I took on the task of helping the Learning Technologies WP to review the draft policy and activity documents that Robert Roe had submitted to Council last year.

I contacted people listed on the LTWP soon after the last meeting but only two, Leon and Niels, said they were still on it. The three of us set out to make sense of Robert’s documents. A set of guidelines and a timeline for doing this were devised.

What Robert had submitted were a policy and an activity document for each website, the ASTA website and the VSEC. Basically, what had been written was very thorough and obviously well-researched, but the documents were difficult to read and digest because they were too verbose. There was a lot of repetitive material, and rationale-type statements were replicated and mixed in with action statements. We have abbreviated all documents by omitting a lot of material and making editorial changes to the remainder.

Any reference to technology in a policy is difficult because terminology and products change rapidly. Where possible we have made such references more generic. We have not changed the essence, but just made the documents easier to read. I think that the policy documents are based on sound principles. The activity documents, however, must be considered further because of the implications for funding.

The revised documents were emailed to Niels, Leon and Jan in early December.

I have since made a few more minor editorial and formatting changes. The attached versions of these documents include the minor changes. The preamble and web-site contents pages have not been changed.

Recommendations:

1. That ASTA Council ratifies the Policy document related to the operation of ASTA’s existing website.
2. That ASTA Council ratifies the Activity document relating to the operation of ASTA’s existing website.
3. That the Learning Technologies Working Party be reconvened to develop strategies for the further development of the VSEC website.

Shelley Yeo

In 1995 as a result of a successful NPDP funding initiative ASTA was able to provide Member Associations with some ‘seed’ funding sufficient to purchase up to two modems to enable the President and /or the office to connect to the Internet and access email. The notion was that at least the Presidents would be able to communicate with the Executive and each other. However, not all Member Associations were able to take full advantage of this initiative. During the next two years more and more Member Associations connected to the Internet, and began using email and developed their STA website.

In 1997 ASTA as a result of a successful proposal to DEETYA was once again able to support Member Associations extend their Internet capability. Each Member Association received $2000 to develop, maintain or extend their website. Additionally ASTA began work on another website known as the ‘Virtual Science Education Centre’ (VSEC).

Successive ASTA Councils (1997, 1998) have supported the establishment of a Learning Technologies Working Party to consider the development of appropriate policy and activity documents which relate to the use of Information and Communications technologies.

The following ASTA Councilors /interested persons comprise the current working party.

Robert Roe (STAV. Convener)

Jan Althorp (ED ASTA)

Leon Deleuil (ASTA Treasurer)

Susan Littler (SEA*ACT)

Niels Hider (SEA*ACT)

Bill Palmer (STANT)

Bronwyn Stuckey( STANSW)

The generic term Information and Communications technology refers to both the computer hardware and software and includes such specific items as CD-ROMs, data-loggers, websites, email, Internet browsers, wordprocessors, spreadsheets etc.

The term ‘Learning Technologies’ is used when these generic Information and Communications technologies are used to support the work and learning of teachers and their students.

ASTA Council is aware that schools across Australia are increasingly introducing Learning Technologies into the curriculum. Thus there is a need for ASTA to provide support and advice to teachers of science who are interested in using this technology in their classroom practice. Furthermore ASTA Council has embarked on the use of the Internet technology as an alternative means of providing information to and communicating with its Member Associations and their individual members. Consequently appropriate guidelines also need to be developed.

The Learning Technologies Working Party needs to consider all the relevant issues associated with the use of Information and Communications technology and draft suitable policy and activity documents for ASTA Council to consider at their next meeting, which will be held in Adelaide in July prior to CONASTA 48.

The Policy documents will establish ASTA’s position while the Activity documents will clarify the specific action necessary to implement the policy.

There are four documents, which will need to be developed, namely:

• Learning Technologies in Science Policy Document (Work in Progress)
• Learning Technologies in Science Activity Document (Work in Progress)
• The ASTA Websites Policy Document (Completed)
• The ASTA Website Activity Document (Completed)

When developing these policy and activity documents it is important to identify the specific stakeholders and or the audience for each publication. The following are a generic list of potential stakeholders and target audiences.

