Learning Communities Catalyst

Title: What is/was the initiative?

E-learning Project - IMPACT, Make your mark Bundaberg

2. Where is/was it?

Bundaberg, Qld

3. When was it?

Project will run from June 2005 - December 2005

4. What is/was it about?

The project will target young parents or expectant mothers between the ages of 15 and 24, and disadvantaged youth parents who have disengaged from learning.

5. What type of initiative is/was it?

Project

6. Who is/was the 'driver' of the initiative?

Bundaberg Region: A learning Community will drive the project and will appoint a Community Leader to:

• Explore e-learning resources and options
• Establish community partnerships to promote e-learning
• Recruit young parents who have exited learning early and reconnect through e-learning and further education pathways.

7. Which stakeholders are/were involved?

Members of the Bundaberg Region: A learning Community including: Bundaberg Community Development, ALCN, Wide Bay TAFE, Central Queensland University, IMPACT make your mark, Department of State Development and Innovation, U3A, Department of Sport and Recreation, Bundaberg Neighbourhood Centre and Salvation Army.

8. How is/was the initiative resourced?

The project is being funded though E-learning Creative Community Partnerships, which is an initiative of the 2005 Australian Flexible Learning Framework in partnership with Adult Learning Australia. Funding is provided by the Australian Government and all States and Territories.

9. What did the initiative seek to achieve?

Project will provide the Bundaberg Community with an overview of learning resources and opportunities. Education providers and other interest community groups will have established strong linkages, ensuring provision of broader learning opportunity for community members. Through the findings identified in the project, education and community providers will have identified learning pathways and environments conducive to the needs of young parents who are planing to reconnect into a learning environment.

10. How is/was it carried out?

• Environmental Scan: explore the e-learning resources and options available within Bundaberg
• Develop Partnerships: identify and establish community partnerships embracing a whole-of-community approach, that will enhance and enable more e-learning opportunities within Bundaberg
• Project: Case manage 10 young parents to:
  • identify individual participant learning needs
  • identify learning environments conducive to needs of the participant
  • source learning opportunities aligned to participant's learning needs/aspirations within the Bundaberg community
  • link participants to e-learning opportunities reflecting their identified needs
  • support participants throughout the learning process
• Evaluate and report outcomes to inform future e-learning access:
  • Did the training/learning opportunity meet their expectations?
  • Did they find the learning environment conducive to their needs (eg supportive, friendly, flexible, child care arrangements etc)?
  • Was the learning environment easily accessed? (any access issues arising)
  • Where will they access technology in the future to continue the learning process?
  • What was their level of technology literacy prior to the learning experience?
  • Were skills developed and knowledge enhanced through the e-learning experience?
  • Do they make regular use of the World Wide Web and where is their normal access point?
  • What plans do they have to continue engagement in learning or further education?
  • What input do participants have that would enhance their capacity to access future learning opportunities within the Bundaberg community?
  • Does the IT&C infrastructure available within the Bundaberg community meet the target group's needs? If not, what resources are lacking? How could learning environments be improved to accommodate the target group?
• Promote the project to the wider community
• Report outcomes, feedback, observations and enhancement opportunities

11. What did it achieve? What could be done differently?

Will update this in December.

12. What information supports this experience?