Central to discussions about NBN-enabled applications and services is the potential for innovative ways of learning, particularly in relation to online and interactive education. This paper reports on trials of the collaborative software tool Adobe Connect in NSW schools, and reports on two field studies for Zoo Connect, an interactive, multimedia, remotely-delivered class lesson. Results from the trials support those who advocate the NBN as a means to extend classroom learning, and provide evidence that may prompt educators to transition to virtual classrooms sooner rather than later. Recommendations are made for the wider development of NBN-style education programs, regardless of whether or not they fall into the early rollout category/regions, in order to fast track innovation, encourage educators and assist communities to better envisage how the NBN will impact the education domain.
In this paper, we investigate the use of ambient technology to create a classroom presence for hospitalised children. We present results from four case studies, each of which included data from hospitalised children, their parents, classmates and teachers (at both school and hospital). Primary school-aged children from both metropolitan and rural areas were included. Data collected at both the hospital and the classroom were analysed to investigate children's experience of the ambient technology and their desire to be aware of the presence of their peers, from both ends of the hospital-school setting. The results indicate that ambient technology is positive at fostering a mutual sense of presence, from the perspective of the hospitalised children, their family, teachers and classmates.
This discussion explores two new media initiatives at the University of Melbourne: The Conversation, an online news and information service launched in March 2011, for which the university was a founding partner, and The Citizen, a new online publication to be launched by the Centre for Advanced Journalism in 2013.