Innovation Born of Necessity: pivoting to respond to COVID-19 international border closures to deliver Pre-departure Training Program (PDTP) to Australia Awards Cambodia Post-Graduate Scholars

“Due to Covid19, the course could not begin the class on campus, but was done virtually. It was still fun and productive, owing to all the passionate and inspiring trainers.” Syphann Ly (2021), who was a student in Group 1 of the Australia award Pre-departure Training Program (PDTP) post graduate Cambodian scholars”. Australia Awards is a global scholarship program supported by the Australian Government. The initial three-week face-to-face intensive suddenly needed repackaging to become a 10-week, interactive online learning experience due to international travel restrictions. The program, organised by Australia Awards Cambodia, was delivered by a training team from Queensland University of Technology (QUT). The program focussed on four key domains, which provided a wholistic framework: Academic, Socio-Cultural, Digital Literacy and Global Citizenship Development, geared towards ‘scholar preparedness’. The team focused on developing an engaging, relevant, and technologically-rich program to scholars who were located throughout Cambodia. Embracing new forms of mobilities, technologies, eLearning, and collaboration across a diverse team including virtual mentors, lecturers, professional and welfare support staff, librarians, and IT specialists was critical to the success of this program. The program included conversations with mentors on specific topics such as Turnitin, library search, Overseas Healthcare (OSHC), as well as mentors from Australian universities (host university mentors - HUM). HUM conversations with their awardees were very helpful, giving the awardees opportunity to ask questions from Australian locals on practical matters (for example, taking transport, security, managing time, recreational activities, working). The paced online format also meant that the participants had time to practise online research and produce meaningful writing. Synchronous sessions included a combination of interactive, experiential flipped learning style activities based on proven adult learning principles. ...