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E-learning Innovations Project Profile

 

Settle In!

project photo

Contact person: Anna Kingston
Phone: (03) 62164482
Email: Anna.Kingston@polytechnic.tas.edu.au
Project website in 2010: http://tasinnovations2010.wikispaces.com/Settle+In%21

RTO:
Tasmanian Polytechnic
Project category:
 Empowering Learners
Industry area:
General education (eg LLN)
Learner group(s):
Mature aged
Migrants/ESL
Sole Parents
Geographically isolated
State/territory:
TAS
Project Year:
2010
Keywords:
settlement, migrant, refugee, AMEP, CSWE


The problem/opportunity being addressed:

This project will create localized settlement information resources in different formats and community languages that recently-arrived migrants and refugees will be able to access at any time to help with their settlement in Tasmania. These resources will be created by students as part of their Certificate course. Students will arrange, carry out and record interviews with relevant service providers. These interviews will be transcribed and translated into various community languages. Students will also create podwalks of important places in the local area. Both these resources will be posted on a wiki that was created as a 2009 Learning Innovation and will be used and updated by a variety of service providers around the state beyond the life of the project.


The learners/clients and how they will benefit:

Under the DIAC funded AMEP, all newly-arrived humanitarian entrants must be offered a four-week intensive Special Preparatory Program (SPP). DIAC has identified a greater need for focus on settlement issues (appendix 2). Consequently the new AMEP tender guidelines include more intensive settlement content in AMEP classes, as well as from volunteer home tutors. Under the new AMEP contract, settlement resources for distance learning students will be developed by an external mainland institution and many of these resources are likely to be too mainland for students in Tasmania. Our proposal will improve and diversify our delivery and will create an e-learning platform that can be shared with external stakeholders. Currently there is only minimal communication between such organisations resulting in clashes of timetables as each organisation tries independently to cater to the needs of new arrivals. This shared e-resource is needed to improve communication and collaboration between interested stakeholders (appendix 1).

Our learners are newly-arrived migrant and refugee adults and youth who are learning English. Learners? levels of literacy range from pre-literate to more advanced. The majority of our learners have a federal legislated entitlement, limited to 510 hours of English tuition through the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP). Our role is to give learners foundation skills in English language, literacy and ICT to enable them to continue a life-long learning process and to participate effectively in the workforce and community. Lessons are largely focused on content that assists new arrivals with settlement in their new community. Common content includes learning how to access, and communicate with staff in, organisations relating to services such as emergency services, policing and housing. Tuition is provided flexibly and in a way that is sensitive to the needs of different groups. Migrants are encouraged to learn at their own pace, in a manner appropriate to their needs. Learning options include classroom tuition, home study through a distance learning program or with a trained volunteer home tutor. Our clients are increasingly choosing to access a range of learning options other than, or in addition to, classroom tuition to suit their learning preferences and/or personal circumstances.


How the training is currently delivered:

The Special Preparatory Program (SPP) is a settlement program for new arrivals. It is a requirement of the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) to deliver this course. Classroom delivery involves excursions to key service providers. This settlement information is not necessarily provided to the target group at a time when it is most timely or relevant to them. The Meintassie wiki (www.meintassie.wikispaces.com ) developed as part of last year?s e-learning project has become an integral part of the course delivery.


How the innovation will change current delivery:

This project is based on sound educational theory; the videos and audios contextualise classroom content; translations in community languages act as a perfect scaffold to assist students in comprehending English language versions; the recorded nature of the text means students can pause, rewind and review language as needed; and on-line availability means that students can work independently at their own pace. The resource content will all be real-life, relevant and created by students themselves. Both the creation and use of the end result will be directly linked to relevant assessment outcomes. Learning will take place by students directly involved in the creation of the resources as well as by those accessing the resources on completion.
Project links: Case study - Settle In! 2010 e-Learning Innovations Project

 

 

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