Getting Smarter

For many years computers have been used as an engagement tool for TAFE Outreach. In the late 1990’s I started teaching in Outreach Western Sydney Institute using a set of laptops. At the time the access and use of personal computers was relatively new and recognised as major change in society for employment, education and entertainment. In the late 1990’s teachers were recruited from Information Technology or Business Services and delivery included curriculum from those areas. Mainstream Information Technology ran introduction courses such as Computers a First course which included basic computer operation, word processing, spreadsheets and database, the Outreach programs were structured in a similar format as they were seen as a pathway into information Technology or Business Services. As the digital world has changed programs were adapted so that powerpoint replace database, the battles for internet access in for off campus computer programs has continued but the essence of Outreach computer program has remained the same as a pathway to Business Services or Information Technology.
Assessing such programs alongside the current literacy debates including new literacies and looking at technology applied in learning elsewhere in TAFENSW for example, in ABE and ESOL I seek to interrogate the efficiency of these programs. Issues These programs have emerged as pathways to Information Technology and Business Services, thus the teachers are often from those disciplines. While some have extended their teaching repertoire some have not seen the need to and have managed to continue on teaching the program tweaking it to maintain currency with available computers and software. While this may be appropriate in the context of Business Services or Information Technology, it may have limited the capacity and efficienct use of resources in acheiving greater learning.
Anecdotally it is easy to see patterns in computer classes where groups get comfortable with step by step learning, they can be keen to continue on in the class but not to move on. The practice of teaching step by step skills, which aligns comfortably with compliance and competency based training, rather than encouraging ongoing curiosity and learning to learn, intersects with ever changing versions of software and the perception perpetrated of the need to keep retraining. This can be appealing for teachers wanting to continue programs in a known environment. This may contribute to social participation but is limited in terms of dynamic participation that enriches lifes and can lead to further study or employment.