Redefining education for the digital age: a snapshot of the state of play in three Queensland schools

As curricula change, so must the tools used by learners and teachers and the plethora of mobile digital devices will likely play a major role in redefining education. The Digital Education Revolution (DER), with funding of more than $2 billion, was intended to provide Australian students with a world-class education system underpinned by the effective use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). In Queensland, DER funding provided 141 000 laptops to students in Years 9-12. However, now that DER funding has ended, the Queensland government and schools are considering BYOD options, in order to maintain a 1:1 ratio of computers to students. This paper reports the progress made by three Queensland schools with the use of mobile digital devices, whether supplied by the schools or the students themselves, and outlines significant positive outcomes and challenges experienced by these schools as a guide to other schools when embarking on mobile digital initiatives. Further,the study is framed within the methodological context of the Vital Case Studies undertaken in England (http://edfutures.net/Research_Strategy) and draws comparisons between the results of those studies and other schools across Australia involved in the Australian Snapshot Studies.