Introducing flexible learning on a fixed income: Key learnings in ASNSW Flexible Learning Development
Alan Morrison and Steve Matheson
Introduction
The Ambulance Service of NSW (ASNSW) provides prehospital clinical care to the people of NSW. This service is provided by 2500 staff working from 227 Ambulance Stations, 161 of which are situated outside of the Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong Metropolitan areas. A major priority for the ASNSW is the ongoing clinical professional development of its staff. The ASNSW training unit has traditionally facilitated ongoing education via a face to face format. The organisationˇ¦s geographic distribution however, demands a flexible learning approach to truly achieve its professional training and development goals.
The challenge has been to develop flexible learning on a fixed income. The ASNSW faces the same funding challenges as other government organisations. We have demonstrated it is possible to skillfully shoot the flexible learning tube with minimal liquid organisational finance. Over the past 18 months ambulance educators have gained formal qualifications in flexible learning, produced computer based learning modules and are currently developing capability in creating online clinically focussed professional communities. Strategic alignment with organisational initiatives, vision, participation in Learnscope and Flexible Learning Leaders, networking and a passion for flexible learning are all key aspects of our learning to shoot the tube on a small budget. This paper will outline our experiences in the development of meaningful flexible learning on a fixed income, highlighting key learnings of benefit to other similarly placed organisations.
1. A Flexible Learning Initiative must have an identified need to drive its development
The ASNSW has diverse needs in training and education as an employer. The Service delivers accredited VET qualifications according to the AQF from Cert 3 to Advanced Diploma level. This comprises face to face education, print-based education and workplace training. Further the Service must facilitate the ongoing development of its qualified staff to ensure they remain current in their clinical practice.
The major driver in the development of flexible learning capacity has been the need to ensure timely, current, accurate, andragogically sound and easily accessible ongoing development opportunities for staff regardless of their geographic location or roster. The reliance on face to face delivery for all forms of development has become increasingly untenable as the sole method of development in an information economy.
This need has continually served as an agreed focal point for management, educators and frontline staff to support the development of flexible learning. The presence of an identifiable pressing need within the organisation, to which flexible learning represents a potential solution, ensures it receives appropriate levels of support to proceed.
2. A Committed Team
A close and collaborative partnership between Steve Matheson and Alan Morrison as educators, has been foundational to the projects positive development thus far. It is the combined skill sets and professional backgrounds of this partnership that has been significant, combined with a shared passion for improved prehospital education and training. Neither individual could have facilitated the gains that have been made without the partnership.
This aspect of teamwork has extended across the whole education unit. Colleagues in the unit have at times shouldered greater face to face commitments allowing Steve and Alan to focus time on flexible learning development. Education management has consistently supported the project team in a multitude of ways.
The centrality of teamwork and collaboration has continued as the number of people involved in flexible learning has expanded. It includes educators, managers, IT experts and on road staff. Alan and Steve have remained the key drivers of flexible learning highlighting the need for leadership within the team.
3. Appreciate the parameters of flexible learning and how it can serve your needs.
The literature consistently describes expensive failures in flexible learning applications. This has often led to the abandonment of flexible learning as an effective delivery modality.
A broad understanding of the flexible learning field was gained through the project team completing the Diploma of Elearning with the University of Technology, Sydney. This course of study was significant in providing a sound framework for strategy development and decision making regarding flexible learning. Becoming aware of the issues and pitfalls associated with flexible learning has enabled the ASNSW to avoid expensive and inappropriate applications thus far.
Further the diploma highlighted the need to remain conversant with developments and trends in the field. Developments and trends are tracked through resources such as the Australian Flexible Learning Framework, regular newsletters from key flexible learning websites and networking external to the organisation.
4. Develop a clear contextualised plan for the development of flexible learning within your organisation.
The development of a mission and clear goals based on an environmental scan and SWOT analysis gave strategic focus to our development activity. The project team undertook the planning at this stage in the context of establishing flexible learning within the organisation. It was not an activity undertaken by the organisation itself. This allowed us to identify our focus and priorities for the introduction and establishment of flexible learning within the Service. This plan formed the basis of ongoing activity and provided direction and parameters for both identifying and evaluating potential opportunities.
5. Identify organisational opportunities to apply flexible learning solutions and evaluate the outcomes.
A pressing organisational training need in relation to OH&S practices presented us with our first opportunity to demonstrate the potential of flexible learning. We had been seeking to identify a suitable project with education management when this need arose from another organisational unit. Whilst the focus of the training need presented us with some challenges, the nature of the need presented an excellent opportunity to champion flexible learning at an appropriate level.
To fulfill the training need we produced a CDROM learning module. This module was distributed to all staff throughout the state and successfully fulfilled the organisational requirements of the training need. This generated significant interest and support from the organisationˇ¦s management.
