MSIT develops innovative training tools for the NBN

16-Aug-2012 Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE (MSIT) will share in $27 million in Commonwealth Government funding to develop innovative online training tools for rural and remote communities connecting to the National Broadband Network (NBN).

Institute Director Kaylene Harth said MSIT was one of 12 project partners, selected from more than 150 applicants across Australia, to develop and trial the delivery of new online training resources to rural and remote communities.

“The National Broadband Network will bring high-speed internet to parts of Queensland and Australia for the first time,” Ms Harth said.

“This exciting project will allow us to do what we do best and develop a suite of vocational education and training programs to be delivered online for the benefit of people living in rural and remote areas.

“And they will be designed specifically to make the most of the high-speed connectivity of the National Broadband Network.”

Ms Harth said the trial program would start in 2013 and would be rolled out to NBN early release sites including the Darling Downs, Townsville and Far North Queensland.

“The trial will allow students to use laptops or a tablet device connected via the NBN to a lesson in a virtual classroom from anywhere in Australia,” Ms Harth said.

“MSIT is pioneering this particular learning platform, which can be applied to any content.

“For example, MSIT will deliver a Diabetes Health and Wellness Program as the trial program using the NBN technology.

“This program will allow tertiary health care students to control a simulator from their device connected to the NBN.

“The simulator will allow students to go inside the body, so to speak. This application involves teachers utilising Full HD live and animated video, still images, text, graphics and recorded audio as their learning tools for rural and remote students.

“This is yet another example of MSIT’s ability to integrate national training priorities and deliver state-of-the-art technology solutions for the benefit of the local and national economy.”

MSIT’s trial program funded by the NBN-Enabled Education and Skills Services Program is a customisable learning platform known as an Individual Virtual Learning Environment (IVLE) incorporating various technologies compatible with any online device such as a mobile phone, tablet or personal computer.

MSIT intends to share knowledge and feedback from the NBN-Enabled Education and Skills Services Program across the training and tertiary sector.

“This platform will be applied to other MSIT services and fed back into other training programs in the health sector such as aged care, nursing and health management,” Ms Harth said.

“MSIT is proud to have been awarded the tender for the program and we feel it is our responsibility to be leaders in this field and support other organisations seeking to also apply this technology.”

More information about the National Broadband Network Enabled Education and Skills Services Program is available at http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/Pages/nbneducationandskills.aspx 

---