A private historical past: 23. Open and distance studying in Australia and New Zealand

I’m writing an autobiography, primarily for my household, but it surely does cowl some key moments within the improvement of open and on-line studying. I assumed I’d share these as there appears to be a rising curiosity within the historical past of instructional know-how.

Notice that these posts are NOT meant to be deeply researched historic accounts, however how I noticed and encountered developments in my private life. If you happen to had been round on the time of those developments and want to provide feedback or a special view, please use the remark field on the finish of every publish. (There’s already a dialog monitor on my LinkedIn web site and on X). A full listing of the posts thus far shall be discovered towards the tip of this publish.

Distance training in Australia

Within the Nineties and early 2000s, I developed robust connections in each Australia and New Zealand. Two of the researchers within the AVMRG on the Open College, Larry Kern and Anne Gibson, had returned with their households to their native Australia, and Jocelyn Calvert and John Bottomley, previously of the Open Studying Company, moved to Deakin College in Geelong simply earlier than I left OLA. In 1986, I went to go to Larry and his spouse of their place within the Magill hills outdoors Adelaide, after which on to see Anne and her household in Sydney. I flew from London to Perth, then Adelaide, the place Larry picked me up, and instantly took me to a champagne get together on a neighbour’s property. The mixture of an 18 hour journey, jet-lag, and a hangover lasted practically the entire journey.

Australia and Canada have a lot in frequent which is mirrored of their actions in open and distance training. They’re each English-speaking nations, former British colonies, and have an unlimited geography, with a number of main cities strung alongside the coast an extended distance from one another, and a sparsely populated inside. Because of this, like their Canadian counterparts, many Australian campus-based universities have an extended historical past of distance training. The Open and Distance Studying Affiliation of Australia (ODLAA) had very shut hyperlinks within the Nineteen Eighties and Nineties with the Canadian Affiliation of Distance Schooling (CADE).

Australia additionally has a really robust vocational and academic coaching system (VET) and Technical and Additional Schooling system (TAFE), considerably just like the Canadian group schools and institutes of know-how. The ‘Australian Versatile Studying Framework’ developed in 2001 actively promoted the VET sector’s transfer in direction of e-learning.

The Australian Expertise High quality Authority (ASQA) is the nationwide regulator for vocational training and coaching (VET). In a current report (ASQA 2023) it states:

‘Analysis means that within the interval from the 2000s as much as 2019, there was stagnation and arguably a small decline in VET on-line studying exercise. The COVID-19 pandemic has decisively reversed this in lots of industries and the overall view is that this development is ready to turn out to be a longer-term pattern.

There’s even the Open Universities Australia, which has existed in some type since 1993, however it’s a little bit of an odd fowl, being primarily a consortium of distance training programs from a wide range of universities which even have their very own distance teaching programs.

So it was pure then that I’d get invites to go to Australian universities and VET/TAFE suppliers and to current at numerous ODLAA conferences. I developed quite a lot of friendships because of this.

Tony Dean was an tutorial designer on the Charles Sturt College, Wagga Wagga, and shared my love of golf. As soon as we had been enjoying at a neighborhood golf course, and I used to be about to tee off when 4 kangaroos wandered on to their fairway and sat down. Tony Dean mentioned:

‘Go forward and tee off. They’re a protected species, however they’re protected the place they’re while you hit, as they’re in the midst of the golf green. I’ll have to attend till they transfer.’

One in every of my favorite locations on the earth is Margaret River, a three-hour drive alongside the coast south of Perth, proper on the south-west nook of Australia. It has lovely seashores, good surf, a number of wineries, a golf course, and a small city with a few wonderful eating places. A part of its attraction is that it’s fairly onerous to get to. At some point I used to be driving again from Margaret River to Perth when an enormous kangaroo – what they name a boomer – burst out of the bush by the aspect of the highway and with two monumental jumps crossed the highway simply in entrance of me after which disappeared into the bush on the opposite aspect. I practically had a coronary heart assault.

A boomer kangaroo Picture: Herald Solar, 2017

I additionally practically had one other coronary heart assault as soon as whereas staying at Larry Kern’s home within the Magill Hills. I had an early morning flight and went to take fast bathe with out disturbing my hosts. I had simply acquired into the bathe after I noticed one thing transfer simply to the proper of my head. It was an unlimited spider. I set free a scream, which introduced Larry dashing to the bathe.