On evaluation, we considered the project to have been a success strategically. We had identified the potential of flexible learning to the organisation. We were also much more aware of the planning processes such as storyboarding, navigation development etc. However our educational evaluation of the unit highlighted certain inadequacies. The module amounted to excessive text on screen and lacked appropriate levels of engagement and interaction. The module was a good computer based resource but was not necessarily a learning module. Further we lacked the production skills to facilitate the level of interaction we desired.
It is interesting to note the process of workbased learning at this point. The project team both experienced alterations in the underlying rationale in regard to flexible learning. These observations and alterations were crucial in determining the next stages in the development of flexible learning.
6. Ongoing internal networking and scanning for opportunities is crucial to sustainable development.
Flexible learning development within the organisation had progressed to the point requiring significant skill development, funding and purposeful management support in order to progress. These were now limiting factors that presented significant hurdles.
We had maintained our commitment to scanning the environment for opportunities in the context of achieving our plan. It was this process that led us to the Learnscope and Flexible Learning Leaders projects. Learnscope, in conjunction with our developing track record, provided an important focus for championing the flexible learning initiative throughout the organisation. Applying for Learnscope funds required tangible support from key members of the organisation at a variety of levels. An important aspect of this process was identifying influential members of the organisation who could see the benefits of flexible learning and champion its development at senior management levels.
This internal networking activity not only generated support for flexible learning, it resulted in opportunities to have input into other related activities such as the development of the organisationˇ¦s intranet. It also identified the danger of potential derailing influences and agendas. The potential of flexible learning to provide solutions for challenges across the organisation was increasingly recognised. Various requests have had the potential to divert the development process away from a careful, planned and sustainable development process. We have constantly had to remain focussed on the plan.
Learnscope's professional development focus provided liquid funds for skill development in flexible learning and an external accountability guaranteeing the application of those funds within the organisation. The Service's capacity to fund professional development of this nature was extremely limited. However to ensure the success of the project the Service readily contributed "in kind" through the provision of essential capital items and time for staff to participate.
This first Learnscope project resulted in the production of a second CDROM learning module. This module reflected an increased commitment to interactivity, learning rather than information access and involved a greater number of education staff in its production. We gained important insights into the spectrum of activities associated with the construction of computer based learning modules from the planning phase through to using software applications for the production process. Further learning revolved around the place of workbased learning in the professional development context.
7. External networking is essential to the effective development of flexible learning.
External networking has played a major role in the development of flexible learning at the ASNSW. This networking process began with our involvement in the Elearning Diploma. Learnscope advanced our networking opportunities by funding conference attendance and hosting professional development activities.
Networking has expanded our conceptions of flexible learning and provided numerous opportunities for collaboration to the benefit of the organisation. Our current directions in flexible learning have evolved from networking with other interested professionals from a variety of disciplines. We have at our disposal, and are for others, a resource in flexible learning expertise made available through the networking process.
8. Be strategic in the use of resources
We have already highlighted the availability of funding sources to assist in the development of flexible learning eg Learnscope. Often these opportunities tend to be viewed in isolation as separate entities. This year we decided to strategically link two programs to forward our flexible learning development.
We were successful in our applications to both Learnscope and Flexible Learning Leaders. Both these projects focus on the place of simulation in flexible learning from different perspectives. Learnscope is focussing on using prehospital simulation/scenarios as a basis for online moderated courses with ambulance officers. Learnscope has funded ambulance educator participation in a variety of online emoderation courses. We will construct and run some pilot online courses with road officers later in the year. Steve as a Flexible Learning Leader is evaluating the Return on Investment of technology based scenario training in both the ASNSW and like organisation context.
Strategically linking these two projects allows us to focus on both flexible learning skill development and issues pertaining to organisational change management. Flexible learning capability and change management are central to developing a sustainable organisational flexible learning framework.
9. Develop an educational rationale for your flexible learning activity
We have become aware of the danger of focussing on flexible learning as an end in itself. It is easy to become engrossed in the technologies and processes of flexible learning and forget that its about effective learning for participants. This has the potential to derail the flexible learning process as it can lead to expensive failure of applications i.e. sophisticated systems that nobody wants or can afford to use.
Our experiences in flexible learning have helped us to crystallise an educational rationale for learning and development in the ASNSW. This rationale focuses on ensuring staff can perform the role of prehospital clinician to the highest possible standard. Flexible learning applications must contribute to the achievement of this outcome. Our rationale also incorporates issues of application of knowledge, reflection, collaboration and meta-learning. This rationale continues to be work in progress.
10. Evaluate the past and keep an eye to the future.
Evaluating past activity remains a key process ensuring the strategic focus of future direction. Issues for future flexible learning development include:
- Authenticity in training
- Scenario case based modules with moderated discussion
- Establishment of a flexible learning unit
- Linking flexible learning to maintenance of qualifications
- Utilisation of a range of technologies as part of a blended delivery approach in ambulance education.
Contacts
Alan Morrison
Clinical Educator
Steve Matheson
Technical Educator
Ambulance Education Centre
Locked Bag 105
Rozelle NSW 2039
Phone: 02 9320 7731
Internet: http://www.asnsw.health.nsw.gov.au/
