By Prof. Julianne Lynch, Dr. Carly Sawatzki and Dr. Laura Tubino, Deakin University. April 2026.
In many Australian schools, Digital Technologies (DigiTech) is taught by teachers who never studied it themselves.
The ideal vision is clear: DigiTech is a specialist field of knowledge — relevant to every child, taught from Foundation to Year 10, and empowering students to think like designers and become innovative creators of digital solutions within safe and ethical frameworks.
The reality is a long way from this vision. Very few Australian teachers have had exposure to DigiTech in their own formal education, and many hold stereotypical views of the field.
DigiTech teachers are in short supply
Advertised DigiTech teaching positions are extremely hard to fill, and there are very few training pathways to develop the specialist knowledge and skills teachers need. Most who teach in this space are self-taught — stepping up out-of-field, often without structured support. They are on a steep and stressful learning curve.
Enactment of the DigiTech curriculum in schools is widely varied. Many primary schools do not plan for or assess this learning. In secondary schools, what’s offered from Years 7–10 can be inconsistent, and senior courses are sometimes cut due to low student uptake and staffing gaps.
These challenges are compounded by the fast-moving nature of the field. Teachers must continually adapt to curriculum change, evolving technologies, and the challenge of engaging diverse learners as critical and creative users of digital tools.
This is where education systems and universities can make a real difference — by designing professional learning programs that respond directly to teachers’ contexts and aspirations.
Over the past five years, Deakin University has worked with the Victorian Department of Education to upskill out-of-field teachers of mathematics, digital technologies, design technologies and science. More than 325 teachers have completed Graduate Certificate qualifications in these disciplines.
Graduation Day for newly qualified DigiTech teachers.
Two disciplines, one powerful course
What is distinctive about the DigiTech course is the interdisciplinary partnership between the School of Education and the School of Information Technology. Teachers learned from experts with deep disciplinary knowledge working at the cutting edge of technological developments, alongside experts in curriculum innovation and teacher learning.
While the course aimed to develop out-of-field teachers’ knowledge and skills, it also influenced school-level curriculum innovation. One way we did this was through an alternative approach to assessment called persona-aligned grading.
Teachers participating in the DigiTech course
Choose your path, change your practice
Persona-aligned grading asks teachers to nominate and work towards a grade goal aligned with their professional identity and career aspirations. Research shows that involving learners in decisions about assessment enhances motivation, engagement and autonomy, while reducing anxiety.
Teachers working collaboratively during the DigiTech course
A suite of assessment tasks was designed around four narrative personas:
Pass = Curriculum Implementor
Credit = Curriculum Translator
Distinction = Curriculum Innovator
High Distinction = Curriculum Leader
This structure acknowledged that teachers enter professional learning with different motivations and starting points. Some aimed to build foundational disciplinary knowledge; others aspired to lead curriculum initiatives within their schools. Teachers could change their grade goal — and associated pathway — as their confidence and aspirations evolved.
Teachers who chose the Pass pathway focused on building threshold digital knowledge and core pedagogical skills, such as programming, digital systems and signature DigiTech pedagogies.
For example, one teacher identified resources suitable for teaching Year 8 students how to program sensors. She adapted these into a design-based unit where students worked in groups to create a wearable device responding to changes in light and temperature. The unit culminated in student demonstrations and presentations to peers.
Teachers who chose the High Distinction pathway demonstrated curriculum leadership. They developed new electives, mentored colleagues and influenced school-wide planning.
For example, one teacher led a proposal for a new Year 10 elective in 2D game design using Python and Pygame. She collaborated with senior Applied Computing colleagues to align the subject with problem-solving and documentation skills required for Years 11 and 12. The subject is now offered at her school.
Teacher presenting DigiTech resources
When teachers learn, students learn
Persona-aligned grading ensured that each teacher could pursue growth at their point of need. It also generated a diverse range of innovative projects across schools, year levels and contexts.
These examples highlight the potential for thoughtfully designed professional learning — particularly assessment that supports agency and differentiation — to generate deep and lasting change for teachers, their schools and their students.