THE DASSIE PROJECT

Table of Contents

1. Background and Challenge

1.1. Background

1.1.1. DASSIE Project

The DASSIE (Distributed Advanced Strategic System for Innovative E-learning) project is a blended learning (e-learning) project, initiated by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) in partnership with German based IT and e-Learning companies, and the German government’s technical co-operation agency (GTZ).

The project was officially launched in December 2000 and, following a refocusing exercise in 2003, it was decided to mainstream blended learning[1] (e-Learning) as a mode of delivery to increase access to vocational and technical training at Further Education and Training (FET) Colleges in the Western Cape of South Africa.

1.1.2. DASSIE and the new Skills Development Strategy of South Africa

The project aims to improve the vocational technical training delivered by colleges in the Western Cape. These institutions underwent and are still undergoing significant changes in order to adapt to and comply with the National Qualification Framework. Not only did this transformation entail the merging of various colleges into more profitable and competitive entities, but it also entails a shift within the educational mindset. The colleges are faced with the challenge to move away from a highly theoretical and abstract teaching practice towards a more integrated approach, including Learnerships, which takes into account the real-life practical demands placed upon college leavers when they are entering a working environment.

1.1.3. WCED Strategy for Further Education and Training Colleges

The Western Cape Education Department has embarked on a strategic approach to transform FET Colleges. The Strategic Priority Areas (SPA’s) are listed below:

· SPA 1 – Maximising the value of FET expenditure to ensure that all resources at FET Colleges are optimally utilised for the maximum benefit of all its clients

· SPA 2 – Broadening of access by in introducing relevant programmes and Learnerships and a variety of delivery modes, including the utilisation of ICT

· SPA 3 – Demand-led FET provision by developing partnerships with the private and public sector organisations and by introducing Learnerships and Skills Development Programmes that meet the needs of both learners and commerce and industry

· SPA 4 – Creating a culture of entrepreneurship by introducing entrepreneurship training in all curricula

· SPA 6 – Improving teaching and learning by implementing innovative teaching and learning methodologies.

1.1.4. Role of Further Education and Training Colleges

FET Colleges have an extremely important role to play which, amongst others, includes the following:

· Provide efficient and effective education and training

· Improve the skills levels of learners

· Promote the acquisition of skills to enhance employment prospects

· Move from a supply to a demand driven delivery system - meeting the needs of learners and employers and developing partnerships with commerce and industry. Demand driven learning can be describes as learning that should not be offered in isolation, but that it should be based on the demands/needs of learners and commerce and industry. Such learning and learning programmes should be aligned with the requirements of South African Qualification Authority (SAQA).

· Provide education and training opportunities for disadvantaged groups

· Broaden access to all potential learners

· Encourage and support Lifelong Learning.

1.1.5. FET Colleges and Learnerships

Skills development is one of the major challenges facing the new South Africa on its way to improve living standards, to increase productivity and to become more competitive in the world market.

A Learnership is one of the ways to achieve the above and is a process that leads to a qualification that relates to an occupation and consists of a structured learning component and practical work experience.

A Learnership is a structured workplace learning programme that leads to a person achieving a qualification registered by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) related to an occupation. Learnerships are supported by structured institutional learning, including practical work experience of a specified nature and duration. Learnerships are established by sectors and are registered with the Director-General Department of Labour. Learnership agreements are signed by the learner, workplace provider as well as the institutional provider. They are registered with the Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) responsible for the economic sector.

FET Colleges have taken up this challenge and are currently involved in 26 Learnerships. From a DASSIE refocused perspective it is imperative that FET Colleges are provided with initially at least two Learnerships, where learning will be delivered using a “blended learning framework” (including e-Learning).

1.2. The Challenge

1.2.1. Need for blended learning (e-Learning) at FET Colleges

The DASSIE Project has proven that the introduction of ICT into the delivery of learning at FET Colleges could assist in achieving the objective of making learning more accessible and affordable to a greater number of learners. A communication infrastructure to facilitate blended learning, learning centres and a learning technology is currently being implemented with an estimated completion date of July 2005. The development and acquisition of Learning content, for two new Learnerships, as well as two Skills Programmes is currently underway and forms part of the rollout of the refocused DASSIE Project, as described later in this document.

1.2.2. Opportunities for FET Colleges

The use of this new technology, that will include a full-scale portal system in a hosted environment, will enable FET Colleges to create partnerships with industry and to deliver learning at learning centres that could also be based at employer organisations.

