Abstract
There have been many programs initiated in Australia to train Aboriginal
students for inclusion in the information technology (IT) sector. These range from Microsoft Unlimited Potential courses, which mainly focus on preparation for office work, to Online Analytical Processing games, which involve students in discovery learning about how computers function. We suggest that this latter approach has much more useful ramifications for Indigenous people in terms of engaging them in employment and education. Years of research into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education recommend that education in this sector should focus on practical, discovery learning with cultural and personal relevance, and stress the importance of identity within an Indigenous cultural context.
students for inclusion in the information technology (IT) sector. These range from Microsoft Unlimited Potential courses, which mainly focus on preparation for office work, to Online Analytical Processing games, which involve students in discovery learning about how computers function. We suggest that this latter approach has much more useful ramifications for Indigenous people in terms of engaging them in employment and education. Years of research into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education recommend that education in this sector should focus on practical, discovery learning with cultural and personal relevance, and stress the importance of identity within an Indigenous cultural context.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Information Technology and Indigenous Communities |
| Editors | Lyndon Ormond-Parker, Aaron Corn, Kazuko Obata, Sandy O’Sullivan |
| Publisher | AIATSIS Research Publications |
| Chapter | 4 |
| Pages | 75-88 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Publication status | Published - 2013 |
| Externally published | Yes |