Project+Communication+Strategy


 * The communication and documentation strategy** for this project will have three main phases:

1. during the project 2. at project completion 3. post-completion

During the project will focus our communication for three main audiences; internal to our organisation, professional communities of practice inside and outside the organisation, and the wider VET Sector.


 * Online project spaces will be developed** that will include the use of wikis, blogs, micro-blogging (#**VWstandard**), screen casting, audio and video. These will have RSS feeds to enable subscription by stakeholders and others interested in this project.

Within our organisation communication will focus on developing and maintaining support for the project within the project team, the Flexible Learning Team, and the students and teachers participating in the trials. This communication will include online project documentation using a variety of media including audio and video that will capture evidence related to the project goals. This evidence will also be captured inside virtual worlds.


 * Online project documentation** will be visible by professional communities of practice consisting of educators who use virtual worlds. This will hopefully encourage ongoing interest and participation in project discussions and perhaps extend to some collaboration. Expert information and advice gained from project consultants in face-to-face and online discussions will be recorded, summarised and shared in the project’s online documentation space.

This project will inform and tap into the collective wisdom of virtual world communities of practice. This will enable solutions to be developed collaboratively and, if these solutions are recognised as valuable and effective, help to promote the use of virtual worlds for educational purposes.

**A project report** identifying the key findings and recommendations based on the 2010 trial will be prepared and presented to E-Standards for Training.


 * Evaluation** will be an integral part of this trial and is expected to include:

§ accessibility of virtual world learning resources and artefacts (export/extraction, interoperability, adaptability, adaptation for sharing) § technical skills needed (initial design, development and implementation, export/extraction) § sustainability and reliability (hardware and software requirements, ICT service requirements) § success in meeting the needs of learners and teachers for a reliable and flexible environment

Interviews and targeted surveys will be used to gather this data from all project team members, learners and teachers using virtual worlds for immersive learning environments.