Telstra: Technology and education a happy marriage

A Telstra education specialist has claimed that children can benefit most from the application of technology to enable personalised learning experiences.

Telstra general manager for education, and author of Personalised Learning, Susi Steigler-Peters, has published research based on interviews with over 30 education representatives from Australian schools, TAFEs, Universities, education agencies, Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR).

The research has informed Telstra’s Learning Blueprint, which aims to make use of video conferencing, unified communications, SMS, MMS and mobile devices.

The research also specifically mentions tablets and smartphones as education opportunities, with Telstra using the ability to send schedules, assignments and room changes to student phones as an example.

“Students are looking for a robust learning ecosystem that is ‘learner centric’, taking into account the needs, interests, and learning style of the student and leveraging technology in a meaningful and engaging way,” Steigler-Peters said in a release.

While this is a paper published by Telstra to further its education business, the rise of new media education products underscores that there is interest in education adapting to use technology.

A separate release from Promethean regarding a new media digital “book", Inanimate Alice, shows exceptional uptake.

Inanimate Alice is now being used by teachers in over 100 countries, according to Promethean, and it is most popular in Australia.

Inanimate Alice makes use of novel, game and film elements that students interact with, and then teachers break down and assess relevant components with the students.