Preferred Standards to Support National Cooperation in Applying Technology to VET

Initiatives

A range of new initiatives should be developed at the State/Territory level and at the national level in connection with application of the preferred standards. In the course of the workshops and in subsequent discussions the participants themselves proposed several important initiatives. These are listed below under the relevant technologies:

Computer Managed Learning Systems

• Achieve a workable interface between CML and legacy systems such as student management, course management, human resource and financial management systems.
• Systems should be put in place to enable the more flexible use and management of staff resources as new forms of learning organisations (e.g., learning networks) develop.
• Systems should be instituted to link the management of learning events (e.g., classes, online sessions) with staff and resources planning and management.
• While enrolment systems are partly implemented, action should be taken to complete their availability

Data

• Extend the AVETMISS data standards to include data standards for data interchange between Institutions. The minimum datasets required are:
  • Client
  • Customer
  • Training Packages

• Develop a policy for data interchange between Institutions and implement processes to support and facilitate that initiative.
• To enable resource identification, set up a national search engine using the emerging EdNA standard metadata tags as the search criteria. Concurrent with that, in each Institution, set up web sites describing resources in accordance with the EdNA metadata standards.

Groupware

• Prepare a business case to determine whether a Virtual Private Network (VPN) should be established for the VET sector. A VPN would strongly support overall interoperability. It would:
  • increase security by providing physical access restrictions and implementing a firewall around the VET systems
  • enable communication price reductions to be achieved from the carriers.

• Priority functions for development are:
  • Directory Services.
  • A Process Manager comprising functions including workflow and document management
  • Scheduling and calendar functions

• Undertake a business case to institute a single Groupware Service Provider who would establish a groupware capability for institutes wishing to collaborate on particular projects. The Service Provider would use preferred standards for the groupware components identified by the approved standards determination process.

General

• Join with telecommunications user group initiatives to reduce communications costs - particularly resulting from the current ISDN pricing regime.
  Analysis shows that a large part of the cost to the VET sector of interoperating some of the technologies above - particularly videoconferencing - comprises telecommunications transmission costs

Implementation of these initiatives would have financial implications involving capital expenditure against potential cost savings and benefits arising from increased interoperability.

EVAG will review these proposals and report to the ANTA CEOs in the future.

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