Re http://www.port80.asn.au
http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.port80.asn.au%2F
A missing paragraph tag, a small error
It passes S.508 tests with Cynthia!
Fails AAA testing
I am not likely to pay $150 to join it..
My experience of TAFE publishing are not positive and I do not think
they can cope with rapid change.
I have worked in TAFE publishing for 10 years with McGraw-Hill and then
the defunct Easter House started by Outer Eastern Institute of TAFE
(Open Learning project) We were taken over by Swinburne Uni, so I
published about 60 books in total for TAFE courses. When if came to
writing for the communication skills module, Writing for the World Wide
Web, the college insisted I take all URLs out of the manuscript (they
were stable ones and the book would have contained a disclaimer and a
CD to easily click on web resources) I was forced to abandon the CD in
the book and not allowed to make a webpage in support of the text. It
was published and it was crap,
When it came time to making a new combined manual of all the Office
Skills and accounting courses into a complete Windows software guide
(instead of 20 single small titles) into one large book, I encountered
a lot of opposition from the college (They thought windows would be the
same forever, I accused my manager of being "luddite like" in his
approach to publishing for IT courses. I could barely finish the
project there was so much opposition. What I did produce by sweat and
many arguments was a best selling text Stepping Through Office 97 by
Gaulay and Flanders. With a Novelle Networking book I was abused
because the book was delayed due to software updates.
A friend has just complete a web design course at Bendigo TAFE, he had
no idea how to edit HTML, he learnt a bit of Photoshop and Dreamweaver.
All graphics and no HTML.
I am a believer that TAFE supports competency based training. If you
can demonstrate a skill you can get course credits. Therefore, almost
all members of this group could with a few $$, a lot of paperwork and
some assessments, qualify for a TAFE Certificate in some web related
courses.
Unfortunately HTML validity and accessibility or even legal compliance
does not seem to be taught from my second-hand knowledge of current
TAFE courses.
Industry professionals will have little chance of dragging TAFE courses
into the present, so I believe it is really up-to you few influential
TAFE teachers who do know about standards to strongly advocate for
change. I am not sure about an association with a commercial company
which charges a membership fee, but whose home page seems to be IMHO
less than perfect.
Tim
On 29/01/2007, at 11:59 AM, Kay Smoljak wrote:
On 1/29/07, Jermayn Parker <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
OK so how do we help the lecturers???
Is giving them links and offering services as a guest lecturer help?
Would
not this undermind the old practices that they teach???
Port80/AWIA (http://www.port80.asn.au) is speaking with two TAFEs in
Perth about bringing the skills of their lecturers up to date -
recommendations for professional development and mentoring are two
things that have been suggested. It's early days yet, but I think it's
a great example of what can be done when organisations actually sit
down and talk to each other, and what we do will hopefully become a
model and case study for other states in Australia. We have a TAFE
lecturer who is heavily involved with course development on the
committee and she's leading the charge.
--
Kay Smoljak
business: www.cleverstarfish.com
standards: kay.zombiecoder.com
coldfusion: kay.smoljak.com
personal: goatlady.wordpress.com
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The Editor
Heretic Press
http://www.hereticpress.com
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