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‘Better for the students and easier for us’:
Factors shaping vocational educators’
perceptions of e-Learning
A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Education (Research)
Kate Michelle Mitchell
Dip.Ed. (La Trobe University)
School of Education
College of Design and Social Context
RMIT University
December, 2016.
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DECLARATION
I certify that except where due acknowledgement has been made, the work is that of the author alone;
the work has not been submitted previously, in whole or in part, to qualify for any other academic
award; the content of the thesis is the result of work which has been carried out since the official
commencement date of the approved research program; any editorial work, paid or unpaid, carried out
by a third party is acknowledged; and, ethics procedures and guidelines have been followed.
Kate Michelle Mitchell
10th December, 2016
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my research supervisors, Dr Nicola Carr and Associate
Professor Kathy Jordan, for their continuous support of my study. They provided equal amounts
advice, encouragement and critical feedback at key junctures. I also acknowledge the services of
Adam Bertram for final editorial review.
I would also like to express my gratitude to the VET practitioners who participated in this
study, for without them, there would be no study to report. They gave willingly of their time and
graciously let me into their spaces, both on campus and online.
Last but not least, I would like to thank my family for instilling in me a love of research, my
partner Rodney for having the courage to go on this journey with me, and the professional colleagues
across multiple sites for providing me with time and space when needed to finalise my work.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Declaration+..............................................................................................................................+ii!
Acknowledgements+.................................................................................................................+iii!
Table+of+Contents+.....................................................................................................................+iv!
List+of+Figures+............................................................................................................................+x!
List+of+Tables+............................................................................................................................+xi!
Acronyms+...............................................................................................................................+xii!
Abstract+.................................................................................................................................+xiii!
1.+Introduction+.........................................................................................................................+1!
1.1+e@Learning+and+policy+in+the+VET+environment+................................................................+1!
1.2+Framing+the+study++@+defining+the+problem+......................................................................+3!
1.2+Aims+and+scope+of+the+study+...........................................................................................+5!
1.3+Outline+of+the+study+.......................................................................................................+6!
2.+Literature+review+–+The+state+of+play+....................................................................................+8!
2.1+VET+background+and+context+..........................................................................................+8!
Market!drivers!and!external!pressures!.................................................................................!10!
2.2+e@Learning+in+the+VET+Sector+..........................................................................................+12!