Figures indicate that during the HSC large numbers of students used the website as a study aid, as more than 800 000 page downloads were recorded during October, the month the HSC began. 

NSW HSC Online is a joint initiative of Charles Sturt University (CSU) and the NSW Department of Education and Training. 

CSU Head of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dr Lyn Gorman, said the results indicate the HSC Online site has been successfully re-launched after a complete rebuild in April this year. 

“The re-design involved the addition of new content and materials to match the new HSC syllabus in 38 subjects, including, for the first time a number of Vocational and Educational Training subjects.

“The new site has seen an increase in the types of material made available to students, including the use of new media, such as sound files for all language subjects on the site and greater use of interactive tools, including quizzes and interactive assessment which allow students to test themselves.”

For the first time, the site also features a professional development resource centre for teachers, and support guides for parents. 

“When the new HSC was announced, the project team reviewed the site to assess how well it was meeting its target audience of rural and regional users, but also students and teachers in metropolitan schools,” Dr Gorman said.

“It is gratifying to see this technology being used as a tool for education by a large user base. The nature of the technology means students across the board can access resources assisting them in their studies.”