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The project sought to enrich student learning and regional student participation by identifying models of collaboration between the TAFE and [higher education] HE that could provide the best opportunities for viable education provision in regional Australia. The environmental scan and preliminary collaboration selection process indicated that numerous collaboration activities often had little depth with little suggestion of physical resource sharing. Of the case studies chosen for analysis with the exception of an exemplar model (Model Two) evidence supported the preliminary scan impressions that the two sectors have minimal success in sharing human resources. Model Two could be considered as an exemplar model, with all identified enablers leveraged to deliver a world class outcome within an operational context that displayed a unified brand image, linking two institutions, each with strong reputations, who place a high value on their staff and who are both committed to making the collaboration work. However, the objectives of this study were concerned with regional higher education and as Model Two relates to a metropolitan context, the ability to lever all the enablers may be limited.

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The average quality of available educational resources varies significantly across Europe. This not only affects school success and failure but also subsequent labour market outcomes. The main research question in this paper is to what extent this compositional variation among early school leavers (ESLrs) in particular can account for the cross-national variation of their income disadvantage relative to higher educated individuals. Findings from three consecutive years of cross-sectional data (European Union Statistics on Income & Living Conditions [EU-SILC], 2005-2007) show that, controlling for the influence of other important country-level indicators, both educational expenditure and a country's mean [OECD Programme for International Student Assessment] PISA achievement test score interact with the effect of early school leaving on gross personal income. The income disadvantage of ESLrs is smaller in countries where the average quality of available educational resources is higher. Furthermore, this also applies to educational resources currently available to ESLrs, with the prevalence of lifelong learning yielding the same moderating effect on the income disadvantage of ESLrs.

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Western Iowa Tech Community College (WITCC; Sioux City) has devised strategies to infuse technology into its instruction and student support functions. Through collaboration with PLATO Learning, Inc. (Bloomington, Minnesota) and Datatel (Fairfax, Virginia), WITCC has demonstrated that technology can support and strengthen the core of teaching and learning. WITCC launched a five-year initiative to strengthen instructional and student service programs with the following goals: to use computer technology to strengthen basic skills instruction; to develop a student advisement system with online access to student information; to infuse technology in the college’s curricula; to develop alternative classroom instructional techniques and learning strategies; and to strengthen faculty and staff member development in support of institutional service transformation. With the technological infrastructure in place, WITCC now has the resources and services to meet student needs and enhance student performance. External partners have been critical to the successful integration of technology and have helped WITCC (a) evaluate the needs of the institution; (b) evaluate the needs of students; and (c) achieve meaningful and measurable positive outcomes.

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This report overviews a project that was designed to assist in renewing the curriculum for Australian youth work professional education. The project was intended to anticipate future education and training requirements for the youth work professional; articulate the aspirations, common content, pedagogy, values and guiding principles of Australian university youth work professional education; and articulate its relationship with the [vocational education and training] VET youth worker-training curriculum. In addition, the project was intended to investigate potential for cross-institutional sharing of courseware and educational materials and will facilitate future benchmarking, inter-sectoral and inter-professional pathways, and international qualification recognition. The intention was to promote long-term change through the establishment of a cross-sectoral Youth Work Educators Network. A secondary purpose of the project was to understand the challenges niche professional courses face and provide a sustainability model. From this preliminary work, it was hoped that it would be possible to suggest some starting points for a sustainability model for other 'niche' professions. The initial project team included representatives of all Australian youth work professional degree programmes in public universities. An additional representative from a youth work professional degree programme at a private higher education provider subsequently joined the team.

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The purpose of this paper is to show how benchmarking can be used as a stimulus for evaluating training and as a major improvement tool. The author specifies her terminology and begins by looking at techniques to audit and review the effectiveness of training. She contends that it is possible to isolate the effect of training from other factors in the organisational environment and provides evidence from other researchers to support her views, that the effects can be measured and that effectiveness benchmarks can be set. Finally, she looks at linking benchmarks to a return in investments and as a tool for competency-based training. Show less

This second volume was developed in response to the Perkins Act mandates regarding transition and is intended to assist state and local administrators of vocational special needs programs, special needs educators, counsellors, researchers and policymakers to locate resources to help develop or improve transition programs and services for disabled youth and adults. It was prepared by staff of the Technical Assistance for Special Populations Program. It contains publications, agencies, organisations, clearinghouses, networks and databases. It is not intended to be an exhaustive listing, rather representative. Show less

The Workplace English Language and Literacy (WELL) program was introduced in 1991. The program offered grant funding designed to integrate language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) training with vocational training delivered in the workplace. Its primary aim was to provide workers with the LLN skills they needed to meet their current and ongoing employment and training needs. The program also funded the development of strategically aligned LLN resources and projects, including training and assessment materials and professional development resources. This paper from Adult Learning Australia (ALA) argues that the closure of the WELL Program by the Australia Government in 2014 has created a vacuum for working Australians who do not have the LLN skills to function competently in their workplace roles.

ALA calls on the Australian government to reinstate workplace training in English language, literacy and numeracy skills for Australian workers to improve productivity and efficiency. It proposes 10 recommendations regarding a new WELL program.

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An empirical study of resource-sharing was conducted in a state population of 49 community colleges. Resource sharing included voluntary, versus mandated or required, practices that were defined as management practices used to solve fiscal problems and increase productivity. Persons with first-line budget authority were identified, and 168 individuals responded to a 9-item resource-sharing inventory. Results indicated that resource sharing occurred frequently, and facilities were shared more than other resources. Resource sharing was a response to short-term needs in academic departments. Attitudes about resource sharing were viewed as incentives, and logistics was a deterrent to resource sharing. Greater monetary efficiency was a benefit of resource sharing, which was perceived to have occurred to a great extent in these colleges. A series of independent variables was found not to be related to resource sharing, but the location of the academic program, such as liberal arts, technical departments, and support services, was statistically related to resource sharing. Whereas resource sharing was not associated with strategic planning because resource sharing is a practice that solves short-term fiscal problems, simplifying logistics by reducing bureaucracy and streamlining financial and personnel procedures offers the potential for resource sharing to be used in strategic and longer range planning in community colleges.

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The [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 pandemic poses a new challenge in the adoption of ICT in education. The need for educational institutions to develop standards and implement quality assurance in digital education has suddenly gained new significance. The aim of this study is to evaluate the learning experiences of nurse educators in Slovenia acquired during a nine-week modular online course on the design, delivery and evaluation of online study units, based on a quality standard for digital education developed for this purpose.

A mixed methods approach was used. The evaluation of the nurse educators' learning experiences was examined quantitatively (cross-sectional study) and qualitatively (focus group). The Cronbach's alpha for the entire questionnaire was 0.921, indicating that the internal consistency of the questionnaire developed for evaluation was excellent. The thematic analysis identified three main themes. At the end of the course, the nursing teachers expressed their desire for additional courses in which they could gain and deepen their knowledge of the preparation, implementation, and evaluation of the educational unit with the help of digital technology.

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This brief article provides advice on choosing software for online training from the broad range available. The most important factor in decision making is identifying the purpose of the learning resource and selecting software that has a balance of content and effective teaching methods. Show less