9am AEDT

The Future of Digital (45 mins)

Join an insightful opening discussion that sets the scene for the future of digital vocational education. This panel brings together leading voices shaping Australia’s VET landscape to explore what “digital-first” really means in practice, and how providers can prepare for the next decade.

As the 2025 Standards reshape the sector toward outcomes and flexibility, this conversation dives into the opportunities, challenges & practical realities of digital transformation in training & assessment.

Dr Deniese Cox, Kerri Buttery, Miles Aravindhan, Alex Fuller, Phill Bevan

10am AEDT

How to Balance Compliance & Learner Experience (45 mins)

This workshop explores how to create learning that meets compliance requirements while delivering an engaging and inclusive learner experience. It reframes compliance not as a limitation but as a foundation for quality, accessible, and meaningful design.

Participants will examine how frameworks such as the Standards for RTOs 2025, WCAG 2.2 AA, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can be applied to support usability, inclusivity, and engagement in digital and blended VET delivery.

Drawing on current ASQA and NCVER data, the session highlights the direct links between accessible design, learner satisfaction, and improved completion rates. Through practical examples, reflection, and simple design tools, attendees will learn how to balance audit readiness with creativity, empathy, and learner-centred principles.

• Applying UX principles to VET resource design.
• Translating WCAG 2.2 AA and UDL into engaging learning.
• Designing for neurodiverse and LLN learners.
• Aligning learner experience with 2025 Standards for RTOs.
• Making compliance a framework for innovation.
  

Liz Blythwynn

10am AEDT

Sticky Learning: Practical Strategies to Transform PD into Lasting Practice (60 mins) 

How often do you leave a workshop brimming with ideas, only to have them fade within days of returning to work? Or perhaps you feel overwhelmed with all the PD sitting on your ‘should do’ list that never quite gets done. PD Paralysis and PD Amnesia don’t have to be your reality.

During this interactive session, you'll discover evidence-based techniques from a 2-year study of professional development outcomes that will transform how you select, absorb, and implement learning opportunities.

You'll walk away with:

• A personalised framework for identifying high-value professional development.
• Practical strategies to extract maximum value from every learning experience.
• Simple but powerful methods to convert inspiration into sustainable action.

This session is the perfect launchpad for both our Digital Learning Day and your year of meaningful professional growth. You'll be armed with actionable techniques that transform today's insights into tomorrow's practice—ensuring your conference notes become lasting changes in how you work.

Dr Deniese Cox

10am AEDT

Designing for Neurodiversity: Practical Strategies for Inclusive Learning (60 mins) 

Neurodivergent learners, those who think, process information, and engage differently, make up nearly one in five Australians. Yet, learning design often overlooks their needs. This interactive 60-minute workshop will help you recognise how neurodivergence shows up in training environments and how small, intentional design tweaks can make a big difference.

Through real-world examples and discussion, you’ll explore how neurodivergence affects engagement and participation, and discover simple, low-effort adjustments that make learning clearer, more accessible, and more inclusive for everyone. You’ll learn to adapt both your content and facilitation approach to reduce barriers, increase engagement, and create a supportive environment where all learners can thrive.

Shaheen Hajira

11am AEDT

Inclusive Design in the Digital Classroom (1 hour 30 mins) 

Focusing on accessibility and inclusion as drivers of learner success in the online learning environment.

Small design decisions can make a big difference. This session demonstrates how to embed inclusive practice into digital delivery and assessment design. Participants will leave with examples of resource tweaks and communication strategies that reduce the need for later support and improve outcomes for all learners.

• A list of quick-win inclusive design strategies.
• Examples of accessible digital resources.
• A self-check tool for identifying barriers in course design.

Catherine Hodgson

11am AEDT

Enhanced Learning with No-Code HTML: Using AI to Build VET Resources (1 hour, 30 mins) 

Discover how to leverage Generative AI to create engaging, interactive HTML learning activities and dashboards for your LMS, blended learning or face-to-face training sessions—no coding required. Move beyond standard content and create unique, engaging and helpful learning activities. This practical 90-minute workshop is designed for trainers and instructional designers to enhance their blended delivery without needing to write code.

You will learn how to create effective prompts to instruct AI platforms like Gemini, ChatGPT, and Copilot to build interactive learning activities and simple learner dashboards from the ground up.

This session guides you through the complete workflow:

• Structuring "layered" prompts to generate sophisticated outputs.
• Iterating and refining your AI-generated content.
• Previewing and testing the functionality of your new activity.
• Addressing the critical steps of checking content for bias and hallucinations to ensure quality and compliance.

We will demonstrate how to use a free GitHub account to easily view and manage your new digital assets, and, most importantly, embed them seamlessly into your existing Learning Management System (LMS) or share them with others. You will be given a step-by-step guide to help you maximise the benefits of using this technology. All resources from this session will be available to attendees. 

Important: To gain the maximum benefit from this session and follow the practical demonstrations, attendees are strongly encouraged to create a free GitHub account before the workshop.

Kathryn McGilvray

11am AEDT

Practical Self-Assurance: Navigating the New VET Landscape (45 mins)

Explore how compliance & technology are reshaping expectations. 

As the 2025 SRTO redefines what quality looks like, RTOs are moving toward genuine self-assurance. This relaxed discussion will explore how technology, digital evidence, and new quality expectations are transforming delivery, assessment & continuous improvement. Participants will gain practical insights into using digital tools to evidence practice, maintain quality & stay audit-ready — all while keeping learners at the centre.

