Digital Learning in Schools

Policy

This policy supports schools in implementing the ICT and digital technologies component of the curriculum in a safe, balanced, and appropriate way that supports and enables learning.

Summary

• The use of digital technologies is a mandated component of the Victorian Curriculum F-10 and must be substantially addressed by every school in their curriculum program.
• Schools must ensure their use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and other digital technologies supports and enables learning, and is safe, balanced and appropriate.
• Schools must develop their own local policy on student use of ICT/digital technologies, including the internet.
• The department supports schools to strategically plan for the use of ICT/digital technologies through the provision of the online ICT Planning Tool and ICT Strategic Planning Workshops. Refer to the Guidance tab for ICT Strategic Planning Guidelines.
• Schools can choose to implement a 1-to-1 learning program to support their whole-school teaching and learning plan and curriculum priorities.
• Schools can also choose to implement the 1-to-1 provisioning model that best meets their needs, as long as the model:
  • provides students with equitable access to electronic devices
  • invites financial contributions from parents consistent with the Parent Payments Policy.
• The department does not mandate that a school must have a 1-to-1 learning program, nor does it mandate a preferred provisioning model.
• A clear and strong learning rationale, and engagement and communication with the school council and school community, have been found to be critical factors in the success of 1-to-1 learning programs.

Details

The use of ICT/digital technologies is a mandated component of the Victorian Curriculum F-10 and must be substantially addressed by every school in their curriculum program. The use of ICT/digital technologies are found in the Digital Technologies learning area as well as the ICT capability, which is woven across all learning areas.

Schools must ensure their use of ICT/digital technologies supports and enables student learning, and is safe, balanced and appropriate. This often requires a high level of discernment on the part of the teacher, who must ensure that digital technologies enhance rather than detract from a focused and productive teaching and learning environment.

School-based policy

All Victorian government schools must have a school-based policy that provides a rationale for and describes the use of ICT/digital technologies in the school, including the internet. A Digital Learning Template (Internet, Social Media and Digital Devices) is available on the School Policy Templates Portal (staff login required). Schools can modify the template to suit their local circumstances.

Cybersafety and Responsible Use of Digital Technologies

Schools must take steps to ensure that the ICT/digital technologies used in the school are used in a safe and responsible manner.

Refer to the Cybersafety and Responsible Use of Digital Technologies Policy for information on measures schools are required to take:

• to protect students from risks associated with digitally-enabled learning, and
• to respond to any online incidents

External access

Under the Child Safe Standards (the Standards) schools must provide physical and online environments that promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for young people to be harmed (Standard 9).

To prioritise the safety of students, schools must consider and implement safety measures to manage external access in online environments. External access in online environments includes:

• receiving or sending emails outside of a school or department online environment
• document sharing outside of a school or department online environment
• using the chat function outside of a school or department online environment.

To help create a safe online environment, schools must limit online external access to the essential needs of learning programs for secondary students only (in years 7 to 12 or age equivalent ungraded students). Where external access is available, schools must consider and take actions to protect students, including those who may be vulnerable or have disability.

Students in years P-6 (or age equivalent ungraded students) including those in P to 9 and P to 12 schools must not have external access in online environments.

Online environments

The department online environments impacted by external access requirements are Microsoft 365 (M365) and Google Workspace for Education (GWfE). Schools may have additional online environments beyond M365 and GWfE that are also impacted by this change.

Each school will either have a department managed online environment or a school managed online environment. In some circumstances, there may be schools with multiple online environments that may include those that are school managed, and those that are department managed.

Required actions to manage external access requirements

Schools must follow the actions outlined in the External Access chapter of the Guidance tab. Schools will be supported to implement this requirement. If your school needs assistance, please contact the Service Desk via the Services Portal (staff login required) or email at servicedesk@education.vic.gov.au.

International students and online learning

International students holding a 571 Student Visa or 500 Student Schools Visa may only participate in limited online studies under the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (Cth), and related legislative instruments. Refer to the ISP Modes of Study Policy on the International Students Program’s Resources page for further details about these limitations.

Personal devices and 1-to-1 online learning

Schools can choose to implement a 1-to-1 learning program to support their whole-school teaching and learning plan and curriculum priorities.

