How has the new interactive distance education system facilitated by satellite technology been utilised and incorporated by teachers and learners? Has it changed the ways teachers deliver education to remote students? What have been the implications for the curriculum delivered via distance education? How has it affected the ways learners interact…

The topic of this paper has emerged from the work of Shelton (2000, 2003), Bernhardt, Kawagley and Hill (2000), Boylan and McSwan (1998), Bryden and Boylan (2004) and others on "place-based" and "consequential" education in rural areas, prompting the question: if place-based and consequential education is "good" for…

This paper and presentation reviews the collective opinion of key Australian researchers concerning the emerging technologies most likely to have a significant impact on learning and teaching in regional, rural and remote areas. It then draws on the conclusions of the Horizon Report (2008) concerning key ICT drivers likely to influence…

In this paper, the author has attempted to provide an overview of some of the issues and challenges confronting rural educators and parents in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. He has chosen to focus on three of the most pressing at this point in time: (1) declining enrollment and its consequences; (2) the continuing pressure on…

This paper provides information on the background to the two pilot investigations into "interactive distance e-learning" [IDeL] following the introduction in New South Wales and in the Northern Territory of Australia of satellite-supported two-way broad-band internet services for school-age and adult distance education. The context is…

The academic and social achievements of students in rural schools are very uneven and often absenteeism and suspension rates are high. Factors such as globalisation, economic restructuring, unemployment, youth suicide and family trauma, drought and environmental change (see Bourke & Lockie 2001) also impact on rural schooling and add further…

This paper reports the findings from a study of 2,176 students in 103 science classrooms in Western Australia and Queensland. Two questionnaires, the Questionnaire of Teacher Interaction and the Cultural Learning Environment Questionnaire were used with attitudinal and concept understanding measures were used to collect data from schools from…

When "remote education" is seen as something which is delivered from some outside (by definition not remote) agency, rather than something which is grown at home, it is usually constructed as a problem of disadvantage: how do we deliver to remote students the quality cosmopolitan education we offer to kids in the city? Equality of…

Begun in 1933 to serve rural regions of New South Wales (Australia), the Postal Sunday School Movement (PSSM) now offers over 200 nondenominational lessons via mail about the Bible, Christianity, and practical aspects of Christian life. PSSM employs approximately 130 teachers from various church backgrounds; enrolls about 2000 students, preschool…

As part of her Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education course, Anne Maree Lonsdale was asked to imagine how issues the Social Contexts of Secondary Education class was reading about and discussing impact upon the work of teachers. To that end, students were asked to think deeply about one of the topics addressed in the semester, and to frame a…

Nominees for the 1997 Australia Rural Education Award included a program that allowed rural students to follow a young man sailing around the world; a music, dance, and drama competition for rural students; a music camp; a bandicoot conservation project; an agricultural education program; and student documentation of the history of a local rural…

Constant change necessitates lifelong learning for those in the workforce, if they are not to fall behind in the skills and knowledge needed as their occupations evolve. Learning new skills and knowledge remains a part of life for those no longer in paid employment. Not only is learning essential in order to keep up with changing needs and…

Explores the educational experiences of Australian travelling circus people, who regularly cross the boundaries between urban and rural, as evidence contradicting pervasive negative stereotypes about rural education. Discusses implications of these experiences for reinvigorating education in rural Australia. Calls for enactment of strategies that…

In response to the expense and unreliability of radio and telephone communications, the New South Wales (Australia) Department of Education and Training undertook a trial of satellite technology to deliver interactive lessons to elementary students in remote areas. The Gilat satellite system developed in Israel is described, including equipment,…

Examines the philosophy and practices of Katherine School of the Air (KSA), a distance education school in the Northern Territory, Australia. Describes annual "inschool" experiences providing face-to-face contacts with teachers, particularly the home tutors' conference, which offers workshops to develop the skills of home tutors and…