The above-mentioned would imply that colleges would require a reduced investment in physical infrastructures to increase the number of learners and similarly ensure a closer relationship developing between the college sector and commerce and industry.

1.2.3. Technology and the Changing Roles in Education

Economic and technological changes are occurring at an accelerated rate in our information and communication-based society, making life long learning for everyone a necessity. There is, however, a relative imbalance between the demanding pace of change for learners and lecturers compared to that of the curriculum and our colleges.

With the development of new commerce and industry related programmes, as is planned with the new DASSIE implantation phase, attempts will be strengthened to offer relevant programmes required by learners and commerce and industry – utilising ICT for its delivery to ensure increased access and underpinning both the principles of open and life-long learning

It may take courage to move away from the idea of classroom lectures of content delivered by expert lecturers to learners who are recipients and who work more independently as they learn.

Technology can ease the transition by providing networked access to worldwide information, collaboration with other people, multimedia and simulations while promoting learning environments where learners are encouraged to explore and learn in groups, where there is sensitivity to the diversity of learners and which puts lecturers and other experts such as mentors, guides and collaborators in learning new and ever changing content.

2. The DASSIE Project Scope

2.1. Project Description

Based on the experience gained and results achieved with the initial phase of the DASSIE Project, and to align the introduction of blended learning delivery and ICT in learning and education with the strategic objectives of the WCED, the DASSIE Project intends developing and implementing a sustainable blended learning solution (programmes, strategies and ICT) for the FET College sector to enhance the provision of quality and relevant learning to increase the number of suitably qualified graduates delivered by the FET College sector.

2.2. Project Vision Statement

The DASSIE Project is aimed at providing more learners in the FET College sector in South Africa with access to better and relevant education and training in order to enhance their socio-economic conditions.

2.3. Project Mission of Intent

The DASSIE Project intends enhancing the quality of and access to, learning in the FET College sector through the creative and innovative use of information and communication technology (ICT).

2.4. Project Objectives

The objectives of the DASSIE Project is to develop and implement a sustainable blended learning solution for the FET College sector, to enhance the provision of quality and relevant learning, thereby increasing the number of suitably qualified graduates by 10 % by December 2007.

By the end of the project, DASSIE should have:

· Developed, documented, tested and implemented an appropriate blended e-learning framework at all FET colleges in the Western Cape Province to improve access, delivery and the management of learning by February 2006.

· Developed and implemented at least two initial Learnerships, based on the developed blended learning framework at participating campuses by February 2006.

· Developed, documented, tested and implemented an appropriate blended learning technology model, based on the requirement of the learning framework, to support access, as well as the delivery and management of learning by July 2005.

· Capacitated, through a planned transformation and change management programme, all FET College stakeholders (educators, administrators, management) in the Western Cape to deal with change and to develop and introduce structures and processes to support the introduction of innovative new learning strategies and technologies by February 2006.

· Developed a costs and business model on which the rollout of sustainable blended learning by FET Colleges in the Western Cape Province to learners could be based, by July 2005.

· Ensured stakeholder buy-in and to have marketed the products and services of FET Colleges to grow the number of learners in the FET College sector by 10 % by December 2007.

· Established an effective project management structure by June 2004.

· Created evaluation and monitoring programmes to oversee implementation by December 2004.

· Institutionalised blended learning at participating FET College campuses by July 2006.

3. DASSIE Project Concept

The DASSIE Project, as illustrated above, can be described as follows:

3.1. DASSIE Extension Project

At least two new Learnerships and two skills programmes, including digital learning material, will be developed and delivered by colleges to learners, both on campus and at learning centres to be established at employer organisations. The focus, in line with the new developments within the FET College sector will be on Learnerships and Skills Programmes.

The delivery mode will be blended learning, combining e-Learning and traditional learning in a curriculum-determined mix, to learning centres. Emphasis is on learning and the development of a learning framework (what, how, where and when learning will be delivered) with technology (ICT) as an enabler.

3.2. WAN (Wide Area Network)

To facilitate the electronic delivery of learning and to ensure communication between 39 FET campuses, a Wide Area Network (WAN) link between all colleges and learning centres have been established. An investment of more than R2m was made by the Western Cape Education Department in this regard

3.3. ASP and Hosting

A learning platform, in a centralised hosted environment (portal), will provide the technology (software) to deliver and manage learning electronically. This concept will similarly ensure that all learners have access to the same high quality content (digital learning material) and that tracking of learning progress can be done remotely.