They can also choose to implement the 1-to-1 provisioning model that best meets their needs, as long as the model:

• provides students with equitable access to electronic devices
• invites financial contributions from parents consistent with the department’s Parent Payments Policy.

The department does not mandate that a school must have a 1-to-1 learning program, nor does it mandate a preferred provisioning model.

Provisioning models

Schools that choose to implement a 1-to-1 learning program must comply with the Parent Payments Policy when selecting a provisioning model. More information is available in the Parent Payments Policy Requesting Parent Payments for Digital Devices – One Page Overview (staff login required).

A 1-to-1 provisioning model may include:

• school purchased personal devices — owned or leased by the school and provided to students at no cost to parents/carers
• Curriculum Contribution — families may be invited to make a Curriculum Contribution towards school-owned devices, including one-to-one school-owned devices. Curriculum Contributions are voluntary, and students must not be disadvantaged on the basis of payments or financial contributions not being made. For example, if a school is allowing a cohort of students to take home or keep school-owned devices, the same arrangements must apply for the entire cohort, not just for those who have made a contribution
• Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) — students bring in their own device, which is either purchased or leased directly by parents/carers from a third-party. This may include:
  • any device, or
  • any device but with specified features (for example software/applications as defined by the school) or
  • a specified device as defined by the school — note that the school may also nominate a preferred supplier with whom the school has negotiated a better/more flexible deal for parents’/carers’ direct purchase of a device, or
  • a combination of some or all of the above.

Implementing 1-to-1 learning programs

When implementing a 1-to-1 learning program, schools must:

• clearly define the rationale and educational value of the program and identify benefits, and communicate these to families and the school community
• address equity and access, ensuring that all students have access to digital devices and can fully participate in technology-enabled learning
• provide ongoing communication and opportunities for engagement with parents/carers so that they are aware of the school’s commitment to the 1-to-1 learning program and understand its provisioning process.

School councils

School councils are responsible for approving the financial and contractual arrangements for a 1-to-1 program including any parent payment contributions. In making this decision the school council is encouraged to inform itself and take into account the views of the school community.

The principal is responsible for monitoring the effectiveness of the 1-to-1 learning program. This can include consultation with the school council or other members of the school community.

Complaints

Parent complaints about the implementation of parent contributions to 1-1 learning programs can be resolved through the department's Complaints — Parents Policy.

Further information on planning for 1-to-1 learning programs is available on the Resources tab.

Departmental supports

The department supports schools to strategically plan for the use of ICT/digital technologies through the provision of the

• online ICT Planning Tool, and
• ICT Strategic Planning Workshops.

Refer to the Guidance tab for more information about these planning supports.

Definitions

1-to-1 learning program
Where each student has ongoing access to a digital device at school for educational purposes

Digital learning
Any type of learning that is facilitated by technology and any instructional practice that is effectively using technology to strengthen and/or transform the learning experience.

External access
External access has been defined as any external sharing that can be done by a school student in an online environment. It includes:

• receiving or sending emails outside of a school or department online environment
• document sharing outside of a school or department online environment
• using the chat function outside of a school or department online environment.

ICT/digital technologies
The digital devices, tools, applications and systems that students and teachers use for learning and teaching; this includes department-provided software and locally-sourced devices, tools and systems.

Online environments
The department online environments impacted by external access requirements are Microsoft 365 (M365) and Google Workspace for Education (GWfE). Schools may have additional online environments beyond M365 and GWfE that are also impacted by this change.

Each school will either have a department managed online environment or a school managed online environment. In some circumstances, there may be schools with multiple online environments that may include those that are school managed, and those that are department managed.

Related policies

• Bullying Prevention and Response
• Child Safe Standards
• Cybersafety and Responsible Use of Digital Technologies
• Duty of Care
• eduSTAR — ICT Services, Software and Advice for Schools
• ICT Infrastructure Backup and Recovery — Schools
• ICT Support for Schools
• Information Security — Infosafe
• Intellectual Property and Copyright
• Mobile Phones — Student Use
• Parent Payments
• Photographing, Filming and Recording Students
• Privacy and Information Sharing
• Social Media Use to Support Student Learning

Guidance

ICT strategic planning guidelines

Overview

Every year, school leadership teams plan how they will provide the best learning opportunities for their students. They use the FISO Improvement Model to support this planning through the identification of priority areas that are known to improve student outcomes.

