InSPIRE Centre taking shape at UC

Sara Hanley

24 May 2011: Construction for the InSPIRE Centre has commenced with the concrete slab down, the lift well in and even some walls constructed.

The Centre is due for completion on Monday 7 November, 2011.

Work is progressing well on the $7m building Photo: Jessica Schumann

A partnership between the ACT Government and the University of Canberra, the InSPIRE Centre will deliver professional education and applied research in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education.

Work has already begun with Professor Robert Fitzgerald, inaugural Director of the InSPIRE Centre, invited to present at the ACT Principals Conference in early April. The workshop involved over 200 school leaders discussing ICT and networked learning in the 21st Century, augmented reality in education, and the role the InSPIRE Centre will play in leading ICT education.

The Centre has also been invited to join the international simSchool initiative. Professor Fitzgerald said “simSchool is a classroom simulation application that has been likened to a flight simulator for teachers”. In the simulation the player assumes the role of teacher and manages a classroom full of students. Computer simulated student profiles – including learning preferences and behaviour – guide prospective teachers on what tasks to assign and the best way to interact with their students. Based on students’ academic and behavioural responses players make decisions about how to help their students achieve greater success. simSchool is funded through Next Generation Learning Challenges, a collaboration between EDUCAUSE and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Faculty of Education and the InSPIRE Centre are working together to lead UC’s participation in the Teaching Teachers for the Future (TTF) project announced by the Federal Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth, Peter Garrett on 29 April.  The TTF Project is an $8 million initiative involving the cooperative participation of all Australian universities that offer teacher preparation programs. It aims to build the capacity of pre-service teachers to achieve and demonstrate competence in the effective and innovative use of ICT in education. Professor Fitzgerald said “This is a project of national significance that will help pre-service teachers develop their capacities to appreciate effective ICT integration as a combination good technology, sound pedagogy and strong disciplinary knowledge”