Mark O’Rourke

Fulbright Professional Scholarship in Vocational and Technical Education (VTE) sponsored by the Department of Science, Education and Training (DEST)

Media Profile

“Multi-user computer games are currently seen almost exclusively as playthings while their potential as effective tools in which to engage learners remains largely undeveloped. My research interest is in the design of multi-user games as learning tools, where learners engage in virtual role-playing and problem solving scenarios.”

Mark O’Rourke is a Program Manager in the Department Of Visual Art, Design and Multimedia at Victoria University in Melbourne. He has won the 2007 Fulbright Professional Scholarship in Vocational and Technical Education (VTE) sponsored by the Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST). This Fulbright Scholarship was established in 1995 to support the exchange of research and ideas on VTE between Australia and the United States.

Through his Fulbright Scholarship, Mark will undertake research at the Institute of Creative Technologies at the University of Southern California. The Institute works with the Entertainment, Games and Training Industries researching interactive virtual worlds to provide a powerful medium with rich interactions for entertainment and experiential learning.

“My research will investigate the acquisition of vocational skills through the use of game-based multimedia teaching and learning tools,” explains Mark. “It is envisaged this will lead to the development and piloting of multi-media, interactive vocational training programs with industry in Australia. This approach should prove particularly effective for delivering vocational training to groups who have low traditional literacy skill levels due to Non English Speaking Backgrounds or other socio-cultural factors.”

Mark’s research will explore how current practice and theories of training-based game products can contribute to the development of alternative delivery strategies and tools for VTE. It is expected that these tools will find a ready application in industries where workers deal with sophisticated machinery or hazardous environments. Workplace training poses difficulties for this sector due to the required downtime of expensive processes in order to facilitate training, whilst its absence results in less efficient production and increased incidences of avoidable workplace injuries.

“The creation of the Institute for Technical and Trade Innovation at Victoria University TAFE over the next few years will ensure the practical application of my work,” explains Mark. “The Institute will research trades’ pedagogy and thus provide opportunities to develop innovative learning tools for vocational skills development and deliver customised programs in the workplace and other sites for targeted vocational skills development.”

Mark has a Bachelor of Science with Honours from the University of Melbourne, an Advanced Diploma of Arts in Electronic Design and Interactive Media from Swinburne, and a Masters in Education from Victoria University where his research focused on effective usability testing and its relation to improving skills in the production of interactive multimedia products. Mark received the 2003 Eric Lund Award for Innovation in the VET Sector for Design of an Online Management Resource and an International Specialised Skills Institute / TAFE Travelling Scholarship in 2000.