Digiops

The principal aim of DigiOps is to support the use of leading edge ICTs in teaching and learning, to help in overcoming barriers to ICT innovation both at school and national levels, and to foster purposeful use of ICT for communication and interaction between schools and communities.

The initiative is unique and innovative in several ways. These include the collaborative involvement of educators, teachers, students, communities and ICT-related businesses, and a wide representation of New Zealand schools. Schools involved represent both North and South Islands, primary and secondary sectors, private and state schools, Maori immersion and mainstream, schools in rural and urban locations, and higher and lower decile schools. The initiative is also unusual in including participant research in many projects, and in requiring the production of resources tailored to the requirements of New Zealand schools.

The CORE research team has submitted two milestone reports for the Ministry during 2005. The Ministry took these reports into account in planning the second phase of the initiative, which begins in 2006. Findings from the first phase of the initiative have been encouraging. These findings have highlighted cooperative relationships between schools and ICT-related businesses, between schools and communities, and between individual schools. More than a dozen school-generated research outcome reports have been published as articles in Computers in New Zealand Schools. Several papers also were presented in national and international conferences. More importantly, the projects extend the effective use of the ICTs in the classroom teaching and learning process.

All stakeholders and partners are looking forward for achieving their goals for the next phase 2006-2007 of DigiOps, and we at CORE anticipate a change in focus of our research to look more closely at outcomes for students.