Who is Anthea Arkcoll?

Hi everyone, 

My background is not in education but in delivering hearing health services. 

I’m an audiologist and work for Neurosensory, a professional services company, privately owned by a large number of ear specialists. 

In the time I’ve worked for the company we’ve grown from three clinicians working at two offices to 25 clinicians working in 10 offices across south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales. With the growth and geographical expansion has come a need to change our learning management for both professional and administration staff. 

In the early years we worked very much on the basis of individual face to face training. Now we’re working to change from a culture where the company ‘trained’ everyone in everything they needed to know, to a culture of learning management where we provide the systems and resources to support the staff in their learning and development of key knowledge, skills and attitudes. I see a blended learning approach as important to our success. 

Part of my job is establishing our standards for clinical care and implementing and overseeing quality assurance measures. Another major part is to develop a proposed framework for our learning management system, to work with the management team to implement that and to develop courses and materials. My primary focus is our clinical staff, most of whom have a master’s degree as an entry point into the profession. However the same learning system will also be used to support our administration staff. I consider myself fortunate that I’m working with a group of very intelligent, professional, adult learners who come to work each day wanting to do a good job. 

In starting down the blended learning pathway I’ve quickly discovered two major challenges, which are probably very familiar to those of you who are experienced educators. Firstly, that attitudes or disposition are much harder to manage than the acquisition of knowledge or skills. Secondly, that the current configuration of our IT system isn’t optimal for supporting elearning. So I’m on journey of discovery to understand these areas better and evaluate alternatives. 

How did I come to be enrolled in this course? I was investigating courses in adult education and one of my colleagues had worked previously with another lecturer at UCQ, Helen Keen Dyer. Helen is amazing and was very generous in sharing some of her experience and insights with out team. She suggested this course and I’m glad she did. 

Outside of work, I enjoy my morning strolls around the neighbourhood, handicrafts and being active in my church and local Lions club. 

I’m very much looking forward to collaborating with you on our learning journey in the coming months.