Murray Now

When you needed to update your skills or do on the job training which was critical to your profession, you went to a TAFE or university. Today people can learn skills and perform job tasks without even leaving your lounge chair. A learning revolution is upon us. Teaching, and learning for that matter, has evolved to a point where Riverina Institute of TAFE have employed the services of Elizabeth Miles to break away from the “classical classroom face-to-face” teaching.

Elisabeth Miles, Teacher at TAFE NSW Riverina Institute

Elizabeth’s knowledge and experience is extremely broad and even expands overseas. For the last two years Elizabeth has worked at a law firm in Sweden as the in-house computer trainer. She attained this position due to her experience in online teaching as the firm was very keen to explore teaching via remote means. The firm has six offices throughout the country and much of the teaching was carried out via video conference and remote access to individual’s computers for one-on-one sessions as well as some face-to-face teaching.

Elizabeth returned to Australia at the beginning of this year, but as the company had not found a replacement she continued to be an in-house trainer and support for the company. “Sitting in my home office here in Albury I was able to teach and hold workshops using Skype as video linkup and by remote controlling a computer in the conference room in the local Swedish office” Elizabeth stated. Wow, how amazing the change in traditional learning and training has progressed over the years!

Elizabeth continues to say “This was a great opportunity to trial working in different countries and in different time zones. It had some challenges but also many great opportunities. The main advantages were that work could be carried out 24 hrs per day. When my colleagues finished for the day, they would send me the work to continue on with so when they woke up the next day it would be finished.”

Physical distance is no longer an issue in learning and teaching. People have so many opportunities to instantly communicate with each other, share computer screens and listen to presentations from around the world. Elizabeth says “(that) this opportunity has taught me that imagination is really the only limitation. Most things are possible these days with technology providing you have the people around you to support your ideas.”

Riverina Institute of TAFE places great importance on supporting students and shaping the future of our region through all avenues. By offering a wide variety of deliveries to teaching; no longer is learning carried out only in the classroom, but can also occur in the workplace, online, through workshops and distance or blended learning. Riverina Institute of TAFE adapt core values including promotion of personalised learning, giving credit where credit is due and fostering a supportive collaborative learning environment.

For more information contact Riverina Institute of TAFE on 1300 138 318 or click here to go to the website