Background to the Exchange

Stage one - 2006

Stage one was completed in late 2006. This stage was designed to assist in developing an understanding of the project's requirements. Three groups prepared preliminary concepts for discussion and comment at the ALTC's higher education sector think tank held in September 2006:

education.au developed the high-level technical architecture, evaluated possible technologies for use within an RIN service, and developed scenarios and demonstrator concepts.
ascilite (the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education) identified the current landscape of effective online services and resources and key success factors related to the use of digital repositories.
ACODE (the Australasian Council on Open, Distance and E-learning) developed a formative evaluation strategy.

The requirements for the Exchange were crystallised as being to:

be a credible and reliable source of information, support and resources
facilitate the sharing and adoption of good practice in learning and teaching
support the dissemination of Australian Learning and Teaching Council Programmes
encourage and enable an ethos of innovation and development
build on previous Australian initiatives
link existing Australian learning and teaching resources located at different sites
link with, and capitalise on, international initiatives
foster international collaborations
illustrate the innovative capability of Australian higher education learning and teaching to the international higher education community

Stage two - 2007 to early 2008

The development work in stage two has been informed and shaped by the needs of the Australian higher education sector, expressed through a wide range of avenues including think tanks, forums, interviews, focus groups, pilot groups, and expert panels.

Stage two teams were working on sub-projects to:

develop and test the architectural and functional capability
identify and evaluate available content for inclusion
research, evaluate and recommend models of engagement, uptake, peer review, and quality assurance
develop and implement strategies for sector communication
develop policies and manage risk
research, evaluate and recommend models of rewards and recognition for users of the Exchange
design and implement an evaluation process

May 2008 release

Prior to the Exchange being released publically, several validation processes have been put in place, followed by a process of staged release to particular groups. The validation mechanisms include a comprehensive staged testing program and trialing of use by pilot groups. The May 2008 release to those involved in ALTC Activities includes support for their uptake into the Exchange environment.