Jim 'Jimbo' Picton started down the road to becoming a teacher twice earlier in his career, only to change his mind and join the Airforce and then the Army.

More recently, however, he has found the inner resolve to achieve his goal and attributes his success to the format of CQU's Graduate Diploma in Learning and Teaching.

Students passed and presented for Futures

Mr Picton says the sheer intensity of the 12-month program forced him to plough through and complete the qualification, whereas a more leisurely program may have diluted his commitment.

"The GDLT really sorts out those who really want to become a teacher because it is so challenging but it's also a fantastic experience," he said.

"You're juggling assignments and classroom preparation as well as time in the classroom and reflections on classroom time, and they all overlap."

Mr Picton is from Brisbane but found this was no impediment as the GDLT is delivered and supported online, with 3 on-campus residential programs at CQU Rockhampton and prac teaching experience aligned with a mentor at a suitable school throughout the year. In Jimbo's case, he was placed at a school around 30 minutes' drive from Brisbane, in the same area that his wife is a teacher.

Mr Picton was accepted into a Brisbane teaching program after Year 12, but instead became a leading aircraftsman/engineering technician, working on Hercules aircraft for the Airforce.

He later started a teaching program at a Brisbane institution but instead joined the Army, where he got involved in defence IT and was posted to the Army e-learning centre.

He got a taste of CQU's distance learning when he completed a Bachelor of Multimedia degree.

"I'm fascinated by all areas of multimedia; especially illustration, photography, animation and the development of educational multimedia resources for young learners," he says on his personal website at: http://www.artofjimbo.com/jimbo.htm

"Whilst completing my teaching degree, I'm employed by a multimedia lab where I help keep the systems humming and spend time learning bad habits from other multimedia developers.

"In a former life I worked for a CBD web design firm and helped create/manage websites for real estate companies, law firms, small business... and the odd international gold mining company. I've also spent quite a few years providing information systems/network support to a 'very large organisation'.

"Oh, and I've also worked at Dreamworld - on Queensland's Gold Coast - as an entertainer. It's not really relevant to my quest for a dreamy multimedia job, but it should give you an insight into my personality and people skills!"

Mr Picton's interest in learning delivery has continued and he now has a similar role in the Army Reserve where his new teaching qualification will earn him a commission as an Army officer.

The GDLT students recently gathered for their final on-campus residential program before returning to their prac schools for 6 weeks of 'flying solo', with only minimal support from their mentor teacher.

Mr Picton was among students recognised during an awards presentation for e-Learning Futures - a core course within the GDLT. He won second prize in the 'most supportive and collegial student' category and first prize in the 'technical advisors award'.