3.4. Learning Centres

Learning centres, both on and off campus, form the backbone of the project. Learning will be delivered and facilitated at these learning centres supporting the notion of open learning. Learners will have access to the centres, both in a structured and unstructured way (open learning) to ensure that the best is made of the available learning opportunity.

4. Project Management Structure

Project Management, based on a proven methodology, is used to ensure that the project is implemented within agreed upon-time frames, budget and quality. The project management structure developed will ensure not only effective coordination, but will support the institutionalisation of blended learning at all colleges.

5. Project Implementation Strategy and Outcomes

To ensure the institutionalisation of blended learning at FET Colleges, a project approach to the DASSIE Project will be followed. The Project will have an end date, at which date blended learning will be institutionalised at FET Colleges, and responsibility for its rollout transferred to the participating institutions.

It is the intention of the WCED to form partnerships with the private sector (Learnerships are per se a PPP), both employers and organisations, who may contribute to the success of the project in a public private partnership. Based on lessons learned in the earlier project the landscape of the project will be organised as follows:

Sub-Project 1 – Learning Framework

The Task Team will be responsible for:

· The development, testing and cooperative implementation of a relevant blended learning (e-Learning) framework to support the strategy of the WCED and FET Colleges - to offer quality and relevant learning and to increase the number of FET graduates in the Western Cape Province.

· The development of at least two Learnerships and two skills programmes, based on the developed blended learning framework.

· The institutionalisation of blended learning at participating campuses of FET Colleges

Sub-project 2 - Technology Model

The Task Team will be responsible for:

· The development, documentation, testing and implementation of an appropriate blended learning technology model, based on the requirement of the learning framework, to support access, as well as the delivery and management of learning.

Sub project 3 – Transformation and Change Management

The Task Team will be responsible for:

· Capacitating, through a planned transformation and change management programme, all FET College stakeholders (educators, administrators, management) in the Western Cape to deal with change and to develop and introduce structures and processes to support the introduction of innovative new learning strategies and technologies.

Sub project 4 – Business Model, Marketing and Communication

The Task Team will be responsible for:

· The development of costs and business model on which the rollout of sustainable blended learning by FET Colleges in the Western Cape Province to learners could be based.

· To have insured stakeholder buy-in and to have marketed the products and services of FET Colleges to grow the number of learners in the FET College sector by 10 % by December 2007

Sub project 6 – Project Management Office

The Project Management Office will be responsible for:

· The management of the DASSIE Project in terms of scope, resources, integration, budget, communication, risks, issues to ensure the realisation of the agreed DASSIE objectives.

· The raising of funds for the DASSIE Project.

· The extension of the range and scope of project partners

6. Current Status

Since its refocus in late 2003 early 2004, the following major milestones have been completed:

· Setting up of the DASSIE Project Office at the WCED

· Installation and commissioning of the WAN

· Evaluation of 6 Learning Management Systems (LMS’s) and the identification of a preferred service providers

· The identification of programmes for blended learning delivery

· The creation of a Learning Framework, Technology Model and Business Model

· The creation of a Transformation, Change Management and Communication Plan

· Creation of an Implementation Strategy for colleges

During 2004, the focus of DASSIE has been to put the building blocks in place in terms of the overall landscape. The focus areas for 2005 will be to implement the next layer, by:

· Installation and commissioning of the LMS

· Creating and piloting of the digital learning materials

· Conducting of communication and change management activities

· Fund-raising and partnership development.

The aim is to start offering the first blended learning programmes in January 2006.

7. Support Requirements

Unless the FET College sector works with the private and public sector it will never fully meet the needs of those sectors. Without a close relationship, training institutions will not be able to produce graduates with the requisite skills, nor will individuals be able to pursue new career opportunities. There needs to be collaboration between Industry, Commerce and Education.

Currently, DASSIE requires the support of Industry, Commerce and the Public Sector in mainly the following areas:

· Direct corporate social investment, i.e. contributing financially to this project to ensure it’s successful development and institutionalisation

· Making available resources (people, equipment, infrastructure), expertise and good will to realise this vision of enhancing the teaching and learning process

· Collaboration and ideas as how the parties mentioned above can work together to assist each other in realising business and social objectives

8. Conclusion

From the above it should be clear that DASSIE is a critical component of the current transformation process of the FET College sector. By providing more access, relevant programs and greater efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of learning, the project will significantly enhance the FET College sector.

Should you requirement any more information, please feel free to contact Irwin Hearne the Dassie Project leader on (021) 467-2602 or (ihearne@pgwc.gov.za)

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