Professor Jennelle Kyd, Swinburne University of Technology - The Indigenous Futures Collaboration Project

Professor Jennelle Kyd

Swinburne University of

Technology

The Indigenous Futures Collaboration Project

Swinburne

SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN


• What is the Indigenous Futures Collaboration Project?

• Why the Indigenous Futures Collaboration Project?

• What is driving the Project – challenges and outcomes

• Role of technology

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Overview of session

Swinburne



• Development of digital methodologies and resources to

increase the participation and successful outcomes of

Indigenous Australians in higher education

• Three key ‘demonstrator’ projects:

a) Health and community services partnership with

Lutheran Community Care Central Australia and

Menzies School of Health Research

b) Creative industries partnership with Goolarri Media

Enterprises

c) Education partnership with Queensland University of

Technology

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What is the Indigenous Futures Collaboration Project?

Swinburne



• Why digital?

• Between 2010 and 2012 Swinburne:

• doubled the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islanders commencing Higher Education with Swinburne

• 2013: 154 ATSI headcount (increased by 94 from 2012) in

VE, 93 ATSI headcount (increased by 33 from 2012) in HE

• These increases have been due to education delivered by

digital technologies reaching more students

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What is the Indigenous Futures Collaboration Project?

Swinburne



• Learning and teaching

• Attract ATSI students into science-, engineering- and technology-

related courses

• Clear pathways into higher education

• Culturally relevant Indigenous Studies and Sociology programs

• Research and research training

• Increase number of ATSI research students

• Priority area in digital technologies in social innovation and health

• Employment

• Increase employment opportunities for Indigenous students

• Increase number of ATSI employees at Swinburne

• Improve awareness of cross-cultural issues

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How does it fit with Swinburne’s overall strategy?

Swinburne



• Impacts on the entire value chain:

• from education support to students graduating with a higher

education qualification

• Parity of study – a challenge for the sector as a whole:

• Participation rates

• Participation rates in all areas of study

• Improving participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islanders to flow through to an increase for choosing an

academic career

6

What is driving the Project?

Swinburne



Facilitate delivery of certificate/diploma/advance diploma training

in community services and health to improve the opportunity for

future transition to Associate Degree/Bachelor level studies

7

Partnership 1: Lutheran Community Care Central Australia and Menzies School of Health Research

Successfully

complete a

qualification –

AQF Level 1 to 5

Move to an AQF

Level 7

qualification

Swinburne



- Input into content

- Advice on delivery methodologies

- Opportunities for workers to participate in Education

opportunities

- Builds on its strengths community and outreach support

and services

- Strong commitment to improving indigenous employment

and education advancement

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Lutheran Community Care Network Central Australia

Swinburne



Adapt Goolarri certificate qualification and Swinburne higher

education qualifications for clear learning pathways

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Partnership 2: Goolarri Media Enterprises

Successfully

complete a

Goolarri

certificate online

Move to a

Swinburne higher

education

qualification

online

Swinburne



- 100% owned, NFP company arm of the Broome

Aboriginal Media Association

- Is an RTO since 2003

- Largest employer of Indigenous people in Broome

- Through its media networks, reaches communities

throughout the Kimberley

- Provide local expertise to adapt offerings into relevant

digital formats

- Input into content

- Advise on delivery approaches

- Contribute workers as learning supporters to students

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Goolari Media Enterprises

Swinburne



Through digital capacity provide gap training to Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander education/liaison/support workers to build

their knowledge about pathway and higher education options for

their students and on successful strategies to raise the aspirations

of their students

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Partnership 3: Queensland University of Technology

Gap training

Education

workers can

provide improved

support to

students

Swinburne



- Currently working with Vic Dept Education and Early

Childhood development to identify training needs of

Koorie Education Workforce (KEW)

- Swinburne also working with KEW in education support

and gap training

- Collaborate with QUT’s Indigenous Education Projects

team in areas of leadership in Indigenous education

- Enable contribution to project from extensive networks

and links to government agencies, Indigenous education

advisory bodies and other community participants

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QUT network

Swinburne



Digital technology for learning:

• Can overcome relocation issues & potential loss of qualified

members of the communities

• Brings education to the community

• Allows flexibility and paced learning

• Needs to be locally supported to achieve success

Digital technology can address issues around

retention and success!

Target of Project: 70% retention, 40% of existing VE

students transitioning to a higher education qualification

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Role of technology

Professor Jennelle Kyd Senior DVC and Provost Swinburne University of Technology [email protected]

Thank you

mailto:[email protected]