Dubbo Public School: A case study

One of the 29 schools who participated in the POC was Dubbo Public School. We spoke to the school's staff about how the program impacted them and their 500-plus students.

Students get faster internet

Prior to upgrade Dubbo Public School had a 50Mbps WAN and 100Mbps internet service, this was increased as part of Telstra upgrade to 100Mbps WAN and 3,000Mbps internet service (1967% increase).

On average, each student now has more than 5Mbps of network connectivity (a key program target) which allows them access to online learning and other digital opportunities for a more engaging school experience.

Greater student access to devices

Under the Rural Access Gap program, Dubbo Public School received 43 student devices and 28 teacher devices. The program delivered more than 22,000 student devices across 1,000-plus rural and remote schools.

More devices for teachers

More than 18,000 teachers now have access to a dedicated portable device as part of the program.

The new devices enabled teachers to streamline lesson planning and open up opportunities for greater collaboration, and personalised flexible learning.

“Having a portable device means I can incorporate technology into my lessons whenever, wherever I like,” Assistant Principal and teacher Deborah Duffy said.

Improved learning spaces for schools

Dubbo Public School received 27 new Main Learning Displays to enhance their learning spaces.

“It’s just very interactive and flows nicely. It fits in well with how I’m planning teaching," Dubbo Public School teacher Stacey Barlow said.

“We use the Main Learning Display a lot in maths groups. I ask students to come up and draw things on the board and to show me how they’ve worked out their answers. It’s a really good way to incorporate student voice into a lesson.”

Mentoring by a Digital Classroom Officer (DCO)

DCOs played an important role in building the capacity of staff in each school in the Rural Access Gap program, sharing useful resources and providing one-on-one mentoring to colleagues.

They also formed a sustainable community of practice by capturing and sharing examples of strong classroom practice and pedagogies with other DCOs.

Dubbo Public School received funding to appoint teacher-librarian Robyn Veugen, as the Digital Classroom Officer, one day a week throughout 2021.

Guidance by the Digital Support Team

The Digital Support Team (DST) provided needs-based support to schools at all stages of digital maturity, and tailored assistance to make the most of the digital opportunities available to them.

The DST provided training, guidance and direct assistance to teachers to help them select and integrate the digital tools and resources that best suit their teaching strategies.

“Right from the start, the support has been absolutely amazing. From the rollout of all the technology right up to the appointment of the DCO,” Debbie Pritchard, Principal at Dubbo Public School, said.