In this issue:

• Social networking provides new opportunities for learning
• Teachers key to curriculum success
• A national curriculum requires national teaching standards
• ACER UPDATE

Information Communication technologies (ICT) including social networking and games provide new opportunities for education a review of research released by ACER earlier this month argues. But, according to Australian Education Review 56, the ‘off the shelf’ mentality which currently underpins the provision of computers in Australian schools may be stifling rather than enhancing innovation. The review Building Innovation: Learning with technologies by University of Canberra academic Kathryn Moyle explores national and international policy priorities for building students’ innovation capabilities through information and communication technologies (ICT).

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In this opinion article, originally published in The Canberra Times, ACER’s chief executive, Professor Geoff Masters, points out that every classroom teacher must be equipped and supported to deliver the new national curriculum. This month’s release of the proposed national curriculum for kindergarten to Year 10 in English, history, science and mathematics is a milestone for Australian education. After several false starts late last century, the nation at last has a clear curriculum roadmap of the minimum essential knowledge and skills that all students should learn in each year of school. And it’s not before time. Although Australia has a population less than some American states, we have lived with unnecessary differences and substantial duplication of school curricula across eight jurisdictions. The new curriculum released this month is a step towards ensuring that every Australian child receives a sound basic education, regardless of where they live.

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In this opinion article, originally published in the The Advertiser, Dr Lawrence Ingvarson, ACER Principal Research Fellow, argues that the real educational challenge in implementing Australia’s national curriculum is capacity building in every teacher and setting strong and clear standards to articulate what teachers need to know and be able to do to bring the curriculum vision to life. The content of the national curriculum statements about English, history, mathematics and science released this month, while not particularly new, is inspiring. They also illustrate the complexity of what we expect our teachers to know and be able to do.

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Digital Education Research Network launched by ACER

Researchers with an interest in digital learning are now able to debate issues and share ideas following the launch today of the Digital Education Research Network (DERN).

DERN has been established by ACER as a communications, discussion, networking and storage service for researchers in the area of digital learning. The vision for DERN is to develop a place to aggregate Australian research into the use of ICT in education and to stimulate discussion among researchers in this area.

The launch of DERN coincides with the release earlier this month of Australian Education Review 56, Building Innovation: Learning with technologies, by Kathryn Moyle, Associate Professor of Education at the University of Canberra.

Researchers are invited to access and comment on the review through DERN.