For over two decades educators have hailed the possibility of harnessing the capabilities of portable computing to transform Australian schools into places where students experience powerful learning environments, relevant to the 21st Century. For some schools in Australia this journey is well into its second decade with the use of networkable…

This paper describes a developmental model that can be used to evaluate and guide teacher reflection ond progress along a continuum in order to maximise the potential learning benefits afforded by interactive whiteboards. The model was developed using classroom observations and semi-structured interviews with eight teachers over o period of…

Effective integration of learning technologies into classrooms is a continuing issue, with many instances of new technologies making minimal impacts on classroom practice. Reports on the introduction of interactive whiteboards into UK schools over the past decade have revealed that their impact on both pedagogy and learning is at best neutral.…

The ACCE position statement for creating media enriched learning communities targets all stakeholders in educational policy and practice who influence the future of learning, schools, and systems. Stakeholders include policy-makers in government, national and international organisations, professional networks and institutions, school leaders,…

The Knowledge Age is at hand, and with it, new worldwide demands for Learning Societies. The shape of learning-with-ICT to come--new lifelong skills, new kinds of learners, new learning theory, new global ways of learning, and new learning tools--are all highlighted. The top ten challenges for using ICT to help invent the Learning Societies of the…

This article focuses on the teaching and learning of languages using multimedia tools to engage students and improve outcomes. Information Communication Tools are an increasingly important part of the learning environment in the Northern Territory schools. Crucial issues being addressed include how they can enhance teaching and learning practices…

The interactive whiteboard is a relatively new technology in Australian classrooms, especially in early years settings. This article reports on a case study in which an interactive whiteboard was placed in a Prep (Year 0) classroom in a Melbourne primary school. The teacher was then observed by making both audio and video recordings to watch for…

The calls for the transformation of how science is taught (and what is taught) are numerous and show no sign of abating. Common amongst these calls is the need to shift from the traditional teaching and learning towards a model that represents the social constructivist epistemology. These calls have coincided with the Internet revolution. Through…

This paper reports how digital technologies can be successfully incorporated into traditional teaching programmes to support the learning of a new generation of learners. It describes the introduction of an innovative learning venture with preservice teachers. A web-based platform called Lessonlab was piloted with four cohorts of preservice…

This article contributes to conceptualising pedagogy that has been transformed by information and communications technologies (ICT). The push for pedagogical change is evident in Australian education policy documentation as well as literature about the characteristics of our existing student population and future educational trends. This article…

This article is an evaluation of the use of Interactive Whiteboards (IWBs) as a teaching and learning medium from the perspectives of students in Years 5 and 7 at Firbank Grammar School, in Victoria. It replicates a study undertaken in the United Kingdom by Wall, Higgins and Smith (2005). Fifty-six Year 5 students and 82 Year 7 students at the…

This paper argues that concepts derived from affordance theories are highly useful in understanding the role of online technologies in learning. However, it is suggested that the value of this approach is maximised when the focus is moved away from the inherent properties of the technologies to the opportunities for learning provided by the total…

This paper presents findings from the SiMERR National Survey concerning the need priorities of secondary ICT teachers for professional development, resources and student learning experiences. The findings--drawn from a survey of 237 secondary ICT teachers across Australia--provide an opportunity to compare the needs of teachers working in…

The research reported in this paper considers the current telecommunications network for the three education systems of state, independent and catholic schools in Western Australia as well as drawing on the personal experiences of teachers in these systems as the government attempts to close the digital divide with its Networking the Nation…

In November, 2005, an article entitled "No train no gain" (Thorp, 2005) quietly appeared in "The Australian." In the closing paragraphs of the article, the President of the Australian Computer Society placed the blame for the falling number of students enrolling in IT courses at university on how IT is taught in our schools. This paper is written…