• What the 2025 SRTO means for day-to-day educator practice
• Using technology tools to support evidence of practice
• Developing digital literacy & self-assessment skills

Miles Aravindhan, Phill Bevan

12.30pm AEDT

Engagement, Access & Quality in Online & Blended Delivery (45 mins) 

As online & blended delivery become central to vocational education, how do we balance engagement, access & quality in practice? This thought-provoking panel will unpack what effective digital delivery looks like for diverse learners and how providers can design experiences that truly connect.

Mel Summer, Marc Miles, Catherine Hodgson, Phill Bevan

12.30pm AEDT

AI Co-Pilots for Compliance: Building Practical Agents to Tackle the SRTOs 2025 (60 mins) 

In this hands-on session, participants learn how to build practical AI “co-pilots” that streamline compliance functions such as credential checks, assessment mapping, industry currency, and pre-use validation, without compromising regulatory expectations.

You will leave with a ready-to-implement agent template that improves audit readiness and reduces administrative burden immediately.

Participants will leave with the ability to:

• Identify high-value compliance tasks suitable for AI augmentation under the SRTOs 2025
• Build a fit-for-purpose AI agent using the Compliance Co-Pilot Framework
• Apply guardrails that minimise errors, hallucinations and regulatory risk
• Build structured inputs and logic for assessment mapping, currency tracking, credential verification and validation tasks
• Document and govern AI use as part of your internal assurance approach
• Implement sector-specific prompt frameworks that improve accuracy and consistency
  

Carmel Guy

1.30pm AEDT

The "AI Sandwich" (45 mins) 

Stop using AI for isolated tasks and learn to build the ‘AI Sandwich’—a complete, layered workflow for maximum efficiency. This session covers the essential layers of the workflow, from planning and content creation to assessment. Crucially, we will explore how to strategically define the human role versus the AI role at each step, ensuring that technology enhances—not replaces—professional expertise. Learn to create a seamless process that saves time and boosts quality.

Kathryn McGilvray

1.30pm AEDT

POWER Framework: An Introduction to Inclusive Learning Design (60 mins) 

We all want our learning programs to be inclusive, but knowing where to start can be challenging. The POWER Framework offers a structured way to start thinking about this. A framework that helps you look at your learning programs through a lens of inclusion and equity. Grounded in design theory and social equity principles, it provides a clear pathway to identify where improvements can be made across your content, systems, and learner experiences.

This introductory session will unpack the foundations of the POWER framework and share examples of how it can be used to create more equitable learning environments. The self reflection and guiding questions will leave you with fresh perspectives and practical ideas to start applying in your own work helping you take the first steps toward more inclusive, impactful learning experiences.

Shaheen Hajira

1.30pm AEDT

First Impressions Count: Designing a High-Impact eLearning Homepage (60 mins)

This tech-focused session demonstrates how to design a homepage that builds learner confidence and clarifies expectations from the very first click.

A confusing or cluttered course homepage leads to learner frustration, lower engagement, and an increase in support requests. This tech-focused session demonstrates how to design a homepage that builds learner confidence and clarifies expectations from the very first click. We will review the essential design principles and key elements of an effective homepage, showing you real-world examples and how to structure your own for a seamless, professional, and welcoming first impression.

Key Learnings: 

• The core principles of user experience (UX) for a learner-centric homepage.
• The non-negotiable elements every course homepage must have.
• Tech demonstration: How to apply these principles within a typical LMS environment.
• Simple graphic design tips to enhance visual appeal and brand consistency.

Kerri Buttery

3pm AEDT

AI in VET: From Hype to Everyday Practice (45 mins) 

AI has rapidly moved from a talking point to a working reality across the Australian VET sector. Yet for many providers, the challenge lies not in understanding what AI is, but in knowing how to use it effectively, ethically & sustainably.

In this thought-provoking panel, we unpack what AI really means for vocational education — separating genuine opportunities from industry hype, and exploring how trainers & providers can take practical, confident steps into the future.

Kathryn McGilvray, Jake Webber, Jodie Almond, Phill Bevan

3pm AEDT

Discussion Forums: From Dreaded to Dynamic in 6 Simple Steps (60 mins) 

Did you know that discussion forums are a great way to create safe and inclusive learning environments? When thoughtfully designed, they provide space for all learners to contribute at their own pace, using text-based engagement that can reduce social barriers and enable more equitable participation.

However, many trainers struggle to realise this potential, and their discussion forums are met with crickets instead of conversation. It's time to turn those digital graveyards into thriving communities of engaged learners!

In this must-have workshop, you’ll learn the research-backed 6-step formula for discussion forum success, with actionable strategies you can immediately implement.

Don’t let another course or term go by with discussion forums that fall flat. Join Deniese to unlock the secrets of creating dynamic, engaging online conversations that your learners will actually appreciate!

Dr Deniese Cox

3pm AEDT

Canva AI Unleashed: Design Faster, Smarter and Without Code (60 mins)

Canva’s AI tools have moved well beyond “magic resize”. In this hands-on session, you’ll learn how to use Canva AI to rapidly create on-brand visuals, presentations and learning resources – and even start experimenting with no code style workflows and interactive elements. Bring your own real-world examples and walk away with ready-to-use assets and a clear plan to keep using Canva AI safely and effectively in your role.

Working live in Canva, you’ll:

• Use AI to generate and refine visuals, slide decks and social tiles from simple prompts.
• Turn rough ideas, outlines or existing documents into polished, accessible designs.
• Experiment with Canva’s newer AI-powered features for no code style interactivity and app-like experiences.
• Build repeatable workflows that save time on everyday design tasks while keeping quality and compliance front of mind.

Kerri Buttery

4pm AEDT

Reflection, Action Planning & Wrap! (30 mins)

Join our wind down session for reflections, action planning & wrap up of DLD2026!

Phill Bevan