university sectors
were, with few exceptions, random and varied. Given the dearth of resources
in the ACE sector, it is likely that providers give even less emphasis
to the technology related professional development needs of teachers/tutors.
Some professional development funds are available for the teaching of
accredited computing courses. For most ACE providers, however, professional
development is hampered by the decentralised nature of the system, and
the varied and often voluntary status of teachers/tutors.
Many features of ACE, including its flexibility, its student focused
teaching strategies, the characteristics of its participants and the view
of learning that underpins its practice, are highly compatible with the
use of technology. The use of open learning and flexible delivery strategies
has the potential to significantly expand opportunities for participation
for those in remote and isolated communities, in institutions and for
others who must (or who choose to) study from home. If the sector is going
to be able to maximise the benefits that the convergence of technologies
offers then it must make a significant investment in technology related
professional development.
Professional development strategies need to address the individual competence
of teachers/tutors in the use of technology, the application of technology
to instructional design, and other pedagogical issues. Given the diversity
within the sector, a blend of strategies for delivering professional development
will be required. The experience of professional development in TAFE may
be useful for ACE. Research conducted by the Employment and Skills Council
revealed a number of strategies within TAFE Colleges, ranging from self-teach
modules to intensive courses conducted at the institutional level.
The connection between provision of professional development and the
level of resources available is clear.
Additional time is often required ... to become familiar with the
ever increasing amount of software, to use it to prepare instructions,
to supervise its use, especially compliance with occupational health
and safety regulations, and thus maximise its value. By far the greatest
need of tutors and teachers is sufficient resources, both time and money,
to become well informed about potential use. [29]
The Committee is mindful of the funding implications of any professional
development proposals. Professional development is considered in more
detail elsewhere in the report.
Need for technical support
Of major concern to many witnesses was the lack of technical support
for the implementation of technology.
[Often] tutors and teachers have learnt to use ... technology in
a very ad hoc way. They have not had formal technological tuition and
they may be very adept at using the software but, if there are any minor
technological failures, they do not know how to right them. It can be
simple things like plugs and leads and so on. And if the computer is
down or the printer is not working, that is it; it cannot be used in
the classroom and it is very frustrating for students and tutors and
wastes a lot of time. [30]
[Any] level of computer access for students will require maintenance,
applied educational infrastructure and human support. [31]
Suitable adults, and people in community education often have not
had access to training and on line services, and facilities often lack
the capital base to support these areas. [32]
Problems associated with lack of infrastructure support are more acute
for small community based providers. The Committee considers that more
collaborative approaches could be employed by ACE providers, particularly
smaller providers, on a geographic basis, for the purchase (or lease)
and maintenance of equipment and training for technical staff. This potentially
would have the twofold benefit of reducing costs to individual centres
by reducing unnecessary duplication and potentially providing access to
technology previously considered outside the financial scope of a discrete
centre.
Course design and delivery implications
Although the implementation of technology in adult and community education
has considerable potential to change the design and delivery of ACE, the
Committee found little evidence of that potential being realised. In the
far better resourced sectors of education, technology is still far from
being fully integrated into curriculum design and delivery, so it is hardly
surprising that ACE should be even further behind. The low government
funding base of the sector and the lack of professional development and
infrastructure and technical support severely curtails the degree to which
ACE providers are able to utilise technology.
The Committee is aware that many involved in adult and community education
have reservations about the proliferation of computers in the ACE `classroom'.
They are concerned about the impact of technology on teaching methods,
the relationships between student and student, and student and teacher,
and the way that learning resources are designed.
The existence of the new technology, and particularly the forms
of information flow that it provides, enables new approaches to teaching
and learning. It is important to recognise that it is not just a matter
of converting print-based materials to on-line publication. There is
a need to recognise that the interactive naturein particular, the information
exchange and personal messagingadds useful dimensions. For example,
peer-to-peer interaction between students is often highly valued in
students who are engaging in studies through on-line technologies. [33]
Technology should in no way supersede interactive, participative,
culturally sensitive education provision... It is not a panacea to efficient
and effective educational provision, but rather something to complement
it. [34]
Among the smaller community-based providers in particular there was a
feeling that learning centres will need to retain traditional teaching
practices. There will always be learners and teachers without access to
reliable technology, or who lack the skills to use it. The Committee notes
that such perspectives appear to have been taken on board by those responsible
for promoting the use of technology:
I think the project that we have undertaken bears out that you
cannot assume that everybody, firstly, has access or, secondly, believes
that the technology is reliable or, thirdly, has the skills. So you
do need to be able to run services or provide services in current format.
It will be some time before everybody has access and we should not run
away with the technology and assume that everybody feels comfortable
with it and, as you say, that everything is reliable.
[It] is very easy for people to think that everything is fine with
the Internet and recommend its use, but there are a large number of
people who are having difficulty with it because of the technology they
have or because of their access to it. [35]
One important role ACE providers can play is to avoid the excessive
reliance on technology as a quick fix for isolated learning. While technology
certainly has a role, it does not remove the need for learners to gather
together and provide support and learning in group environments. [36]
Many ACE providers are aware that there needs to be a period of experimentation
and reflection on the effectiveness of new technology before proceeding
with investment in it. According to some submissions, educators also need
to be alert to the possibility that the increasing use of technology may
exacerbate problems of illiteracy. For example, there is the potential
for already disadvantaged groups, having found an entree into further
education through ACE, to find themselves further disadvantaged in the
face of a complex and unfamiliar learning medium.