‘Oh, it’s solely a Huntsman’, he mentioned. ‘It would chew you however most people survive.’ (The leg-span of a Huntsman is about six inches).

A Huntsman spider Picture: Mike Grey, Australian Museum

I discovered quite a bit from my journeys to Australia. For instance, Bruce King was Director of Distance Schooling on the College of South Australia for a few years and oversaw the motion from standard distance training to the versatile supply of over 1,200 programs on-line.

Bruce developed a mannequin of school assist that resolved the centralisation vs decentralisation dilemma of school assist: do tutorial designers work collectively centrally the place they’ll share expertise and possibly specialise and turn out to be consultants in particular areas of instructional know-how, or ought to they be employed by the person colleges and turn out to be skilled in supporting a selected self-discipline?

The issue although with the decentralised mannequin is that distance training course improvement just isn’t even or regular, however typically is available in bursts (for a brand new on-line masters’ program, as an illustration). Additionally deans are likely to eliminate tutorial designers employed by the division once they want extra analysis or educating school, and the college would then lose an skilled (and sometimes onerous to interchange) tutorial designer.

Bruce’s answer was to enter into yearly or longer contracts with deans. The educational designers could be employed centrally and report in the end to Bruce, however could be contracted to work for not less than a yr inside a school. Deans couldn’t then hearth the IDs, and the IDs could possibly be re-allocated to the place they had been most wanted when obligatory.

Most cancers, 9/11, and the collapse of Ansett Airways

In 2001, I acquired an invite from the College of Drugs on the College of Auckland. The college had obtained a grant from the The Auckland Financial savings Financial institution and so they invited me to be a visiting professor to work with school on utilizing know-how for educating. This was largely because of the affect of Cathy Gunn, an tutorial designer working on the college. I used to be additionally requested to run a workshop with medical and nursing employees at Waikato Hospital in Hamilton, south of Auckland. I booked my tickets, through Air Canada.

Due to the lengthy distance to Australia and New Zealand, I favored to mix visits. I had been invited to offer a keynote on the ODLAA convention in Sydney and to offer keynotes and workshops on the College of Sydney and Charles Sturt College, Wagga Wagga. I additionally deliberate to go from there to the College of South Australia in Adelaide, on to Perth, then again to Sydney then on to New Zealand and again to Vancouver. At the moment there have been no direct flights from Vancouver to New Zealand or Australia. I’d fly Air Canada to Los Angeles, and Air New Zealand from LA to Auckland (they had been each Star Alliance companions).I’d then fly Auckland to Sydney on Air New Zealand, after which on Ansett (owned by Air New Zealand) round Australia, getting back from Sydney to Auckland, and Auckland to Vancouver. I acquired a extremely whole lot on the fares as they had been all by way of Star Alliance.

Nevertheless, a couple of days earlier than I used to be on account of depart for New Zealand I acquired a phone name in my workplace.

‘My title’s Dr. Mandelson. I’m a surgeon on the College Hospital. I’ve simply acquired your ultra-sound outcomes from Dr. Baff. I’d such as you to come back and see me as quickly as doable. It seems to be like you could have a tumour in your proper kidney. I’ve a slot out there tomorrow afternoon. Are you able to come?’

I used to be in shock. I felt effectively and had solely had the ultra-sound as a result of my creatine ranges had been excessive on my current blood check. I went to see Mandelson.

‘I must open you as much as affirm the ultrasound check. If you happen to do have a tumour I’d wish to go forward and take away it. Relying on how developed it’s, you possibly can lose a part of and even your entire kidney, however the longer we depart it, the more severe it would get. The excellent news is that it is best to be capable to handle fairly effectively with only one kidney.’

I took a couple of moments to take this all in.

‘I’m on account of go on a two-week work journey to New Zealand and Australia in a couple of days. I’ll need to cancel it.’

‘Hmm. The unhealthy information is that I can’t get an working theatre for you for not less than two or three weeks. You realize, I recommend you go on the journey. It is going to be higher than sitting at residence stewing in regards to the most cancers.’

So, after speaking it over with my spouse, I made a decision to go. After a couple of days spent in Auckland I travelled to Hamilton for my workshop at Waikato Hospital. I used to be asleep in my resort in Hamilton, when the telephone rang. It was 2.00 am. Pat, my spouse, was on the road.

‘Swap your tv on – New York is being attacked.’

‘What? It’s 2.00 am. I’m working tomorrow’, I mentioned and promptly went again to sleep.

