[Year 12 IT Apps] epotential feedback, opinion and ideas

[Kevork Krozian]

Hi Folks,

 This is going to both elearning and itapps lists as many itapps teachers would in all likelihood have an involvement with elearning in their schools.

 You would all be aware of DEECD's efforts in scaffolding student, teacher and school elearning and structuring ICT leadership etc.
The site showing the continuum, relevant documents and samples of work can be accessed at http://epotential.education.vic.gov.au/continuum.php.

In fact there are parallel continuums or continua in many/most jurisdictions. A statement recognising "partnerships" at least, is posted on the Victorian site:
in partnership with:
Department of Education, Employment & Training, Northern Territory
Department of Education & Children Services, South Australia

I am told that the epotential continuum started life in the Northern Territory and worked its way down and across to Vic where it was rebadged. 

A colleague has also alerted me to a Florida equivalent " Technology integration matrix"  http://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/index.html . This is worth a look.
Check out the comparison of levels between a few of these jurisdictions:

      Jurisdiction
     Levels of elearning integration 
     
      Victoria
     Foundation , Emergent, Innovative, transformative
     
      South Australia
     Develop, Apply, Deliver, Transform
     
      Florida ( USA)
     Entry , Adoption, Adaptation, Infusion, Transformation
     

Here are some of the issues;

1. I am told Independent and Catholic schools as a system ( for various reasons )  don't use the epotential continuum by choice. If roughly a third of Victorian schools ( is that about the proportion ? )  don't use this tool what does it say about standards across the state or agreement about what anything means ? 
2. Speaking over the water cooler with state school counterparts I hear a number of state schools don't use the epotential continuum for various reasons such as:
               a) the continuum does not relate to what happens in their schools
               b) the continuum and the samples of work on the epotential site do not adequately address secondary levels of ICT use or worse almost totally have an absence of any VCE application.
               c) Noone has seen what the transformative level looks like. Therefore, how can one know if it has been achieved ?
               d) A lack of agreement between some samples of work and where it fits in a continuum.
               e) Concerns regarding just what embedding elearning means. Complaints that simply digitization of information is seen as elearning by some without the connections with higher order critical thinking, analysis, hypothesis testing and more. Is the technology being used to improve learning, application or just occupy the students eg. Does animating a character add anything different to a student's understanding or just give them a visual or audio representation of what is already on paper ? Does drawing a mind map diagram of what is already in written form add anything to their understanding or knowledge ?

In view of some of these issues I was wondering if 
1. Could  I get some feedback on whether any schools are using the epotential continuum as the scaffold upon which to build embedding of the elearning in the curriculum ? If schools have chosen to not go with the epotential continuum can I please ask their reasons ?

2. What other appraches are schools taking to the challenge of embedding elearning in the curriculum and how is this being delivered, measured and verified ?

With thanks

              

Kevork Krozian
kevork at edulists.com.au
www.edulists.com.au
Tel: 0419 356 034
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