Sprout Lab consortium wins a LearnX blended learning award
A consortium led by Hobart company Sprout Labs has won a prestigious LearnX Learning and Technology Impact Award for the work they have done for federal government agency IP Australia.
IP Australia is the Australian Government agency that administers intellectual property (IP) rights and legislation relating to patents, trademarks, designs and plant breeder's rights. They routinely train people from ASEAN countries to become patent examiners, and needed a way to engage overseas learners who for obvious reasons are unable to spend time in face-to-face classroom sessions. An eLearning system was the obvious solution.
The Regional Patent Examination Training program is an engaging online system comprising virtual classrooms, engaging interactive online material and face-to-face time in Australia. From their office computer, trainers based in Canberra engage directly with their students – wherever they might be – to teach and guide them through the complex training program, building a "˜community of practice' along the way, involving regional patent examination offices and teaching them to examine patent applications to the required high standards.
Dr Robin Petterd, Director of Sprout Labs, said that their edge in building the project came from assembling a select group of eLearning experts. The consortium team included GippsTAFE from Victoria, Learning Plan from Sydney and LearnWorks from Fremantle.
"This project is a great example of how smaller businesses can work together using new technologies to collaborate on larger projects," he said.
Megan Pitman from IP Australia said, "This is the single largest international activity we have undertaken in over a decade. Assisting other IP offices to enhance their examination standards will, in time, lead to higher quality and more consistent granted IP rights. This means Australian exporters can have greater confidence in the validity and protection of their IP rights in overseas markets."
The first intake of students commenced on 8 April 2013, with participants from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Africa.
For more information see http://www.sproutlabs.com.au/regional-patent-examination-training-program/