Information and communications technology (ICT) offers powerful tools that can transform student learning. Students can develop and demonstrate their understanding of concepts and content in all learning areas through the use of ICT. Schools must ensure the use of ICT and digital technologies are for educational purposes and is appropriate and balanced.

A school’s ICT strategic plan aligns with the whole-school strategic plan and annual implementation plans to describe how school goals will be enabled through the use of digital learning resources.

ICT online planning tool

The online ICT planning tool has been created to help schools simplify this planning process.

Principal class members and school service technicians have default access to the tool. Access for other staff members can be delegated as required.

The tool has clearly defined focus areas to assist schools to:

• develop their ICT vision
• identify current infrastructure, hardware and fleet usage and areas for improvement
• identify current ICT and target practices aligned with learning and teaching goals
• develop a plan of action, including a Gantt chart, that will lead to the achievement of their identified goals
• develop a plan for infrastructure and device management
• plan their school ICT budget expenditure over a 4 year period.

To access the online planning tool, refer to: ICT planning tool (login required).

A collection of current research, resources and lesson guides have been curated to assist schools in planning for the effective use of ICT in their everyday practices for improved learning, teaching and administration. To access these resources in FUSE, visit: ICT planning page.

ICT strategic planning workshops

Planning is essential to the integration of digital technologies into classroom learning programs. ICT infrastructure planning should be completed after the school has determined learning and teaching targets, goals and classroom integration strategies in their ICT strategic plan.

The department supports schools to develop and review this plan through ICT strategic planning workshops. These workshops are offered across metropolitan and regional Victoria, each term, throughout the school year.

Principals and digital learning leaders/teams, together with their service and local technicians are invited to attend these free workshops that are facilitated by the Digital Learning Services Unit, in partnership with IMTD. The full-day workshops provide up to date information, time and expert support, allowing school teams to develop/update their current ICT strategic plan using the online planning tool.

Attending an ICT strategic planning workshop:

• addresses the learning and teaching goals of the school providing a foundation for whole-school change which enables schools to advocate for and value the impact of ICT on learning and teaching
• develops a sustainable ICT plan that meets the needs of the school community
• ensures a coherent team approach to ICT planning involving school leaders, ICT coordinators, curriculum coordinators and technical support staff
• defines key personnel roles and responsibilities
• builds knowledge of ICT and digital technologies in the Victorian Curriculum – its impact, value for enhanced learning and teaching opportunities
• supports schools in developing ICT embedded curriculum that better caters for diverse learners and the economic need for future-ready learners
• reviews the current practices, identifying strengths and challenges
• reviews change management concepts and strategies
• provides access to expertise, key department personnel and consistent messaging around ICT strategic planning.

View the short video where school leaders talk about the benefits of the workshop day and the online ICT planning tool.

To register for an upcoming workshop visit ICT planning workshops (staff login required)

For more information please contact digital.learning@education.vic.gov.au

External access

Overview

To create safer online environments, schools must limit direct communication between primary school-aged students and external parties.

In years 7 to 12 (or for age equivalent ungraded students) schools must limit online external access to the essential needs of learning programs.

Age considerations

• The eSafety commissioner separates its child friendly guidance into children (6 to 11) and young people (12 to 18) reflecting their ability to make informed choices as they get older.
• Students at primary school are less able to discern malicious and unsafe behaviour online. For this reason, tighter restrictions should be placed on primary school students.
• Secondary school students are more likely to have a need to connect outside of the school or department online environment in support of their studies and career planning.

Actions for my school

Schools with department-managed online environments

• Schools with department managed online environments don’t need to take any action.
• The department has switched off external access for Microsoft 365 and Google Workplace for Education for primary schools and primary students in P to 9 and P to 12 schools.
• Several commonly used sites that support teaching and learning in primary schools have been exempted from the block and students will continue to receive emails from them. For a list of these sites, refer to the external access email whitelist (PDF) (staff login required).
• Changes for ungraded schools are under development. The department will work with schools to implement these requirements during early 2023.
• School staff and teacher’s external access abilities are not impacted.