The power of new technology will create a new class of the illiterate.
Technology has become the tool of the training provider, not the tool
of the learner. [37]
Some ... people who are unemployed may have, in traditional terms,
a low level of literacy skills. By putting in technology, ... we are
widening the gap in that we are putting another obstacle in front of
those people by ... insisting that if they are to get this training
they also need to be literate in the use of the technology. In some
cases, it may be video based and that is fine. A lot of it is computer
and text based and you not only have the need to read what is on the
screen, you have to be able to access, for a start, the computers or
whatever type of technology it is. [38]
For many adult learners, their interest in returning to continued study
has come after unsatisfactory experiences in formal education settings.
The educational use of technology must not further alienate them.
The Committee acknowledges that, whilst technology can provide greater
access to education, it is not a panacea for all educational ills. Like
any tool, technology needs to be used judiciously, and ACE educators and
administrators seem generally alert to its limitations.
In discussing the impact on and implications of technology for ACE, the
Committee has drawn heavily on the report of the Employment and Skills
Council, Education and Technology Convergence. Although its findings
were generally applicable across all sectors, the Committee considers
it unfortunate that the research undertaken did not include the ACE sector.
| The Committee RECOMMENDS that any follow up to the NBEET
study on technological convergence, or any future national studies
on education and technology, take into account the ACE sector. |
Footnotes
[1] NBEET, Employment and Skills Council.
Education and Technology Convergence, Commissioned Report No. 43,
AGPS 1996, p xiii
[2] NBEET. Education and Technology Convergence,
p xiv
[3] NBEET, Employment and Skills Formation Council.
Converging Technology, Work and Learning, November 1995, p 72
[4] Submission no 65, vol 4, p 200 (Institute
of Adult Education, Tas)
[5] There has been a significant increase in
the use of and ownership of computers in recent years. An ABS survey on
the Household Use of Information Technology indicated that in February
1996, 30 per cent of households frequently used a computer,
an increase of 7 per cent in two years. [5]
[6] Submission no 13, vol 1, p 101 (Workers'
Educational Association, NSW)
[7] Submission no 65, vol 4, p 200 (Institute
of Adult Education, Tas)
[8] Submission no 12, vol 1, p 93 (Miss Thomson)
[9] NBEET. Education and Technology Convergence,
p 130
[10] South Australian Government. Training
South Australia's Future1997 State Training Profile, Appendix 5
[11] Submission no 86, vol 6, p 82 (South Australian
Government)
[12] Submission no 43, vol 3, p 171 (Minister
for Training and Industrial Relations, Qld)
[13] Submission no 38, vol 3, p 124 (Deddick
Valley Isolated Women's Group, Vic)
[14] Transcript of evidence, Albury,
4 September 1996, p 269 (Mr Jamieson)
[15] Submission no 81, vol 6, p 29 (Minister
for Employment, Training and Education, SA)
[16] Submission no 62, vol 4, p 179 (SA AAACE)
[17] Submission no 12, vol 1, p 93 (Miss Thomson)
[18] Submission no 31, vol 3, p 77 (State Library
of NSW)
[19] Transcript of evidence, Canberra,
1 August 1996, pp 19, 23, 24 (Mr Leonard); also Open Learning UPDATE,
May 1996, issue no 6, p 1
[20] NBEET. Converging Technology, Work
and Learning, p 63
[21] NBEET. Converging Technology, Work
and Learning, p 61
[22] Submission no 56, vol 4, p 128 (DEETYA)
[23] NBEET. Converging Technology, Work
and Learning, p 70
[24] NBEET. Converging Technology, Work
and Learning, p 70
[25] NBEET. Converging Technology, Work
and Learning, p 70
[26] Transcript of evidence, Canberra,
1 August 1996, p 42 (Dr Arthur)
[27] NBEET. Converging Technology, Work
and Learning, p 68
[28] NBEET. Education and Technology Convergence,
p 30
[29] Transcript of evidence, Albury,
4 September 1996, p 267 (Ms Bowyer)
[30] Transcript of evidence, Albury,
4 September 1996, p 263 (Ms Bowyer)
[31] NBEET. Converging Technology, Work
and Learning, p 87
[32] Transcript of evidence, Albury,
4 September 1996, p 269 (Ms Bowyer)
[33] Transcript of evidence, Canberra,
1 August 1996, p 21 (Mr Leonard)
[34] Transcript of evidence, Melbourne,
3 September 1996, p 197 (Ms Clemans)
[35] Transcript of evidence, Canberra,
1 August 1996, pp 22-23 (Ms Carr)
[36] Submission no 15, vol 1, p 118 (Learning
Centre Link)
[37] Submission no 62, vol 4, p 179 (AACE SA)
[38] Transcript of evidence, Albury,
4 September 1996, p 249 (Mr Currie)