IDEAS forum to revitalise thinking in schools

Building better futures for school students is the aim of the Innovative Designs for Enhancing Achievement in Schools (IDEAS) National Learning Forum to be held at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) from April 16 to 18 2008.

Around 120 delegates from as far as Sicily will attend the forum on Celebrating the creativity of educators and the power of Re-thinking.

USQ Associate Professor of Education Dorothy Andrews said the IDEAS concept had been applied in a number of schools and the forum would allow results to be shared with other educators.

'IDEAS is a whole school improvement process. It was developed to get schools to think about their future goals and future directions,' Associate Professor Andrews said.

'We're working on some big projects in Western Australia, Victoria, Sydney, Canberra and Queensland. We've also got people coming from Singapore and we're doing work in Sicily, so they'll be represented at the forum as well.'

Associate Professor Andrews said the forum will assist schools in their thinking and planning for the future.

'We are moving schools to rethink where they want to be in the future. The problems faced in this world are different to problems in the past. The challenges are different, the students are different. The forum will look at new ways of thinking to prepare schools for future challenges.

'It's about getting schools to find their own solutions.  We provide the framework and processes for thinking and build capacity for teachers to work with their principals to re-culture schools.'

The forum will also be an opportunity to showcase the University to a broad educational audience.

'On the Wednesday evening Vice Chancellor Bill Lovegrove will address guests and the evening will feature USQ,' Professor Andrews said.

'It is important to demonstrate the strong relationship the University has with the region and to realise a regional university in Toowoomba can do something pretty significant things.'

The forum will be held in the Allison Dickson Lecture Theatre. For more information visit the website http://ideas.usq.edu.au.

Media Contact: Jane Urquhart USQ Media +61 7 4631 2559