Meeting / Educational Technology Advisory Group
Date / Monday 21 May2007
Time / 9:00am – 10:30am
Location / 8.8.23
Attendees / Rod van den Akker, Gary Allan, Craig Anderson, Lyn Atkinson, Prof Jim Barber, John Benwell, Jim McGovern, Amgad Louka(Chair),Joyce Kirk,Warren Nageswaran,Ellie Johns( Minutes)
Guest Speaker / Kuga Palaniandy ( Lectopia presentation)
Apologies / Graham Bell, Rodney Noble
Item / Discussion/Outcomes / Action
Confirmation of Minutes / The minutes of 4 May2007 meeting were accepted as a true and accurate record of proceedings.
Business from previous minutes / Thanks to Jim for chairing the last meeting in Amgad’s absence.
AV/IT standardisation in teaching spaces:
Garry Allan and Rod van den Akker have discussed personally.
4.1 EdTech Review status report for VCE.
Report was forwarded to all committee members.
LCMS Update:
Simon Wilkinson to report at next eTAG meeting.
eTAG Sponsored Initiatives:
Proforma – justification for spending money and waiting for information so Amgad will put it forward for $400,000 by end of the year.
Business / 3.1Lectopia Presentation: Kuga Palaniandy
Kuga Palaniandy was welcomed by the group and presented an update on Lectopia. Discussed the Lectopia/Video Conferencing Administrator role duties and certain issues:
•Creation of two technology leader roles to be trained across Lectopia & Video Conferencing.
•Delays in hiring the Lectopia/Video Conferencing administrators.
•In the interim Chris Truong (AV Services) will assume the role of Lectopia & Video conference administrator.
•Lectopia administrator is the lynch pin for all Lectopia related activities, hence the recruitment process needs to be expedited.
–The Lectopia administrator has to be trained on using the admin tool.
–Needs to be trained on Blackboard and how it is set up in RMIT.
–Needs to be trained to maintain the digitisers in the venue & monitor all lecture capture and processing activities.
•If a suitable Lectopia Administrator is not hired in the very near future Chris Truong will have to be trained on the above mentioned tasks.
•The operational expense accrued each year for Lectopia needs to be discussed with ITS (i.e. Lectopia administrators)
Some of the outstanding issues discussed by Kuga
–Inconsistent test results in lecture theatres – Not all lecture theatres are set up in the same way.
–Chris Truong & Rutledge to fine tune the equipment installed in Lecture theatres. To make sure all audio/video signals are being captured by the Digitiser.
–Main issue has been identified as faulty VGA Scaler. These need to be replaced.
–Access to lecture theatres for testing is an issue as well, all testing is being carried out on weekends.
–Structured plan required to bring all Lecture theatres to proper working order.
Amgad put forward a proposal of a small working group around the points raised by Kuga in particular, communication, training in particular and the website. Lyn suggested Rod McClellan. A suggestion that the group consist of the people that go out to staff. Amgad suggested that each of the committee members email him with their suggestions, nominees coming from both academics and students.
Lectopia at this point in time has a paper booking system. Committee suggested a debate be put onto the next agenda also discussing costs.
3.2Supporting innovative Ed Tech Applications : Jim McGovern
Key points are keeping a simple process and providing quick responses to people interested in Technology and Innovation. Jim has suggested Rod van den akker as chairing the group. Warren Nagaswaren and Mike Brooks have given feedback to Jim. Discussions on the issues of who the appropriate person is who makes the decision on whether the projects should be supported or not. Jim suggested that it could be the eTAG representative of each portfolio that could assess. With the particular application, checked at Portfolio level then source the appropriate pathway for assessment. Discussions also on the lack of Innovation space for testing etc and look into what resources are available. Look at an Academics perspective and clarifiy the innovation with a more simplified version generative for the organisation. Once this has been done, distribute document and get feedback at the next meeting.
3.3eTAG Workplan/priorities draft: Open discussion.
Prof Jim Barber opened with discussion of the overall objectives and integration of the projects the group is working on. Jim suggested a system where there is evidence of the projects completed and at what stage of each other project. Could look at having the launch of Lectopia in Semester 1 2008 after all training and IT issues were all finalised. Discussions that the eTAG projects be integrated developments and branding altogether and look at re-branding the on-line learning.
All members agreed that the workplan needs to be simplied and all tasks/projects brought into some sort of package. Acceptance and agreement are needed from VC & Prof Jim Barber that these details are achievable.
Quick overall comments for each task/project
  1. Ongoing and close to completion
  2. To be completed shortly.
  3. Operational.
  4. Issues and to be discussed
  5. In progress
  6. In progress
  7. Ongoing
  8. Mop +
  9. In progress
  10. In progress and needs discussion.
  11. To be discussed.
  12. Completed.
  13. In progress.
  14. In progress ( suggestion making this a separate appendix to workplan)
  15. To be piloted in 2nd Semester – report due end of May. (suggestion making this a separate appendix to workplan)
  16. Piloted in 2nd Semester
  17. “ “ “
  18. “ “ “
  19. “ “ “
  20. “ “ “
  21. “ “ “
  22. Research 2008 implementing for 2009.
  23. Committee all agreed to remove – but is in the Academic plan which still needs to be signed off.
  24. Student Services issue.
  25. IT in progress
  26. IT in progress
  27. In progress
  28. In progress – positive feedback from asking questions on what they require.
Discussions on the clarification of the eTAG group and look into developing documentation with “ Objectives” and “Implementation” and “Workplan” can be renamed? Amgad to devise a new draft for the workplan with staff development being one of the main focuses for 2008, along with consultants for direct support. Committee to give feedback at next meeting on workplan discussions.
Amgad demonstrated the eTAG website which all can access for notes and relevant papers/reports for all meetings of 2007. The input of notes, papers/reports will be done by the end of the week.
Remainder of agenda to be carried over for next meeting.
Meeting closed at 10.30am. / Amgad Louka, Jim McGovern.
Amgad Louka
Other Business / No other business
Date, Time & Location of Next Meeting / Friday 1st June 9.00am in 8.8.23

Document: eTAG Notes - 21052007doc

Status: Draft /UNAPPROVEDAuthor: Ellie Johns

Version: 1.0Save Date: 25/05/2007

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