• ASTA Executive
• STA Members
• Principals
• Science Coordinators
• Science Teachers (P – 12)
• Science Teacher Educators
• Journal Editors and Science Curriculum planners and developers
• Education systems and agencies

Federal/State/Territory

Independent/Catholic//Government

Primary/Secondary/Tertiary

Commercial /Private enterprise

NOTHING PRIOR TO HERE HAS BEEN ALTERED

The Internet has rapidly become a medium, which enables a wide range of people with similar interests to share information and discuss issues. The most common way in which this occurs is through access to websites and email transmissions.

This policy document relates to the management of the two websites which have been established by the Australian Science Teachers Association, namely: the ASTA website (URL: http://www.asta.edu.au) and the Virtual Science Education Centre (VSEC) website (temporary URL …. ).

The Virtual Science Education Centre (VSEC) website has been designed as a resource for all teachers of science within Australia. VSEC is a ‘stand-alone’ website, which is linked to the ASTA website, each of the STA’s websites and the EdNA (Educational Network Australia) website. Through this reciprocal linking of each of the state and territory science teachers’ association websites, ASTA has established a National Online Network of Science Teachers Associations.

The Executive and the Executive Director will actively seek funding, sponsorship, and advertising for the maintenance and further development of each of the ASTA websites.

12. Managing the ASTA Website and the VSEC Website

For each of the websites the Executive will establish a management committee that will oversee their ongoing development.

The ASTA Council will through its Executive acquire the services of one or more Webmasters who will develop and maintain each of its websites.

The website management committees will determine what and when information is to be posted to the website and when it should be archived or deleted.

The Executive, the Executive Director and the Secretariat will seek funding where necessary to provide ASTA Councillors and representatives of Member Associations with access to professional development to assist in the management of each website.

ASTA will continue to provide parallel modes of information distribution and communications through the use of the familiar print publications, faxes and the telephone. However, as the school community gradually acquires the relevant communications technology ASTA will begin to phase out many of these print-based services.

ASTA will ensure that essential information and communications are available to those users who may still have hardware and software, which has been superseded by recent advances in the technology.

ASTA will make use of a dedicated e-commerce site, which will provide web space to host the commercial side of ASTA’s online activities including a secure method of accepting payment for goods/services.

ASTA is interested in using this technology to provide ‘benefits’ for its members. Consequently certain aspects of the websites and facilities may be password protected.

ASTA is committed to the incorporation of ‘two-way’ communication channels which support a greater degree of flexibility and interaction between the various members of its ‘virtual learning community’.

The Executive with input from the Executive Director, the Webmaster(s), the Learning Technologies Working Party and the Journal Editors will develop a ‘Style Guide’ for publishing on the ASTA Websites.

The ASTA Executive recommends that materials, which will be published on either website, should be drafted from the outset in a form suitable for posting online.

When the work is conducted through the Secretariat the Executive Director will ensure that the Webmaster has access to appropriate computer hardware and licensed software.

ASTA will provide hypertext links or references to other web sites or information sources to help users gain further benefit from their visit to either the ASTA website or the VSEC website. Where links provide access to other sites outside ASTA and its Member Associations the nature of the relationship between ASTA and the outside organisation will be clearly identified.

These links which reference other sites are provided as an information service only and should not be construed as an endorsement of the website or the organisation providing the information. ASTA will ensure that all links published on the ASTA website are reviewed and amended periodically.

When making decisions regarding third party links the Executive will ensure that ASTA’s integrity is preserved especially when confronted by potential funding incentives.

Where frames are used on the VSEC site links to other organisations will not be displayed in this area.

ASTA is firmly committed to making curriculum resources and student work available to its members and other teachers of science while ensuring that fair commercial value is obtained if third party organisations wish to access this information.

The ASTA Executive will enact quality control and monitoring practices to minimise risk of litigation resulting from breaches of copyright or publication of unsafe or libelous material. Appropriate legal disclaimers will accompany any information that has the potential for legal liability when published on the ASTA websites.

The content of each website will be determined in consultation with the ASTA Executive with input from the Executive Director, the Member Associations, the VSEC management committee and the Learning Technologies Working Party.

The ASTA Executive in consultation with the Executive Director will identify and authorise appropriate information, which will attract the attention of visitors to the website and direct their attention to the Membership area of the ASTA website.

