policy and curriculum

Policy and curriculum in educational technology

Grounded in the ACARA Digital Literacy framework and mapped to the NSW Technology Mandatory syllabus outcomes, my diagram emphasises on students' development of agency, understanding of digital safety, and metacognition through authentic ICT use. A focus on embedding design, systems, and computational thinking informed my inclusion of higher-order, process-oriented learning that supports critical and creative problem solving aligned with syllabus expectations (Littlejohn & Hunter,  2016, p. 63).

In response to ongoing critique of of tech-centric policies that create a “consumption loop” and shift blame to teachers when outcomes fall short (Jordan, 2011, p. 420), I prioritised utilising recent, context-rich, ethically grounded resources. These include the eSafety Commissioner for real-world case studies and discussion prompts, Optus Digital Thumbprint for interactive modules on privacy and digital identity, and the Alannah & Madeline Foundation’s Digital Licence+ for scenario-based activities that build ethical reasoning and decision-making

Conclusively, this is an integrated classroom approach which advocates for ICT use that enables students to ethically investigate, create, and communicate across learning areas (Newhouse, 2013). Additionally, for students experiencing difficulty with complex ICT tasks, this approach seeks to bridge their knowledge and confidence gaps, thus reinforcing my focus on scaffolded, inclusive activities that build future-ready digital fluency across a range of abilities (Thomson, 2015, p. 15).

References

Jordan, K. (2011). Framing ICT, teachers and learners in Australian school education ICT policy. Australian Educational Researcher, 38(4), 417–431. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-011-0038-4

Littlejohn, C., & Hunter, J. (2016). Messy or not: The role of education institutions in leading successful applications of digital technology in teaching and learning. Australian Educational Leader, 38(3), 62–65.

Newhouse, C. P. (2013). ICT in the Australian curriculum. In L.-H. Wong, M. Milrad, & M. Specht (Eds.), Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Computers in Education (pp. 914–919).
Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education.

Thomson, S. (2015). Australian students in a digital world. Policy Insights, 3, 1–18. https://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=policyinsights