Mainlining Online Learning in NSW Health

Melissa Mills, Learning Consultant, Learning Services, New England Area Health Service, PO Box 83 Tamworth NSW 2340.
Email: Melissa Mills

Keywords

flexible, online, learning, industry, health, change, management, collaboration

Abstract

Flexible and online education models in the Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) system have been evolving over recent years in response to the demands of learners and employers. This is especially so in the health sector with competing budgets, burgeoning costs, the vagaries of distance and a shift and part-time workforce. Dynamic learning models, including flexible and online learning, need to become mainstream in order to increase access by staff to the smorgasbord of learning opportunities available. This paper reviews the literature on flexible and online learning in the VET system in Australia and describes how the NSW Health RTO (Registered Training Organisation), arguably one of the largest and certainly most diverse industry based RTOs in Australia, developed a change management plan for flexible learning. A rudimentary online learning experience was offered to staff from learning and development units across NSW Health. The course gave 100 ‘teaching’ staff from 15 of the 18 Area Health Services (AHS) the opportunity to experience, first hand, online learning and to contribute to the development of a change management plan in flexible delivery for NSW Health. This paper reports pre- and post- course survey data, which showed significant improvement in skill levels of participants, but varying levels of attitudinal change towards flexible learning. This outcome is extremely significant given that the organisation’s core business is not learning and that the organisation does not have a statewide e-learning platform. The paper argues the need for all staff working in the health sector to embrace flexible and online learning principles and practices as a precursor to the health industry catching up with what is now mainstream pedagogy. From the learning perspective this opens the way to remove duplication across AHSs. Online learning could be run, feasibly, from just one AHS or alternatively, AHSs might specialise in different areas - the potential of technology in learning is huge.