The Digital Education Revolution initiative will contribute sustainable and meaningful change to teaching and learning in Australian schools to prepare students for further education and training and for living and working in a digital world.

The initiative builds on a vision that has been embraced by governments, school systems and school sectors across Australia:

All schools confidently using ICT in their everyday practices to improve teaching, learning and administration.

Governments have collaborated on this vision through their participation in the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA), and have endorsed a common policy framework. In 2005, they adopted an overarching policy statement: Contemporary learning: learning in an online world which is supported by other published strategies, frameworks and action plans.

Further, the Joint Ministerial Statement on Information and Communications Technologies in Australian Education and Training: 2008-2011 provides a national framework for cross-sectoral collaboration on the effective and efficient use of ICT in education and training. This recognises that technologies provide the potential to enable access to nationally consistent curriculums, collaborative communication and knowledge-building tools; flexible and distance learning opportunities; seamless transition of students and information within and between institutions; engaging learning materials; online services and repositories of knowledge. Through the Council of Australian Governments, the Australian Government, in partnership with state and territory governments, has been working on a strategic vision for the Digital Education Revolution.

Twenty-first century education integrates technologies, engaging students in ways not previously possible, creating new learning and teaching possibilities, enhancing achievement and extending interactions with local and global communities.

The Contemporary learning: learning in an online world statement recognises the role that ICT plays in contemporary learning.

Today’s students live in a world that has seen an information explosion and significant and rapid social and economic changes.

A growing majority of young people are active online. They are comfortable with virtual, screen-to-screen and face-to-face relationships. They take for granted technologies that enable them to observe and participate in world events in real time. They engage in and work with multi-layered packages of non-linear information comprising images, sound, video, text and graphics.

Their approach to learning is influenced by their expectations of 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year multiple media communications.

Contemporary learning: learning in an online world also highlights the ways that ICT contributes to contemporary learning practices. The innovative application of technology is effective in supporting key elements of learning such as:

• personalisation
• negotiation and risk taking
• critical, creative and reflective thinking
• problem solving
• knowledge creation and management
• interactivity
• communication and collaboration
• local and global networking
• motivational learning
• assessment.

ICT also has the potential to increase the options, access, participation and achievement for all students. It can enhance the education experiences for students who:

• live in rural and remote locations
• have individual learning needs
• have physical disabilities
• risk disengagement from schooling.

Contemporary learning: learning in an online world sets out five areas where integrated actions are required by governments and other stakeholders:

• people
• content
• infrastructure
• research
• policy and reporting.

Many of Australia’s government, Catholic and independent school systems and sectors now provide advice, resources and support to their schools for those areas.

School leaders need to plan for and manage the effective use of ICT in their schools for educational purposes. They need to ensure that:

• teachers and other school staff have the knowledge, understanding and skills to integrate ICT resources into their work
• relevant digital content is available, accessible and effectively managed for teachers and students
• the ICT infrastructure that is available meets the school’s educational and administrative needs
• school planning for ICT reflects national and international research on the contribution of ICT to school education
• school planning and management of ICT is consistent with relevant policy and reporting requirements.