Department of Education and Training: learning through tech
02
Department of Education and Training: learning through tech
DECEMBER 2019
03
w w w.e duc a t i o n.vi c. g ov. a u
D E PA R T M E N T O F E D U C AT I O N A N D T R A I N I N G
The Department of Education and Training’s CIO, Elizabeth Wilson, discusses the technological approach improving the quality and accessibility of education
T
he Victorian Department of Education and Training (DET) is responsible for the Victorian State education system. “The
Department’s remit goes from early childhood through to higher education. For early childhood and higher education, the role is one of govern04
ance, policy development, programme delivery and allocation of funding to service providers. In the Kindergarten to Year 12 area, the Department also operates almost 1,600 schools. We are a large, complex organisation, and we rely on technology and information to support both teaching and learning and evidence-based policy development.” As CIO, Wilson prizes the role of culture in effecting a successful digital transformation. “We can provide the best technology in the world, but without an inquiring, collaborative culture, it will achieve very little. The role of the CIO should be as much about establishing the right culture as it is about building IT strategies. As CIOs, we have to look more holistically at building capability, and technology is only one component. To do this, we need to have the right mindset, the ability to collaborate DECEMBER 2019
“ The role of the CIO should be as much about establishing the right culture as it is about building IT strategies” — Elizabeth Wilson, CIO, Victorian Department of Education and Training
w w w.e duc a t i o n.vi c. g ov. a u
05
D E PA R T M E N T O F E D U C AT I O N A N D T R A I N I N G
06
and we need to consider opportunities
The focus on culture has had demon-
for innovation in what and how we do
strable effects, evidenced by employee
things.” For Wilson, the question of cul-
engagement surveys and customer
ture is not one that is separate from her
feedback. An important element in
other responsibilities; rather it plays
changing culture is diversity. “Diversity
into and informs them. “It’s important to
is extremely important to me. There
take a holistic approach when building
is a considerable focus on diversity in
information management technology
the Department. This focus is across
capability. We have four enabling pillars:
the Victorian public service, with the
culture; the technology and information
Workforce Diversity and Inclusion
strategies; people capability; and the
Strategy 2017-2020, which focuses
operating model. You need to look at
on inclusive and diverse leadership,
all four elements – there’s no point in
workforce flexibility, cultural diversity
doing one without doing the others.”
and disability. I always consider diversity
DECEMBER 2019
CLICK TO WATCH : ‘EDUCATION WEEK 2019 –RAIL ACADEMY NEWPORT’ 07
in all its forms when recruiting leader-
says. “It’s incumbent on the education
ship roles, and this has probably had
system to incorporate the use of tech-
more impact on the culture of the IMT
nology into the everyday classroom.”
Division than anything. Without diver-
Technology plays a more active role as
sity in our workforce and diversity of
well, such as in the provision of data
thought, innovation is not possible.”
to personalise learning experiences.
All of this is in service of ensuring
“Students learn in different ways and
education in the State is the best it can
the use of technology in formative
be. Wilson sees a pivotal role for tech-
assessment provides the ability for
nology to play in the classroom, with
teachers to understand this and to
one of the key benefits coming purely
respond,” Wilson notes. “In the class-
through its presence. “Students will
room, the use of technology not only
be using technology no matter what
provides engaging, immersive experi-
career they pursue in the future,” she
ences for students, it enables access w w w.e duc a t i o n.vi c. g ov. a u
IBM Services is partnering with the world’s leading companies to reinvent their business through technology. Accelerating the journey to secure, available and scalable hybrid multicloud with proven methods (to modernise, mitigate and integrate) Injecting industry expertise to design personlised customer experience Designing and managing technology-agnostic infrastructures that unlock growth Ensuring business continuity through proactive cyber resilience Re-engineer business processes with automation, AI, IoT & blockchain Co-creating new business models that embrace digital disruption Revolutionising IT operations and support for the future with innovation, AI and automation Harnessing data with applied AI and machine learning for competitive advantage Learn more at ibm.com/case-study/fis/au
When you choose the right partner, you can move quickly from strategy to achieving business outcomes Anita LeMaire
Development Executive, Banking & Payments, International Markets FIS
Our resilient data centres helped FIS mitigate risk and downtime to deliver ‘always on’ services to their clients. Malcolm Pope
Southern Region Portfolio Executive, IBM
FIS partnered with IBM Services to ensure business continuity with a cyber-resilient IT infrastructure. They worked together to build two PCI DSS compliant data centres that allowed FIS to switch production between them to deliver exceptional uninterrupted customer service, anytime every time. Great partnerships lead to great outcomes. IBM and the IBM Logos are trademarks of IBM Corp registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. A current list of IBM trademarks is available on the Web at “Copyright and trademark information” at www.ibm.com/legal/ copytrade.shtml. Other product, company or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others. © Copyright IBM Australia Limited. © Copyright IBM Corporation 2019. All Rights Reserved
D E PA R T M E N T O F E D U C AT I O N A N D T R A I N I N G
10
to education more equitable than it has
factors and respond by providing the
ever been.
appropriate support. Digital is all about
Information is a big focus for DET, guiding an evidence-based approach
data and the ability to manage information and harness its power.”
to policy making. “We collect a con-
Directly and positively impacting
siderable amount of information that
on learning is gamification, as Wilson
is used to inform policy and to assess
explains. “Learning needs to be engag-
whether specific programmes are
ing and fun for students. Technology in
effective in improving outcomes,” says
the classroom is great for enabling that.
