"Why do you think digital technologies have been put into schools?"

Digital technologies have changed student learning and pedagogical styles to make the curriculum more inclusive. Digital technologies have been incorporated into schools for a range of reasons supported by policy as seen with the inclusion of digital literacy being included in the Australian Curriculum, with it being a general capability like literacy, numeracy, and critical thinking. Society today relies on technology for the retrieval of new information, data, and learning. Digital skills prepare students for employment outside of school as they have the knowledge to acquire information and apply their knowledge on a range of digital platforms making them competent digital users. Not only are technical skills investigated throughout the curriculum so are students’ abilities to work collaboratively and in an adaptive learning environment. The Australian Curriculum integrates Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capabilities with subject-specific goals, supporting both technical and cognitive growth. This approach encourages students to become active users of technology whereby they demonstrate their abilities to create, analyse, and communicate effectively in digital spaces (Newhouse, 2013).

The use of technology has assisted how teachers plan and prepare learning for diverse learners (Bower, M. 2017). From a pedagogical standpoint, digital platforms have assisted in creating an equitable and collaborative learning experience as digital tools and platforms present learning in an engaging way. Which can be adapted depending on students learning needs and preferred styles. Technology is heavily interactive ultimately encouraging students’ inquiry-based learning skills as well as problem solving skills. Platforms like Google Suites, Canva, Kahoot and Atomi promote student participation and peer collaboration as learning is student centred and delivered in a mode which engages students both visually and cognitively in comparison to traditional teaching strategies which may have an increase in cognitive load.  By embedding digital tools into everyday teaching, educators create more personalised and supportive learning environments that cater to diverse student needs.