Education Hack 4.0 | With Cisco and Flinders University

Are you ready for the future of learning?

Together with Cisco ANZ and Flinders University’s Digital Schools Network, we brought six South Australian schools together to explore the possibilities of education in the digital age.  From technology’s impact on lesson planning, to a greater need for digital literacy at a younger age or how future data resources will look, the potential topics each school could tackle are endless.

Once the teacher and student teams decided on their challenge, they came to Flinders at Tonsley to take part in the Education Hack 4.0, with the aim to come up with a product and pitch they presented to judges from Flinders NVI, Flinders University and Cisco.

MEET THE JUDGES: 

Professor Lindsay Connor

Dean (People & Resources) College of Education

Psychology and Social Work

Hassan Mekawy

Manager,

Professional Learning and Networks

Curriculum and Assessment SACE Board

Matt Salier

Director

New Venture Institute

Mike Duhne

State Manager SA

Cisco Australia.

Education Hack 4.0 was delivered as a component of the Digital School’s Network (DSN), which is an element of the industry and education sector partnership between Flinders University and Cisco.

The DSN focuses on how technology helps teachers to become better educators, and helps students learn about emergent technologies. The event is a practical and experiential demonstration of the Digital School’s Network’s applications and is designed to teach participating schools the hackathon format, so it can be used again. Combining the expertise and knowledge of students and teachers, the format is a powerful way to define priorities and focus on practical solutions.

“We are on the brink of an explosion in digital technologies and their use and adaptation for education practices globally,”

says Professor Lindsey Conner, Dean of People and Resources in the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work at Flinders University.

A broad mix of secondary schools participated in the hackathon, with student/teacher teams from Scotch College, Pembroke School, St Pauls College, Banksia Park International High School, The Australian Science and Mathematics School and Glenunga International High School preparing for the event.

The hackathon was an intense two days for the student/teacher teams, and was designed to fast-paced and experiential. After a full two days of ideation, prototyping, collaboration with the facilitators and feedback looping – each of the teams pitched to the panel, and two were announced as the winners of the Innovation in Schools prize packages, with each school eligible to choose from one of the Innovation programs. 

Congratulations to:

Australian Science and Mathematics School: Caleb, Tate, Lewis, Lauren

Project name: ProfessionIT – Unlocking Opportunity

An online platform that helps students connect to work placements that are relevant to their future aspirations.

Glenunga International High School: Amelie, Andrea, Valeria and Emily

Project name: RETA Curriculum

A new curriculum assessment that allows a change in mindset that redefines ‘failure’, a better feedback cycle and assessment tasks with real world connections.

Each school team amazed the judging panel with how considered and forward-thinking their presentations were. The Education Hack 4.0 was a huge success, and now the format can be replicated by each teacher back at their respective schools.

Want to introduce innovation-based programs into your school?

We’d love to work with you on bringing Innovation to life through one of our many products and partnerships. If you want to find out more, visit the Innovation in Schools web page, or just fill out the form below for more information: