Victoria Department of Education and Training December 2019

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Department of Education and Training: learning through tech


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Department of Education and Training: learning through tech

DECEMBER 2019


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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

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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

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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


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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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


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