Each of ASTA’s websites will have a management committee responsible for authorising any postings.

All relevant public information relating to ASTA’s activities will be published on the website

ASTA supports on-line science projects for students and science professional development activities for its members. Both the ASTA website and the VSEC website will provide relevant information about such projects.

ASTA will publish examples of students’ scientific research and other project work on the Virtual Science Education Centre (VSEC) website. ASTA and Member Associations will ensure that in the event of a student’s work being published on the VSEC website, relevant permission is received from the school and parents. In addition to the student’s work, certain school information and a photograph may also be published.

ASTA will advertise professional development activities, which will assist members to use learning technologies in their science classroom practice.

Draft Only

Ratified:

Updated: Nov1999 and May 2000

This Activity document:

• Provides guidance and direction necessary for the successful implementation of the ASTA Websites Policy document.
• Relates to the management of the two websites which have been established by the Australian Science Teachers Association, namely: the ASTA website (URL: http://www.asta.edu.au) and the Virtual Science Education Centre (VSEC) website (temporary URL ).

Management of the ASTA website, the Virtual Science Education Centre website and the ASTA-FORUM discussion list will be a cooperative and collaborative venture involving a range of interested people drawn from the ASTA Council and Member Associations.

A critical element of the design of this Virtual Science Education Centre is a ‘self-help’ philosophy. Thus Member Associations and their individual members are encouraged to contribute to the development of this resource by sharing ideas, strategies, student work samples and identifying suitable resources and equipment retailers.

The Executive and the Executive Director will actively seek funding, sponsorship, and advertising for the maintenance and further development of each of the ASTA websites. The website management committees will determine what and when information is to be posted to the website and when it should be archived or deleted.

The Executive and the Executive Director will seek funding from a wide range of sources to maintain and extend each of the ASTA websites.

The Executive Director and the Secretariat will seek sponsorship for the maintenance of the ASTA websites. Endorsement of any organisation products or services will be in accordance with the ASTA Policy on Endorsements

ASTA’s budget will provide funds for the maintenance of the ASTA website. The minimum requirement will be for the services of a part-time Webmaster.

The Management Committees will establish advertising guidelines for the ASTA Website and the VSEC website.

The website management committees will determine whether or not information placed on the respective websites needs to be archived or deleted.

ASTA Executive will establish a management committee for each website to oversee their ongoing development. Each committee will have a convener, and the authority to implement relevant aspects of the ASTA website policy.

The ASTA Council will through its Executive acquire the services of one or more Webmasters who will develop and maintain each of its websites.

The Management Committee will involve the:

• Executive
• Executive Director
• Secretariat
• Webmaster

In general both the Executive and the Secretariat will oversee the development of the ASTA website. The Executive Director will authorise most routine postings and the Webmaster will work under instruction.

The management committee will involve the:

• VSEC Project officer
• Executive Director
• ASTA Council representatives
• STA Member Associations
• Webmaster

In general the Project Officer in consultation with the other members of the management committees will coordinate the development of the VSEC website. Information will be sourced through each State and Territory science teachers association. The Webmaster will post information which has been authorised by either the Project Officer or the Executive Director except where authority has been given to ‘assistant webmasters’ who are responsible for maintaining a ‘specific’ aspect of the VSEC website.

The information provided by this online network of Science Teachers Associations will include:

It is recommended that each state and territory Science Teachers Association advertise the relevant website addresses and provide information in their newsletters and other publications regarding access and the need for member feedback and contributions.

ASTA through the Executive and the Executive Director will actively seek sponsorship or grant funding to assist in the maintenance and future development of each website. This funding should include specific provision for professional development for Councillors and if appropriate representatives from Member Associations.

ASTA will continue to provide parallel modes of information distribution and communications through the use of the familiar print publications, faxes and the telephone. However, as the school community gradually acquires the relevant information and communications technology ASTA will begin to phase out print based services.

Where publicity for ASTA activities is in parallel formats, such as printed brochures and the ASTA website both formats will contain substantially the same information.

Currently different authoring software is being used for the development and management of the two websites.

ASTA website: Netscape Navigator

VSEC website: Frontpage [MAY NEED UPDATING]

When developing the websites, ASTA will ensure that essential information and communications are available to those users who may still have hardware and software, which has been superseded by recent advances in the technology.

