Most children talk to their parents about what they learned at school. Parents hear about books read, pictures drawn, stories written and games played. But how often do parents hear of children using ICT to make multimedia stories with a mathematical focus? In this paper the term "multimodality" will be used to describe such activities.…

A traditional approach centred on weekly lectures, perhaps supported by tutorials, still predominates in modern legal education in Australia. This approach tends to focus on the transmission of knowledge about legal rules and doctrine to students, who adopt a largely passive role. Criticisms of the traditional approach have led to law schools…

Teachers have a central role in developing new learning models in schools. This paper describes a study that explored teachers' confidence and competence in using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as they participated in an ICT development project conducted by an Australian education system in 12 primary schools. The project aimed…

This article discusses a study of three Australian middle-years teachers who deployed Learning by Design principles and practice to support multiliteracies learning through students' production of digital/multimodal texts. The aim of the research was to develop an understanding of how three teachers embraced new e-learning pedagogical designs for…

Observations in Australian classrooms suggest that for most teachers the content and method of curriculum has changed little as a result of the proliferation of new information technologies. In many instances there has been considerable resistance and reluctance to embrace the use of new technologies to support the teaching and learning process.…

Reports on a 1999 study that investigated student and teacher perceptions regarding the use of portable computers in a Western Australia secondary school. Compares results with a 1995 study and discusses the need for professional development, support for the development of student computer-related skills, and curriculum changes towards more…

Relates the history of computer studies and its impact on the secondary education environment in Australia. Discusses how the mass media and computer distributors have made parents feel that access to computer education is essential in their children's education. (GG)

Topics discussed in 14 papers concerned with software design, curriculum development, evaluation, and intelligent systems include teaching and learning systems, development of computer-assisted learning (CAL) courseware (music and reading), evaluation of CAL packages for mastery learning and modelling, assessment of CAL in physics and the primary…

The impact of educational technologies on various curricula and on projected curriculum reform at the University of New South Wales is discussed. It is argued that the existence and use of such technologies can reach beyond being tools that simply provide assistance in instruction, and can often have considerable effect on the curriculum itself.…

Includes two articles that deal with constructivism: one discusses constructivism and the use of computers in teaching language arts, particularly writing; and the other discusses constructivism and the use of laptop computers in an Australian primary school to help restructure the curriculum. (23 references) (LRW)

Lack of accessibility in the design of e-learning courses continues to hinder students with vision impairment. E-learning materials are predominantly vision-centric, incorporating images, animation, and interactive media, and as a result students with acute vision impairment do not have equal opportunity to gain tertiary qualifications or skills…

Many preservice computer courses do not provide students with certain important skills. Such skills are best developed through instructional programs in teacher education that mirror the models that teachers will be using in their own classrooms. The information technology component within teacher education is an integral part of the program. (SM)

Discussion of the process for integrating computer assisted instruction into an existing curriculum emphasizes current practices in Australia. Topics discussed include international trends; administrative aspects; teacher education; writing courseware; curriculum planning; computers in the stages of learning; models of integration; and teaching…

Presents findings from a three-year evaluative study, plus a follow-up study four years later, into the implementation of a student-owned portable computer program in a secondary school in Perth, Western Australia. Discusses computer use, student computer attitudes, teacher attitudes, the role of teachers in curriculum integration, and…

Discusses the results of a study that investigated the level of computer use among beginning primary and secondary teachers in Western Australia. Correlations between the instructional technology courses in teacher training programs and the level of computer usage in the classroom are described, particularly regarding curriculum issues and…