The Learning Federation initiatives in the NT
The Le@rning Federation (TLF), an initiative of the governments of Australia, the Australian states and territories and New Zealand, develops high-quality, pedagogically sound, interactive, multimedia online curriculum content that is made available to all students from Transition to Year 10. The resources, in the form of ‘learning objects’, are based on the most recent research into how children learn and how teachers facilitate learning. TLF also provides digital content for schools such as images, video and audio. Contact Liaison Officers (CLO) in each state and territory provide support for TLF programs.
TLF research
During Phase 2 of the project (July 2001 - June 2006), TLF commissioned a range of research studies which is available on TLF website.
The Phase 3 research program will focus on three broad areas:
- Use of content in classrooms
- Impact on student achievement
- Impact of technology devices on teaching and learning
Latest research - December 2007
Uses and effects of TLFs learning objects: An experimental and observational study is the fourth report in the series produced as part of a longitudinal study into the efficacy of TLF content in a range of contexts across Australia and New Zealand. It describes an extended national field experiment and a series of site visits.
The site visits are the first part of the development of a Repository of Best Practise, comprising 12 schools across the country. Sites include urban, rural and remote schools, 5 of which are schools with significant Indigenous populations. One site is a New Zealand school. Anula Primary School in Darwin’s northern suburbs is one of the schools included in the study.
Indigenous project plan 2007-2009
Phase 3 research identifies as a priority area, the needs of Indigenous students from remote, urban and rural communities. The Learning Federation Indigenous Project Plan has three focus areas:
- Researching the ways Indigenous students and their teachers use TLF content.
- Building communities of practice in the use of TLF materials with Indigenous students.
- Procuring content that expands the capacity of the TLF to provide culturally appropriate and effective materials for Indigenous students in a range of educational settings.
- The NT has established a professional learning community comprising stakeholders and interested parties from DET’s corporate divisions as well as school-based personnel from across the NT. This community, Digital Tools for Indigenous Schools provides the vehicle for sharing innovations in learning technologies that support the specific needs of Indigenous learners.
- In June 2007 researchers from TLF visited several remote schools in the Alice Springs area and conducted information sessions on TLF content in Alice Springs that were very well received.
Action Learning with Learning Objects (ALLO) project
The ALLO Project was initiated in 2006 to assist NT teachers with developing integrated units of work using learning objects and other digital tools.