ACCREDITED COLLEGE DEGREE ONLINE DEGREE

Pictured during the Course Writing Workshop are the Director of Schools, Shoalhaven Cluster on the South Coast, Mr Kim Fillingham; the Training Services Engineer, Electricity Commission of NSW, Mr Peter Trimmer; Science & Technology Consultant with LEGO- Dacta , Mr Graham Moore; University lecturer, Mr Bill Wiltshire; Department of Schools Education representatives, Mr Gary Watkins; Director of Off-Campus Studies, Dr John Schiller; Training Officer (Technical Training Centre) BHP Rod & Bar Products Division, Mr Wayne Gillett; and Training Officer with the Australian Chamber of Manufactures, Ms Anne Bancroft.

This photo appeared in the Bulletin, March 11, 1991. The text was:

"Collaborative Effort in Course Design

A collaborative effort during a three-day course writing workshop between lecturers from the University, teachers and administrators from a number of regions of the Department of School Education, staff of the Retraining and Change Division, Human Resource Directorate, and representatives of various sectors of industry, resulted in the first drafts being written for a new course in Design and Technology.

The new course, which will be offered though a combination of external study and residential schools, will be conducted for Industrial Arts and Home Economics Teachers who wish to convent from diploma status to a degree in Design and Technology, and for teachers who are undertaking a multi-skilling program with the Human Resources Directorate. It will enable teachers to prepare themselves for implementing the new Year 7 -10 syllabus in Design and Technology,

The unique element of the new course is the joint preparation by the University and the Department of School Education, with additional input in its design.

The idea for the new course started late last year when the Director of the school of Education Assoc. Professor Allan Taylor and lecturer in industrial Technology, Mr Bill Wiltshire, worked through the planning phase for a new conversion program to allow Industrial Arts and Home Economics teachers to convert their diplomas to a four year degree. The new degree will be in Design and Technology which is part of the new secondary school syllabus area.

The conversion course will be offered over a period of three years of part-time study.

One of the authors of the new course, Mr Bill Wiltshire, said the extra part-time year was necessary because it is a new area and not just finishing off the Industrial Arts degree or the Home Economics degree.

He said while the course was initial stages at the University the Department of Teacher Education was planning to offer a short course for teachers already holding degrees to multi-skill as teachers of Design and Technology.

Discussion with representatives of the Department of School Education had resulted in a realisation that there were possibilities for a collaborative venture whereby from the Department could be involved in the University’s proposed program.

“Talks to this aim have resulted in those teachers being able to participate in the Department’s training program, a similar version of the new course, obtaining a Graduate Certificate after one year of studies, “ said Mr Wiltshire.

“The unique aspect of this course is that we will have teachers from schools, undertaking an external program and attending residential schools for which they will get credit towards a post-graduate Diploma if they so desire, or it can be recognised as an in-service Departmental program, “he said.

At the same time, the Australian Catholic University was planning a similar course, and they have now joined in the discussions and have been involved in writing of the new course.

The other player in the field is the industrial sector. Representatives from the Australian Chamber of Manufactures, the Metal Trades Industry Association and representatives of many industries throughout New South Wales have also been involved.

Director of Off Campus Studies, Dr John Schiller, said that industry is most eager to have input into the multi-skilling of Australian teachers.

“Their argument is that if they are also involved at the teacher training level, everybody would benefit by closer collaboration.

“So the course writing workshop that took place was the first step in this collaborative process where people were bought from different areas of the State to generate the first packages for this new program,” said Dr Schiller.

“The first residential school will take place in late April with another in July,” he said.

The areas to be covered in the program include the teaching methodology involved in delivering this new subject, and dominating area of the course, Design, as well as three electives from subject areas such as Building Technology, Computing Studies, Applied Technology, Science Technology and others.

While attending the workshop, the NSW Co-ordinator of the National Metal and Engineering Training and Career Development Project, Mr Richard P

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