Wilson. “We are also doing more in the
Students will become disengaged with
IoT space now. In looking at schools
their education if they are not able to
that are not using online resources
relate to what they are learning and the
we can help identify whether there is
use of technology has the potential to
a correlation to other environmental
represent what is real life and familiar
DECEMBER 2019
for a student.” DET uses one of the world’s most popular games, in the form of Minecraft, to engage students in learning that provides relevance to them and is linked to curriculum outcomes. “We have a Minecraft Education Edition deployment where one of our virtual learning coaches worked with Minecraft developers in the US to support his development of Minecraft Mini Melbourne and the Archeology Adventure. That was in partnership with the Melbourne Metro Tunnel Project that had all the maps
E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE
Elizabeth Wilson Elizabeth is a change leader with experience working with executive groups and building high performing teams. She is an innovative leader in applying technology as a transformation agent for business change and is passionate about gender diversity in technology and education. Elizabeth’s current role is CIO at the Department of Education and Training, Victoria. Elizabeth has initiated a program to uplift the Department’s technology capability to support new digital teaching, learning and corporate environments. The program incorporates a platform architecture based approach supported by micro services, moving to DEVOPS delivery and transforming people capability and culture.
w w w.e duc a t i o n.vi c. g ov. a u
11
POWERING YOUR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
BRAIN POWER MEETS TECH POWER
ENABLING EDUCATION TO BE FASTER & SMARTER
www.asggroup.com.au
“ Technology is able to make access to education more equitable than it’s ever been before” — Elizabeth Wilson, CIO, Victorian Department of Education and Training
to engage with leading digital teaching practice on a global scale, and receive recognition for their use of the technology in the classroom.” IBM has partnered with the Department to implement the Connected Learners Program. The engagement of a large-scale delivery partner with significant prior experience in IT infrastructure and logistics enabled the programme to successfully deliver
of Melbourne, including subterranean
a large volume of new and enhanced
Melbourne. Initiatives like this help
equipment across geographically
keep students engaged and having fun
dispersed sites. This included the
while they’re learning.”
deployment and installation of addi-
To deliver its technology strategies,
tional wireless access points in
DET has had the support of a num-
schools and the delivery and installa-
ber of partners. Cisco and IBM have
tion of the largest global deployment of
delivered collaboration capability with
Webex smartboards to every Victorian
a five-year adoption plan to support
government school. The partnership
teachers in the use of their technology.
also incorporates a five-year adop-
“We have the largest global deploy-
tion programme to support teachers
ment of Webex Teams in education,
in the use of the smartboards and
which enables virtual classrooms. This
Webex Teamapplication in the class-
improves the equity factor in schools,
room – creating the ability for schools
with rural and regional schools able to
and students to collaborate and cre-
take part in virtual visits to museums
ate a virtual learning environment.
and access additional learning oppor-
Consultancy, Deloitte, has also
tunities such as languages. It also
worked with DET on a capability
provides opportunities for our teachers
review and frameworks to inform w w w.e duc a t i o n.vi c. g ov. a u
13
D E PA R T M E N T O F E D U C AT I O N A N D T R A I N I N G
14
DECEMBER 2019
C OM PA N Y FACT S
• DET has the largest global deployment of Webex Teams in education The department operates around 1,600 schools serving Kindergarten to Year 12
the future information management and technology strategies at the organisation. The ASG Group, meanwhile, manages the Department’s Oracle environment that supports Finance, Payroll and Procurement functions. “DET processes one of the largest payrolls in Victoria, with over 132,000 payment summaries issued last financial year. The payroll includes approximately 70,000 teachers as well as staff at two other government departments. ASG, in addition to providing managed services for Department’s Finance, HR, Payroll and Procurement systems, provides the Department with managed ICT services supporting the Department’s core Microsoft based technologies and the Department’s ICT security services.” And, as DET carries out its cloudfirst investment principle, it is pivoting away from infrastructure investment and management. As Wilson explains: “We’re increasingly moving up the stack from infrastructure as a service through platform as a service, and some software as a service. The Department has recently selected w w w.e duc a t i o n.vi c. g ov. a u
15
D E PA R T M E N T O F E D U C AT I O N A N D T R A I N I N G
2015
Year founded
$14.7bn+ Revenue in Australian dollars
68,000+
Number of full-time employees
Salesforce as the enterprise platform for customer relationship management. The first implementation of Salesforce will be to support the Kindergarten Information Management System. Department staff are currently working with Salesforce to build internal capability on the platform and plans are underway to transition other CRM requirements to the platform. The Department has also selected MuleSoft, another Salesforce company, to meet its integration platform needs. The recent acquisition of Tableau by
“ It’s about diversity. Without this there is no innovation” — Elizabeth Wilson, CIO, Victorian Department of Education and Training
17
Salesforce, which is also used within
children and families. To achieve this,
the Department, means Salesforce is
information from the Department of
one of the largest strategic technol-
Health and Human Services and other
ogy partners for the Department. The
children and family service providers is
Department is excited to be working
being linked to give service providers
with Salesforce to optimise its agility
better insight into that particular child or
and responsiveness across a very
family circumstances.” Initiatives such
complex environment.”
as these are focused on fulfilling DET’s
Currently, DET is leading a pro-
overall mission: “that is making sure
gramme to improve services to children
that Victorians have equitable access
and families through the use of technol-
to quality education and training from
ogy. “This encompasses the linkage
birth to adulthood.”
of information about children to better inform services that are delivered to w w w.e duc a t i o n.vi c. g ov. a u
Department of Education and Training 2 Treasury Place East Melbourne Victoria, 3002 Australia
LOGO HERE
T +61 (0)3 9637 2000
www.education.vic.gov.au