ASTA will make use of a dedicated e-commerce site, which provides web space to host the commercial side of ASTA’s online activities and a secure method of payment.

• Relevant links will be initiated so those users can easily access the online registration and e-commerce facility.
• The Secretariat will manage this online service which will enable members to apply and pay for their membership, register and pay for conferences and order and pay for curriculum materials.
• The Webmaster will incorporate form-handling software and relevant security protocols.
• Provision will be made for users to complete and print relevant forms, which they can then fax to the ASTA Secretariat, if they do not wish to use the online registration facility.
• The accuracy of the user’s transaction details should be verified online by providing to the user a copy of their information that they have entered. If correct then the user is requested to submit the information electronically.
• The Secretariat will establish secure procedures for keeping any sensitive credit card information (whether faxed or emailed).

Certain aspects of the websites and communication facilities may be password protected and thus strictly available for members use only

• The ASTA website will provide ‘password’ protected access to ‘registered’ members of ASTA through their State or Territory membership of their Science Teachers Association.

• Registered STA members will be able to subscribe to ‘closed’ email discussion lists such as the ASTA-FORUM.
• Appropriate ‘navigation’ information and ‘links’ will be placed on both the ASTA website and the VSEC website.
• Where ‘reciprocal linkages’ are required then approval in writing must be sought and received before initiating the ‘link’.

The Secretariat may establish email discussion lists as required.

Dedicated email discussion lists can be operated through the EdNA website or the Oz-teachers website.

The ASTA Executive with input from the Executive Director, the Webmaster(s), the Learning Technologies Working Party and the Journal Editors will develop a ‘Style Guide’ for publishing on the ASTA websites. The Style Guide will provide information for contributors for either or both the ASTA website and the Virtual Science Education Centre (VSEC) website.

The ASTA Executive recommends that materials, which will be published on either website, should be drafted from the outset in a form suitable for posting online. In drafting Press releases and public submissions (Parliamentary inquiries), ASTA members should assume that these documents will be posted on the website.

The development and maintenance of ASTA websites may involve the use of a wide range of computer software. When the work is conducted through the Secretariat the Executive Director will need to ensure that:

• The appropriate software has been purchased and regularly upgraded in line with the needs of the Webmaster and the Secretariat.
• All computer software is licensed either as a single user or networked.
• All relevant copyright and license agreements are complied with.

THE FOLLOWING SECTION (10) MAY BE REPLACED BY ASTA’S WEB-LINKS POLICY. IN THIS CASE REFERENCE ONLY SHOULD BE MADE.

ASTA will provide hypertext links or references to other websites or information sources to help users gain further benefit from their visit to either the ASTA website or the VSEC website.

Since ASTA does not endorse products or services of other organisations, an appropriate non-endorsement disclaimer must be posted on all ASTA websites.

The following words should be included in any such disclaimer.

Links to third party sites:

ASTA does not endorse products or services of other organisations.

ASTA may incur legal liability as a result of information published on its websites or contained in its email transmissions. Similarly the informality of e-mail could lead to libellous material being posted on the ASTA-FORUM. ASTA, as the provider of the discussion list, could be drawn into any legal proceedings, even in relation to a ‘private’ message sent by a staff member. Since these are the same issues that arise from ASTA’s print publications:

The content of each website will be determined in consultation with the ASTA Executive with input from the Executive Director, the Member Associations, the VSEC management committee and the Learning Technologies Working Party.

Specific information concerning the generic features and categories related to the ASTA website can be found in Appendix 1.

Specific information concerning the generic features and categories related to the VSEC website can be found in Appendix 2.

The Executive in consultation with the Executive Director will identify and authorise appropriate information, which will attract the attention of visitors to the website and direct their attention to the Membership area of the ASTA website or links to relevant sites.

Each of the ASTA websites will have a management committee that will be responsible for authorising any postings.

All relevant public information of ASTA activities should be posted on the website.

All print-based information should refer the reader to the relevant part of ASTA’s websites.

The Executive and in particular the Executive Director will seek funding to develop or extend appropriate web-based projects for teacher or student projects.

Each website may be re-developed to accommodate these projects.

My Science Scrapbook – what happened in 1999?

