Virtual Situated Learning Environments - Information Communication Technologies for Human Services Education and Delivery - page 78

Table 1. Designing a VSLE

INFORMATION CHOICES

1 Environment Local, national or global

2 Disciplines involved Common or dissimilar “tribes”

2 External Relations Government/Regulators

Competitors/Clients

3 History Significant events and/or peopleChanges over time

4 Structure Industry sector, Ownership

5 Culture Traditions, politics, ethics, values

6 Decision-making process Management-Leadership

7 Work Organisation Work flow, value, measurement

8 Resources People, resources, money, materials

important? For example what government rules
apply and how will this affect the approach taken
by the enterprise? Do competitors exists and is
this important? Is this a not-for-profit organisa-
tion and will it be affected by for-profit actions?
What is the source of the clients/customers for
this organisation?
History: What historical knowledge is neces-
sary for students to engage in realistic learning
activities in this organisation? Does this include
significant events and particular periods of change
that affect how activities are organised?
Structure and culture: What is the influence
of structural and cultural factors on this organi-
sation? Are there tacit factors such as traditions,
political, ethical and social and value factors that
are important in this context?
Decision-making and work organisation: How
are decisions made in this organisation? What work
organisation and processes exist that are important
for identifying the service being provided?
Resources: What resources would realistically
be available for people within the organisation,
including people, finance and materials?
Third, what form of ICT activity is most ap-
propriate for the employability skills sought to
be developed? Participant-learners can engage
in role-plays, negotiations and problem-based
learning, simulations and group discussion

through WIKIs and Blogs using a range of sce-
narios taken from real-world practice. Figure 1
presents a matrix that enables consideration of the
skills to be developed mapped against the type
of on-line activity in which participant-learners
can engage.
Fourth, how students are engaged in the on-
line activity will depend on the form of inter-
disciplinary engagement that is the focus of the
learning. Students as participant-learners may
engage in specified or assumed behavioural types,
personalities, characters, situations or roles and
may test theory in practice or develop new theory.
For example role-play involves participants act-
ing out scenarios. Crookwell et al (1987, p.155)
describe role-play as a “social or human activ-
ity in which participants “take on” or “act out”
specific “roles” often within a predefined social
framework or context. Discussion Boards, Wikis
and Blogs provide opportunities for students to
explore a range of approaches to problem solving
from different disciplinary perspectives to both
develop an understanding of multiple worldviews
(paradigms) as well as to explore new approaches
to problem solving by combining a number of
disciplinary perspectives. Students as participant-
learners may engage in these activities as an
individual, a member of a team or a participant
in a Community of Practice of Interest. Students