Schools who manage their own online environments

• Schools who manage their own online environment are required to enact requirements for primary students in primary, P to 9 and P to 12 schools.
• The department has provided instructions to specialist technicians working in schools who are using their own instances of Microsoft 365 and Google Workplace for Education on how to disable access and how to attest their compliance.
• Principals and specialist technicians must ensure the required actions are taken by Monday 14 November 2022.
• Schools with ungraded students must switch off external access for primary aged equivalent students unless they decide to switch off external access for their whole school.
• School staff and teacher’s external access abilities are not impacted.

Ungraded students

Changes for schools on the department online environment with ungraded students are being developed, so that only the students who are primary school age equivalent will have their external access switched off. Schools will not experience an immediate change of settings. The department will work with schools to finalise and implement these changes in early 2023.

Schools with ungraded students on their own online environment must switch off external access for primary aged equivalent students unless they decide to switch off external access for their whole school.

Further assistance to schools

School who manage their own online environments

The department have worked closely with both Google and Microsoft to provide schools with a comprehensive list of what is required to switch off external access.

Specialist technicians have been sent links from the department for both Microsoft 365 and Google Workplace for Education on how to make the changes. If for some reason you haven’t received this information, please raise a service request via the Services Portal (staff login required).

All other enquiries (including ungraded students)

If you have any questions, please raise a service request via the Services Portal (staff login required).

Resources

The following resources are made available to schools to assist schools in planning for the effective use of digital learning in their everyday practices for improved learning, teaching and administration.

School-based policy

All Victorian government schools are required to have a policy addressing student use of digital technologies. A template Digital Learning (Internet, Social Media and Digital Devices) policy is available on the School Policy Templates Portal (staff login required). Schools can modify the template to suit their local circumstances.

Strategic planning resources

The information and communications technology (ICT) strategic planning online tool is provided to support schools in developing a digital learning plan. The tool provides an online platform to document the school’s vision for ICT, learning and teaching focus areas and to identify infrastructure, hardware and software needs. School leadership teams can register to attend an ICT Strategic Planning Workshop to develop the plan, supported by technical and educational experts.

• ICT Strategic Planning Online Tool (staff login required) — online plan development tool
• ICT Strategic Planning Workshops (staff login required) — workshop information and registration links
• ICT Planning FUSE Resource Page (staff login required) — topic-based resources to support classroom implementation

Planning for 1-to-1 learning program resources

• The Planning for 1-to-1 Implementation Checklist (PDF) provides a guiding framework to plan for a school-based, 1-to-1 learning program.

ICT across the curriculum resources

The following resources support schools to use ICT/digital technologies across all learning areas.

• Victorian Curriculum — Learning areas and capabilities — VCAA website
• 4 Elements of ICT: ICT across the learning areas — Outline of the ICT Framework and content inclusions in each learning area
• Digital Learning Tools — A suite of digital learning tools available to Victorian Teachers to support learning and teaching
• Department Digital Learning — Information about the digital tools and resources available to Victorian schools.

Digital Technologies curriculum resources

Key resources that support the Digital Technologies learning area.

• Digital Technologies curriculum supports
• Digital Technologies hub (Australian Government Department of Education, Teaching and Learning Resources)
• CSER Digital Technologies education — Computer Science Education Research Group, based at the University of Adelaide. Resources include:
  • professional learning MOOCs — Massive Online Open Courses, and
  • PL-in-a-Box

Professional learning resources

Opportunities and organisations that provide teacher professional learning in all aspects of digital learning:

• ARC — the Department’s digital platform for student and teacher events and software. Refer to the Software page for access to Department provided software and to view other software titles, including privacy and security information. Refer to the Events page for upcoming:
  • student learning events
  • conferences
  • workshops
  • professional learning events.
• VCAA Professional Learning — VCAA offers a range of professional learning opportunities for:
  • principals
  • teachers, and
  • school administration staff,
• Digital Learning and Teaching, Victoria — DLTV Teacher subject association
• Design and Technology Teachers Association, Victoria — DATTA Vic Teacher subject association
• Bastow Professional Learning website — Professional learning opportunities for current and aspiring school leaders from the Bastow Institute of Educational Leadership.