[LINK] Tasmania asks how to use ICT for education

[Tom Worthington]

David Bartlett, Premier of Tasmania and Minister for
Education, has invited the ICT industry to suggest how to improve
education: <http://www.media.tas.gov.au/release.php?id=28408>.

The Premier has a Bachelor of Computer Science and a Graduate Diploma of
Business in Professional Management from the University of Tasmania and
so is well placed to apply ICT to education:
<http://www.tas.alp.org.au/people/tas/bartlett_david.php>.

Unfortunately the Tasmanian Government has issued the request via an
advertisement in one local Hobart newspaper. So one obvious step they
could take to a smarter state would be put such requests online, as most
states, and the federal government, already do:
<https://www.tenders.gov.au/>

It happens I gave a presentation on how to use the NBN for Tasmanian
jobs and education, a few months ago:
<http://www.tomw.net.au/technology/it/green_broadband/>.

My suggestion is to provide vocational and industry related training
online, which relates to Tasmania's industrial strengths in green
tourism, timber, maritime industries and education. Students could
continue formal studies online while gaining work experience in the
tourism and other industries. Tasmania could export courses online which
use Tasmanian industries as case studies, thus promoting the local
industry. The Tasmanian Education Department already has some experience
in online distance education. The University of Tasmania has experience
in operating satellite campuses.

The Federal Government has previously generously funded education
initiatives in Tasmania, such as the Australian Technical College (ATC),
in Launcestion, where I gave my talk:
<http://www.tomw.net.au/blog/2009/10/launceston-tasmania.html>.

Unfortunately some of that investment has not been well directed. I
suggest the ATC be re-purposed and combined with the adjacent UTas
architecture school to work on advanced digital architecture and
manufacturing to increase benefit to the local economy of products from
Tasmanian forests.


-- 
Tom Worthington FACS HLM, TomW Communications Pty Ltd. t: 0419496150
PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617, Australia  http://www.tomw.net.au
Adjunct Lecturer, The Australian National University t: 02 61255694
Computer Science http://cs.anu.edu.au/people.php?StaffID=140274