Designing Elearning MOOC

The "Designing Elearning MOOC" (deMOOC) by CoachCarole looks interesting, as it uses conventional e-learning tools, such as Moodle and Mahara. It also uses a conventional e-learning approach of a text rich e-book with embedded video. This contrasts with many of MOOCs I have tried which emphases video, with no or poor text alternatives and a beta release learning management system.

However, I can't work out who, or what "CoachCarole" is (a company? Where are they based?). The MOOC lacks (or I can't find), this context about who has prepared the course, or why.

Teaching Development in Higher Education

The report "Impact of teaching development programmes in higher education" by David Parsons, Inge Hill, Jane Holland and Dick Willis, was released by the UK Higher Education Academy (HEA), September 2012. It aims to be a "... state of the
art, evidence-based assessment of the impact of HE-based teaching development programmes and initiatives...". While looking at the UK, much of what is found could be applied in Australia.

The researchers found:

•     There is a positive association between participation in teacher development programmes and individuals’ propensity to develop (or enhance) learner-centred teaching methods.  This is important since a range of wider scholarly and pedagogic-
centred research studies have shown such methods are in turn associated with stronger student outcomes in HE. 
•     Impacts on teacher knowledge and skills are less clear but seem to be positively affected by a combination of longer duration programmes, integrated support (especially for newer teachers) and continued formal inputs from continuing professional development.
•     Impacts may be more readily achieved for established teachers but the available evidence suggests there is substantial potential for transfer to practice among ‘novice’ or aspiring teachers where a critical mass of pedagogic knowledge is achieved. ...

Interestingly the researchers suggest "... there is much that can be drawn in the UK from school-based teacher improvement, and specifically from other post-secondary teacher development including within further education.". However, I have found that university academics are very reluctant to acknowledge that there is anything they can learn from the vocational education (TAFE) sector or from professional education activities of bodies such as the Australian Computer Society.

On-line Professional Education For Australian Research-Intensive Universities in the Asian Century

"On-line Professional Education For Australian Research-Intensive Universities in the Asian Century" is an early version of work for the ANU Graduate Certificate In Higher Education. The aim is to allow higher degree students to obtain skills certificates, by completing a template in their e-portfolio, alongside their coursework and research. This will allow universities to meet skills and quality standards and offer e-learning as an option, while retaining traditional courses and flexible research degrees. I would welcome comments.

As an example I what I have in mind, it happens I have been asked if I can do some vocational teaching at an RTO. This requires a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. I should be able to meet much of the requirements for the certificate by Recognition of Prior Learning, based on my studies for the Graduate Certificate in Higher Education. This requires filling in a form from a RTO, attaching evidence of skills and experience and having this assessed. That process would have been much easier, if I had the form at the start of my Graduate Certificate and I could have filled it in with evidence as I went along.

PS: As the Prime Minister recently released the  Australia in the Asian Century White Paper and I am just on my way back from talking on online education in Indonesia, I appended “Asian Century” to the previous title of the paper. ;-)