The 2002 Commonwealth Bank e-Learning Grants program provided $350,000 in additional funding to primary schools across all states and territories and education sectors. The grant application process provided the data for this study. The 2002 e- Learning Grants program, through the grant application process, has provided an invaluable opportunity to gain an insight into the way in which teachers and construct innovative e-learning projects within the context of their school. It has also provided a national ‘snapshot’ of the levels of school ICT infrastructure in primary schools.

Implicit in government policies and the significant investment in technology is the belief that integration of ICT into Australian schools will have a ’transforming’ effect on education. By 2002 the average ratio of computers to students in state and territory government schools was 1 to 5.3. Achieving such ratios has been a direct result of the policies of state and territory governments and individual schools.

While the impact of ICT on curriculum is at an early stage the 2002 e-Learning Grant applications indicate that they have the potential to challenge the structure of schools, the curriculum and the pedagogies employed by teachers as they integrate ICT’s into their classrooms.

A Report funded by and prepared for the Commonwealth Bank Foundation.