More than 90% of teachers who have undertaken specialised technology-based training are engaging their students in information and communications technology (ICT) and e-learning, a study shows.

It found that 83% of teachers have used ICT/e-learning in new ways since undertaking training.

The findings come from researchers at Deakin University, which monitored participants in the Intel Teach to the Future program , run jointly with education departments in NSW, Victoria and Queensland.

The program, aimed at Kindergarten to Year 12 educators, is designed to equip teachers with the skills to integrate technology effectively into teaching and learning.

Since launching in Australia last year, the program has trained more than 4 000 teachers, covering an estimated 70 000 students.

It runs in 30 countries with 2.3 million teachers having completed the training.

Deakin University faculty of education consultancy and development unit researcher, Carol Oakley, said more than 70% of teachers surveyed were giving lessons each day that had technology integrated into them.

The real goal of the program is helping teachers to integrate technology into the teaching and learning that goes on in the classroom, Ms Oakley said.

The research found more students were using the internet to research projects and multimedia presentation software and web pages to collate and present their work.

Teachers believe integrating technology into teaching had encouraged students to be more independent learners and to think and research more deeply, Ms Oakley said.

It had also boosted the quality of their school work and motivation levels.

In the past, often it has really just been a small group of teachers within a school who might be using technology, she said.

Now it is across all subject levels.

Intel education program manager, Ludmila Fedorovitch, said the 40 hour training program was offered free to educators and two teachers were selected from each school to be master trainers.

She said by the end of the year the number of trained teachers was expected to reach 7000.

by Jennifer Foreshaw, Education Writer
The Australian 27 September 2005