Presentation (20 minutes) – maximum of TWO speakers per presentation TAFE Directors Australia Convention 2026

The benefits of using Avatars to meet multicultural student needs (131700)

Clare Dallimore 1 , Saeed Zahedi 1
  1. TAFE SA, Adelaide, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, Australia

TAFESA Foundation Skills is leading the way utilising AI program Synthesia to create engaging Avatar videos for innovative and quality education.  Avatars are used to support lecturers with induction and onboarding process, deliver educationally compliant and quality resources across the state and provide technologically enhanced English language learning opportunities for the multicultural student cohorts. 

This presentation will outline three examples of teaching quality and innovation at TAFE SA; showcasing the Avatar videos and illustrating the benefits AI has brought to the workgroup, with opportunities for further development across other TAFE programs and directorates. We will also outline the educational benefits of using AI to create videos to save time, improve consistency (and therefore compliance) in messaging across large programs and provide accessible, visually engaging materials for staff and students.

  1. Showcasing Avatars “Amy” and “Sienna”
    • Onboarding and induction reference videos for AMEP and SEE lecturers
    • Meeting the guiding principles: responsible, ethical, safe
    • Meeting the Strategic Plan: quality education, training, support through lecturer skill

 

  1. Showcasing the unit curriculum booklets, key Grammar Avatar – “Lenny”
    • Meets new AMEP contract requirements, quality reference Learning tools
    • ASQA compliance – large footprint across state, consistent delivery for every student
    • innovation and the application of technology enhanced learning

 

  1. Showcasing multiple culturally appropriate Avatars for conversation dialogues  
    • 5 key languages = 5 key avatars (Arabic, Mandarin, Spanish, Dari, Vietnamese)
    • Cultural alignment, engagement = meeting student needs
    • Multicultural workgroup of lecturers, Australian accent is sought
    • Best practice andragogical approaches,
    • Avatars delivering consistent curriculum knowledge and concepts

 

The presentation will conclude by summarising the benefits to education, with Foundation Skills programs leading the way for Avatars to be used across other programs, directorates and TAFE to provide innovative, student focused resources. The Power of TAFE.