Historically, there have been two types of digital transformations in education. The first type is disruptive technology change. This is usually driven by the emergence of a new technology or an event. For example, the invention of laptops, followed by iPads, then the explosion of 1:1 device programs at every level of education - this has changed education irrevocably. History will tell if COVID is one of these types of catalysts. The swift move to technology dependent, remote learning has given educators a taste of change, a taste of what’s possible. Some are starting to adopt that ‘taste’ as their norm, others are using it to supplement their current practice. 

In early 2020, everyday life as we knew it was flipped as governments worldwide forced the closure of most things we take for granted, including businesses, sporting and cultural events, travel and schools. Parents had to stay home with their children, while educators were pushed to move their teaching programs to the online world.

Students today consume media in ways and amounts never before seen in human history. According to Sensis, 1 in 3 Australians go to social media for news on current affairs, with 40% of consumers in the 18-29 age group looking to platforms such as Facebook for their daily news.