Implementing Microsoft PiL in Australian Schools

The training of teachers in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) skills to allow them to integrate technology into the curriculum is critical factor in the education process. It helps educators align technology with students’ learning goals, and to more actively engage students in the learning process. Charles Sturt University (CSU) has developed a Graduate Certificate course aimed at enhancing the ICT skills of teachers for this purpose. A substantial part of the program is based on the Microsoft Partners in Learning (PiL) curriculum. This paper examines feedback from the initial cohort of 450 applicants who enrolled in the course. In doing so, we examine the learning and teaching background of these applicants and attempt to understand what factors influenced their enrolment decision. We also report survey results after their first session of study.