Collage of science related stories sourced from text and digital media

ASTA and Member Associations will need to amend the entry conditions of relevant science competitions to ensure that schools and parents are informed that where student’s work is published on the VSEC website that photographs and some information concerning the student will also be published.

Written permission should be sought and received before the Webmaster is authorised to publish student information on the websites.

6. Teacher Professional Development

ASTA will advertise professional development, which will assist members use learning technologies in their science classroom practice. These professional development activities will:

• be clearly described and easy to locate on either of the websites.
• encourage teachers to change their classroom practice.
• involve action-research or practical classroom strategies.
• enable teachers to be involved either at a physical location or as an online participant.
• encourage the use of learning technologies in their classroom practice.
• encourage participants to subscribe to an online discussion list like the ASTA-FORUM.

The following specific information concerns the generic features and categories, which relate to the ASTA website. The order of this information represents the conceptual underpinnings of the website and should not be interpreted as the website design.

• About ASTA

• Policy Statements
• Submissions/Tenders/Special Projects

• Membership Matters

• Publications

• ASTA Publications and Joint Ventures: Curriculum - Resources
• Student Activities

• Member Associations

• FAQs
• Links
• Contact/Feedback
• APPENDIX2 The VSEC Website

The following descriptions of each of the six ‘virtual rooms’ in the Science Education Centre website will assist the VSEC management committee develop the site.

This room focuses on professional development ideas and models, teaching and learning ideas and assessment strategies.

Criteria used for selecting material includes examples that show:

• How student’s views have been taken into account and demonstrates ways to encourage students to construct their own understandings
• Ways the learning environment would support student learning
• A range of different ways learning occurs, eg. Talking, listening, reading, drawing, experimenting, modeling etc.
• The relevance of the activities to the students
• The connection with a whole school approach
• References to and regard for occupational health and safety issues and practices.

Examples of student work which has been drawn from STA student activities such as the Science Talent Search, the Earthworm Environmental Awards, and school based assignments, displays or exemplar materials, will be published on the VSEC website.

Criteria for selection of student work includes the:

• demonstration of the use of skills of scientific investigation, analysis and reflection
• clarity of the communication of scientific understanding
• ability to clearly show the student’s application of scientific knowledge and understanding of scientific theories, principles, concepts, models, or ideas
• accurate use of scientific language
• Demonstration and understanding of the role of science in society.

Teachers of science who are members of a science teacher’s association can subscribe to the ASTA-FORUM email discussion list. This list is closed and maintained by the ‘list-owner/moderator.

Criteria to be used by the moderator:

• Discussions should be based on

Science education

Curriculum issues

Professional issues

• Questions can be raised through this room, with clarifying messages to be forwarded to an individual author’s email
• General discussion is encouraged
• The moderator will have gateway control to moderate the discussions to keep them relevant, appropriate and current
• The moderator will need to visit the site once a week to generate discussion

This room enables ASTA and each of the State and Territory Member Associations the opportunity to advertise their conferences, professional development activities and other significant events.

These events would include:

• Professional development activities
• Conferences
• Workshops/seminars
• Lectures
• Student competitions
• National science week activities
• Each member association is encourage uploading their information directly to the relevant part of the noticeboard.

This room contains relevant science and science education website addresses (URLs) which are considered by ASTA as being useful to both students and teachers.

• Each STA is asked to send appropriate links to the Virtual Science Education Centre webmaster for publishing on the VSEC site.
• Quality control rests witheach Member Association. Member Associations are still encouraged to maintain a Links page on their website.

This room has been envisaged as a one-stop-information-centre. Searchable databases, which will link to the relevant suppliers’ website, will provide science coordinators, laboratory assistants and teachers of science with up-to-date information on a range of products and services. However, this room is still under construction pending approval by ASTA Council. There are several issues, which need to be discussed before implementing this concept. Council has commissioned a discussion paper for their future consideration.

The discussion paper will enable Council to explore:

• How the room is to be managed
• How revenue will be distributed
• The implications for ASTA and member associations resulting from the shift away from traditional print advertising in journals/conferences and a possible loss of revenue in some areas
• Fee structure
• Potential markets
• Criteria for the types of advertising ASTA could seek
• Implications for ASTA - disclaimers, management and record/book keeping