The application of information and communication technologies to education has been touted as an innovation that will revolutionise teaching and learning practices. ‘Educators acknowledge that information and communication technologies have the potential to transform all aspects of school education and to contribute to the achievement of all learning goals.’ (Learning in an Online World, EdNA 2000 p2) Using the Internet to maximise learning outcomes is one application of an information and communication technology that impacts on teaching practice. Access to the Internet in schools has encouraged an increase in online curriculum projects for use in teaching and learning. For many teachers, the use of online projects is a relatively new and exciting method of meeting curriculum needs and delivering learning outcomes. Online projects can bring primary sources such as experts and people from other communities into classrooms via email, discussion forums, webcasts/cams and videoconferencing. In reality, online projects can create timetable chaos, teacher stress and incomplete curriculum planning. This report directly addresses this reality and is very timely as teachers cope with increasing pressure to use computer-based technology effectively in the classroom environment. Lundin (1999) rationalised how important it was to consider the implementation issues when he said, ‘Access does not guarantee participation, nor does it guarantee learning.’ Online curriculum projects require teachers to manage their students’ learning. This is not easy even when teachers realise how important it is. This paper reports on research that identified the factors that are critical to the successful management of online projects. The subject of the research project was Netdays Australia 2000, a telecommunications curriculum project that enabled students to collaboratively explore cultural diversity by connecting with different communities of people. The online project ran from October to November 2000 and involved 342 schools around Australia and overseas. This research project followed a standard model for a case study. Data was collected from multiple sources, including the project materials and analysed from multiple perspectives. The data for the case study of the project drew from experiences of 60 participating teachers. An analysis of the data revealed the practical factors that led to success at a school level and how teachers successfully managed their students’ learning in an online environment. The factors for success are described here as Project Pillars: Preparation, Participation and Pedagogy. This report details what these groups of ‘Pillars’ mean for classroom teachers. Return to top Background The study was funded by the Commonwealth Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs (DETYA). The objective was to determine the factors critical to successful online curriculum project implementation in classrooms. Netdays Australia 2000 was chosen as a case study because it was a national open-ended online curriculum project. Netdays was a complex project for teachers to run successfully, the factors that contributed to its success were readily identifiable. Becker (1999) found three major predictors of teacher’s Internet use are the teacher’s level of classroom connectivity, computer expertise and pedagogical beliefs and practices. This case study examined all three areas with a focus on the teacher’s pedagogical beliefs and practices. Every online curriculum project is different. The timeframe, technical resources required, project goals, website, level of interaction, project community and content all vary. It is fairly difficult for an online project to provide information on ways to manage individual student learning, organise group dynamics, teaching strategies or material development to suit individual learning needs as the variations are so diverse. These management and pedagogical issues are the teacher’s role and formed the basis of this case study. The teacher’s role in online curriculum projects was analysed via surveys and reports from teachers participating in the Netdays project. Participants in the case study included teachers who used Netdays to improve student-learning outcomes and teachers who were unable to gain benefit from the project for their students. Comparing survey results between these two groups pinpointed management and teaching strategies that led to project success. Project description Netdays Australia 2000: Cultural Journey into Australia http://netdays.edna.edu.au/2000 The main learning outcome for students was to recognise, promote and celebrate cultural diversity. The main goal of Netdays Australia 2000 is to find a partner school and develop a collaborative project that could be implemented in the future. The project, funded by the Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs through the EdNA school’s project, involved all state departments. Originally the Netdays Australia 2000 project was to cater to years 4 to 10, but the project’s open-ended frame attracted classes from every year level and type of institution. Besides primary and secondary schools and colleges there was a special school, the Flying Fruit Circus, Distance Education students, home schooling students and overseas students who use English as their second language. The main features of Netdays are as follows: The project involved 342 schools around Australia and 15 classes in overseas countries. Students ranged from year 1 to year 10. High-end technology was used. The project required the latest version of a web browser and the Flash plug-in to be installed on workstations (for animations). The participants had to scan photos, resize graphics for the web, participate in chat rooms, discussion forums, a listserv and complete web forms. Netdays was open-ended. Activities and tools were available to learn more about other cultures and compare data but information mainly came from the students’ interaction via email and the interactive activities on the website. It was up to each class to form a partnership with another school so the teacher’s management of the learning was vital to success. Funding allowed for an interactive website and support from state coordinators. South Australia and Queensland each supplied an education officer part time for three months to manage the project. The Netdays project was developed using the Natcom3 model, a design schema that describes curriculum elements, project structure, tools and housekeeping. http://www.pa.ash.org.au/natcom/natcom3/ The methodology of the case study is outlined in the steps below: Case study methodology Step 1 Immediately following the Netdays project, all teachers who participated in the Netdays project were asked, via the Netdays teachers’ email list, to complete an online survey. The teachers’ responses provided valuable feedback for the project managers and helped identify issues for future projects and a base for this report. Step 2 To help analyse aspects that had an impact on implementation of online projects, 24 teachers who participated in the initial Netdays survey were chosen to provide further data for the case study. The teachers’ responses were sorted into two Groups: Group A—14 teachers who achieved the project goals: Table 1. Group B—Ten teachers who had difficulty completing the project. Success was judged on whether or not the project goals were obtained. Indicators for success included: Completion of a school form that was uploaded to the school gallery on the project website, Participation in the interactive activities on the website; and Formation of a partnership with another school and the completion of the registration details on the website, and/or Extension of the project goals to improve student learning outcomes. Teachers participating in the case study were chosen from six states and sectors including a special school, primary schools (years 1 to 7) and secondary schools and colleges (years 8 to 10). Step 3 Group A teachers were asked to complete a detailed report of how they managed student learning in the Netdays project. These reports are the stories of what happened in their classrooms; how they planned, taught and participated in a large online project. A teacher relief day was organised so that the Group A teachers had time to reflect and write their report. Table 1: Group A teachers who achieved the project goals Teacher and school: Teacher and school: Cheryl Kerr Beenleigh State School, Queensland Sandy Sytsma Gympie South State School, Queensland Gallina Blake Kuraby Special School, Queensland Michael McKenzie Colac Primary, Victoria Richard Opie Warracknabeal College, Victoria Denise Sweetman South Kalgoorlie Primary, Western Australia Judy Kazmirow Newman College, Western Australia Kerry Paske Sydney Girls High School, New South Wales Heather Gillespie Wamberal Primary, New South Wales Sue Lemmer Surrey Downs, South Australia Kim Atkinson Keith Area, South Australia Angela Wilsdon Keith Area, South Australia Sandy Skinner Reynella East Primary, South Australia Joseph Meale Ogilvie High School, Tasmania Winner of Netdays award for participation. Note: Permission granted from teachers to publish names and report data. Step 4 Teachers from Group A and Group B were asked to complete a short survey that investigated classroom connectivity, computer expertise and teaching practices. Step 5 Data from the surveys and reports completed by both groups were compared. Common issues and success factors were grouped, analysed and the three project pillars identified from the data. Critical factors in each pillar were listed and their analysis linked with current research. The report was written with reference to survey data, teacher’s reports and research. Return to top