Principal Jill, Amanda & Beccy Taking a Lesson @ ASSOA

Governor General @ Alice Springs School Of The Air

ASSOA IDL Studio*

Delivering a Lesson @ ASSOA*

IDL Leader Brian @ NTOEC Studio

Teacher Training @ NTOEC

Teacher Training @ NTOEC

Final Studio Testing @ KSA

KSA Studio Launch with Education Minister Hon Syd Sterling

KSA School Assembly @ Halloween

KSA IDL Leader Kim @ Work

REACT User Group Meeting!

 The School of the Air in the Northern Territory (Australia) was the first to use REACT, starting in 2005 to deliver Interactive Distance Learning (IDL) lessons to their students living in remote and regional locations.  The School is arguably the largest classroom in the world with students spread across 1 million square kilometres. 

The School of the Air has schools based in Alice Springs and Katherine whose students predominantly live in remote locations such as on cattle stations or may be travelling around the country wherever their family's work takes them.   The Northern Territory Open Education Centre in Darwin whilst not strictly a School of the Air serves students predominantly living in aboriginal communities also using REACT for IDL lessons.

Prior to the introduction of IDL, students received their lessons over the airwaves using HF radio - hence the name - and by correspondence.  With the introduction and success of REACT, Katherine School of the Air turned off their HF radio for the last time after 40 years in use, in 2006 - a significant milestone.

The Schools started IDL by using one studio (classroom) to deliver lessons from but with timetables quickly filling up due to a greater demand, the Schools now have additional studios from which lessons are delivered.

Both Alice Springs and Katherine have visitor centres where the general public can take a look at the workings of the Schools.  Alice Springs in particular has huge visitor numbers which include many visiting dignitaries, members of the royal family and recently the Governor General of Australia.  This provides a terrific showcase for not only REACT but for the dedicated work of the Schools and their staffs in one of the most challenging education environments in the world.

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* ASSOA IDL Studio / Delivering a Lesson @ ASSOA 2010,  "Photos", William Newman (Webmaster), accessed 11 February 2010,    http://www.assoa.nt.edu.au/lifestyle/photos/