About the organisation
In the field of road safety, the not-for-profit community organisation The Blacktown TOP has been pioneering a significant change. Since late 2016, this organisation, led by its Coordinator, Ian Faulks, has been dedicated to offering traffic offender intervention programs used as the template for the New South Wales Traffic (NSW) Intervention Program introduced in 2007. The program is delivered to offenders required by Transport for New South Wales to undertake a driver education course under the Increased Traffic Offenders Penalties program. Additionally, the program works closely with those offenders being supervised by NSW Community Corrections who have a driving offence (typically, these offenders have a drive while disqualified offence).
These initiatives are crucial in rehabilitating individuals charged with or convicted of traffic offences and making roads safer for everyone.
Challenges
Before MoodleCloud, The Blacktown TOP faced the challenge of effectively delivering targeted interventions to various groups of traffic offenders. Their mission was to offer not just education but a transformational experience that could potentially change driving behaviours and enhance road safety.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the urgency to shift all programs online became critical. MoodleCloud emerged as the solution, enabling a swift and seamless transition to online learning in early March 2020. This quick adaptation ensured uninterrupted service to offenders, courts, and transport for NSW.
Solution
MoodleCloud Standard Plans played a pivotal role in the development and delivery of various specialised interventions that were not only about compliance but also about education and reform. Designed to offer a user-friendly experience, affordability, and instant functionality, the platform came bundled with Moodle’s most popular features, making it a great choice for educators to set up their courses in just a few clicks.
Choosing a MoodleCloud Standard Plan facilitated a unique approach for the Blacktown TOP to learn online, supporting group study sessions and targeting interventions based on specific offender characteristics, leading to more relevant and practical educational experiences.
In the case of this project, its intuitive usability stood out, navigating the need for preliminary training modules. Moodle’s robust data capabilities were invaluable for the organisation, allowing it to track offender participation and assess the efficacy of the interventions.
Results
The not-for-profit community organisation’s journey with MoodleCloud is a remarkable example of how technology can transform the landscape of specialised education and intervention programs. By harnessing the power of MoodleCloud’s standard plans, they have not only streamlined their educational offerings cost-effectively but also contributed significantly to road safety and offender rehabilitation. Some of the results included the delivery of:
- Novice drivers intervention, with over 500 enrollments.
- Programs for unlicensed drivers, engaging over 1,000 participants.
- A course for motorcyclist offenders.
- An upcoming program for drivers convicted of serious traffic crimes.
One of the most significant benefits that emerged for the organisation was an increase in digital literacy and confidence among offenders in using digital technologies.
In seven years of usage, the non-profit has encountered minimal technical issues, highlighting MoodleCloud Standard Plans’ reliability and robustness. This ease of use and minimal need for technical support has been a game-changer for the organisation, allowing them to manage the platform using the skills of their non-technical experts.
