helen farley - university of southern queensland - technology for learning in prisons: what's...

Technology for learning in Prisons: What's happening around the world and in Australia?

Associate Professor Helen FarleyAustralian Digital Futures InstituteUniversity of Southern Queensland

Why we educate prisoners …

• To reduce recidivism

•Promote dynamic security

•Cost savings through health and welfare upon release

•KPIs (e.g. ROGS)

•Because we should

‘Education has made me more well-behaved … it’s had a calming effect … gave me something else to think about … stopped me acting so impulsively … gave me some long term thoughts …’

Damien, undergraduate incarcerated student in theMaking the Connection project

Maryborough Correctional Centre, 31 July 2015

The imperative for technology …

And then there’s …

• Time in cell

•Overcrowding

• Issues with movement

•And promoting digital literacies

• (And there’s no other choice)

90% of employers rate operating a digital device as important to the majority of roles in their organisation. Today almost every job relies on some aspect of technology: whether it’s sitting at a PC in an office, working at a checkout or delivering parcels.

Chartered Institute of IT

http://www.bcs.org/category/17854

Rule 104

1. Provision shall be made for the further education of all prisoners capable of profiting thereby, including religious instruction in the countries where this is possible. The education of illiterate prisoners and of young prisoners shall be compulsory and special attention shall be paid to it by the prison administration.

2. So far as practicable, the education of prisoners shall be integrated with the educational system of the country so that after their release they may continue their education without difficulty.

United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Mandela Rules)

http://www.187gangsters.com/shop/

Custodial is King

Considerations

•No or restricted internet

• Limited access to computer labs

• Limited movement

•Competition from other programs

• Frequent lockddowns

In Australia …

Virtual Campus

• Secure intranet

•Partnership between NOMS, Skills Funding Agency, Meganexus

• Limited useability and access

•Poor support

•Restricted content

•Walled garden – OU UK

Tablet technologies

•Often education is secondary

•Often transactional in nature

•Wi-Fi or standalone

•Very little user testing

So, what we’re doing …

Our solution …

•2 technologies• Server• Personal device

• Technologies loaded with USQ StudyDesk

•Provides access to a selection of USQ courses and programs designed to work without internet

Device Manager

Programs• Tertiary Preparation Program

• Indigenous Higher Education Pathways Program

•Diploma of Arts

•Diploma of Science

•Diploma of Business Administration

So, what we know …

•Nearly 1000 enrolments over 3 years in 5 programs

• In Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania (kind of – NSW, ACT)

•66% completed courses

•8:1 pre-tertiary : undergraduate courses

•Difficult to track in longer term

Where to from here …

•Remote Indigenous communities•Probation and Parole•High risk parolees

•Remote students•Defence force personnel• Elite athletes• Southeast Asian students

All photos from Flickr …

2765 Cold by nebojsa mladjenovic

Why by sarahwynne

Old Sad Face by Redfishingboat

Four by Chris Bevan

Finger by Andreas Levers

Crown by Peter Clark

A CATastrophic Surprise by Susan Gilson

Thank You by Nate Grigg

Keeping in touch … Project newsletter

http://bit.ly/USQMakingtheConnection

Helen Farley07 4631 1738

helen.farley@usq.edu.au