Focusing on ICT in Rural and Regional Education in Australia

Reading, C and Fluck, A and Trinidad, S and Smith, G and Shaw, G and Anderson, N and McLoughlin, C and White, B. 2006. Focusing on ICT in Rural and Regional Education in Australia. Australian Educational Computing Journal of the Australian Council for Computer in Education. 22 (2): 20-24.

Source Title

Australian Educational Computing Journal of the Australian Council for Computer in Education

Source Conference

ACCE'2006 Up there for thinking Conference

Additional URLs

http://www.acce.edu.au/item.asp?pid=1120

Faculty

Department of Education

Division of Humanities

Faculty of Education, Language Studies and Social Work (ELSSW)

Remarks

Originally published by Australian Educational Computing as: Reading, C and Fluck, A and Trinidad, S and Smith, G and Shaw, G and Anderson, N and McLoughlin, C and White, B (2006) Focusing on ICT in Rural and Regional Education in Australia, Australian Educational Computing Journal of the Australian Council for Computer in Education 22(1):20-24.

This paper was presented at ACCE'2006 and then published in the Australian Educational Computing journal.

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/9574

Collection

Curtin Research Publications

Abstract

National priorities set by an Australian ministerial taskforce provide clear guidelines to develop pedagogy that integrates ICT. Although these guidelines do not specifically address rural and regional schools needs, the two priorities: promoting pedagogic leadership and creating new learning environments, are of particular interest. But how are these priorities reflected in the realities of rural and regional schools? Focus group interviews were conducted at a selection of rural and regional schools in each state and territory across Australia. These provided teachers, parents and students with the opportunity to identify key issues in relation to ICT in their schools. Issues identified by the focus groups were; the state of equipment in schools, comparability between home and school ICT experiences for students, pedagogical approaches, leadership, professional development and availability of ICT specialist teachers.