Isolated/distance education school students to benefit from computer project

20/12/95

Students enrolled in schools of isolated and distance education and those whose schools and families have multi-media-capable computers are set to benefit from a special Education Department computer project.

The project is the expansion of an interactive multimedia computer framework - planned to take effect in the second half of next year - which will be able to display video, high quality photographs and illustrations, audio recordings and interactive text.

Education Minister Norman Moore said today that the project had received $10,000 in special funding from the Public Education Endowment Trust.

A further $8,243 had been allocated to two technology related projects at Busselton and Esperance Senior High Schools.

Busselton Senior High School would receive $5,950 for the establishment of a telematics centre for students eligible for the Secondary Special Placement Program.

Esperance's Comlogo Problem Solving project would receive $2,293 to produce a computer course to increase students' problem-solving skills.

Mr Moore, who is chairman of the trust, said the projects were included in 20 proposed by schools and other organisations all round the State and covering a wide spectrum of educational goals, which were to receive funds from the trust in 1996.

The trust, which would distribute more than $112,000 next year, was established in 1909 to support outstanding educational programs that had the potential to help a wide cross-section of students.

The multi-media project would include both IBM and Macintosh computer formats.

"The funds will be used by the Department's Education Technology Unit to modify an existing multimedia framework which is being used to provide professional development courses for teachers across the State," the Minister said.

"This will become an important curriculum delivery tool which allows students to progress at their own pace and will keep their interest because of its high technology focus."

The funds will enable the unit to involve graphic and instructional design specialists and interactive multi-media programmers to broaden the system so it can be used by students.

Mr Moore said the project was in line with the State Government's determination to ensure that remote and isolated students received a quality education.

"The education of our remote and isolated students has always been of considerable interest to me, stemming from my experience in teaching at country schools," he said.

"I must say I was not impressed with the low-tech approach, particularly the use of ancient two-way radios, which was inherited from the previous administration."

"This project is part of the State Government's on-going commitment to upgrading education across our vast State, through the use of the latest communications technology."

Media contact: Anabel Gomez 321 1444 or 222 9595