Pat referred to as once more. ‘They’ve cancelled all flights out and in of the USA,’ she mentioned. I didn’t give a rattling.

‘Look, I’m not coming residence for practically two weeks. It is going to all be sorted by then.’

Nevertheless, I wanted to be again in time for my operation, which had not been scheduled but. My fast response started to fade and I grew to become more and more woried about getting again in time for the operation because the journey progressed.

Two days after 9/11 I flew from Auckland to Sydney. Air New Zealand was working usually, so far as I might inform. Nevertheless, after I acquired to Sydney, I used to be contacted by Tony Dean.

‘What airline are you flying in Australia?’

‘Ansett.’

‘No, you’re not – Ansett has simply gone bust, and all Ansett flights have been cancelled. Attempt to get flights on Qantas.’

I went to the Air New Zealand workplace in Sydney. They didn’t need to know.

‘Nothing to do with us’ (regardless that Air New Zealand had been Ansett’s house owners). ‘Attempt Quantas’.

I then traipsed spherical to the Qantas workplace. There was a queue a number of blocks lengthy. After virtually three hours, I acquired to a service desk. The clerk slowly checked out my tickets one after the other. He regarded up.

‘I’m sorry, however you aren’t going wherever. I recommend you discover a resort and take Air New Zealand again residence as quickly as you may.’

I referred to as Tony Dean.

‘Attempt the prepare – there’s a prepare from Sydney to Wagga.’

I didn’t even know there was a prepare station in Sydney. There have been two trains a day, one at 7.00 am and the opposite in a single day. The reserving clerk informed me that the morning prepare was now totally booked for every week however he might get me on the in a single day prepare the next day. I discovered my sleeper berth, stowed my luggage, then went to seek out one thing to eat. Once I acquired to the buffet automobile, there was an extended line-up. Ultimately the man in entrance reached the counter.

‘I’ll have a beer.’

‘Sorry, bought out.’

‘OK then, I’ll have a wine.’

Sorry, all of the wine is bought out.’

‘Effectively what have you bought to drink?’

‘Water, espresso and tea.

’Bloody hell, mate, are you telling me I’ve acquired to go six hours with out a bleeding drink?’

‘No, sir, we’re taking over additional provides at Goulburn.’

I acquired to my conferences at Charles Sturt and noticed a bit of of Wagga Wagga (primarily the bars) with Tony Dean, and made my manner again by prepare to Sydney, the place I picked up my return flight on Air New Zealand to Auckland.

Considerably to my shock my aircraft from Auckland to Los Angeles was on time. I hate Los Angeles airport, alongside Frankfurt, Heathrow, Charles de Gaulle, and, worst of all, Toronto Pearson. The principle drawback at LA was if you happen to needed to change terminals, but it surely additionally took endlessly to get by way of immigration, even, or particularly, if you happen to had been in transit to Canada.

Because of this, regardless that my aircraft from Auckland was due in at 7.30 am, I had booked my Air Canada flight out of LA for 11.00 am, however after I acquired to LA, eight days after 9/11, the airport was abandoned. I went by way of customs and immigration in about 5 minutes. Apparently no-one within the USA was flying. I acquired to the Air Canada counter and offered my ticket.

‘Ah, I see you’re booked on the 11.00 am flight.’

Right here it comes, I assumed – an indefinite keep in LA till flights resume.

‘Is there a selected cause for taking this flight? You see, we’ve an earlier flight at 9.30 am and we’ve loads of seats on it.’

So, a lot to my shock, I arrived again in Vancouver, not simply on time, however 90 minutes early. Nevertheless, half my tour of Australia had been cancelled, however that was a small worth to pay for getting residence safely after 9/11.

Once I acquired residence, I discovered I used to be booked in for surgical procedure the next week. All went effectively, the tumour was taken out, and I nonetheless have one and two-thirds kidneys.

On reflection, although, it’s shocking how one tries vainly to maintain to a plan, when all the things round it’s collapsing. Individuals had been dying horribly in New York, hundreds had abruptly misplaced their jobs at Ansett, my spouse was frightened sick about my well being, and all I wished to do was catch my planes. I do really feel ashamed of myself, trying again.

Up subsequent

Undecided, however I feel I’m going to need to cope with being fired from UBC in 2003, which shall be difficult for me to get proper, because it was private, and I used to be very emotionally concerned. Nevertheless, it does have some vital classes in regards to the administration of on-line and distance studying in an elite college. Within the meantime, benefit from summer season.