Allan Ellis

Competency, capability, complexity and computers: exploring a new model for conceptualising end-user computer education

Notions  of  competency  have  dominated  the  computer  education  literature, and have underpinned Competency-Based Training (CBT) in information technology at all levels of education and training. The emergence of counter-narratives underpinned by the capability movement, have as yet had minimal impact on practice in computer education. New discourses in educational theory and practice which are founded on non-linear approaches to learning and teaching provide added impetus to engage in the competency/capability debate, and re-examine our approaches to computer education. This paper explores complexity theories and demonstrates how complexitys pedagogical implications can lead to new models for understanding computer learning and teaching. A new model for conceptualising end-user computer education is presented that was derived from a three-year action research initiative with pre-service teachers.

Effective implementation of online learning: a case study of the Queensland mining industry

This study identified the factors that are important in the effective implementation of online learning in the mining industry in Queensland, Australia. Two sources of data and a Grounded Theory approach were used to develop a theoretical model that would inform managers, trainers and educators considering online learning implementation. The first source of data was key stakeholders in the Queensland mining industry, which had yet to implement online learning in any systematic way. The second source was literature case studies of other industries that had reported experiences of implementing online learning that were compared with the field case study. Six major factors were identified from this analysis as important for effective online learning implementation: external influences; organizational culture; organizational structures; training environment; learners’ needs and the online learning environment. Implications for further research and the implementation of online learning in other industries are also discussed.

Managing student access to university information networks ‐ the Australian experience

Demand by students for access to institutional computing and network resources is a management issue for universities throughout the world. A survey of the IT directors of Australian universities was conducted. The survey sought details of the provision of IT resources to students and particularly the management of network resources for access to institutional CWISs and to the wider Internet. The survey established that considerable investment has been made in the provision and quality of on‐ and off‐campus network access for students. At the same time, universities in Australia face rapid growth in demand for network access. The study reports institutional responses to this demand and the concerns of the management of the IT function in Australian universities.

Audiographics in transition: changing technologies and patterns of usage

This paper discusses the development and use of an audiographics program, Electronic Classroom®, at all levels of Australian education and analyses the manner in which the rapid improvements in computing performance have allowed the technology to meet the needs of users from new areas of the curriculum; illustrates the usage of the product in a variety of educational settings by pointing to a number of case studies; discusses the educational strategies used by teachers in their use of audiographics and makes conclusions on the role of audiographics in education.

The Production of World Wide Web Multimedia Resources by Australian Universities – An Institutional Analysis

World Wide Web (WWW) “home pages” are now ubiquitous for universities around the world. A university home page is the first place that many stakeholders will visit for research on the university or for information on a variety of topics. It was hypothesised that the size and nature of universities and their investment in the staffing of WWW sites will determine the level of output of WWW sites. A WWW-based survey was conducted of Webmanagers at all universities in Australia. A response rate of 80% was achieved. The number of services provided, the number of pages made available and the number of pages that are changed on a regular basis were alternative measures of output. The hypothesised relationships were not supported. The study found that universities are providing a wide range of services with low levels of staffing.

Migrating from paper-based course materials to interactive, Web-based, multimedia courseware

Since the early 1990s the convergence of telecommunications and computer technologies and their relative cost reduction, has created a range of opportunities for the development of new teaching and learning environments. These new educational environments can be linked to technological developments in the workplace and the home. While the latter environments are focused on business goals, entertainment and service provision, the hardware, software and infrastructure they require are largely compatible with that required for training and educational purposes. As Australias newest regional university, Southern Cross has attempted to identify and conceptualise the opportunity to migrate from paper based print materials to telecommunications based interactive courseware as central to its mission as a regional provider of tertiary programs. At the same time, it is seeking to use these same technologies to regionalise, nationalise and internationalise its programs by offering opportunities for interstate and overseas students to study at Southern Cross without the need to physically visit the campus. The paper outlines the development of a Masters level unit in futures studies as an example of this new generation of courseware.