Earlier this term, Sacred Heart College, Kyneton was invited by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to assist in the development of assessment materials for the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2029, an international study coordinated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Between November 2026 and February 2027, Year 10 students in selected schools across Australia and a few other countries will participate in a pilot assessment focused on the twenty-first century skill of Media and AI Literacy (MAIL).

On Friday 6 November, SHC became the very first school to participate in the MAIL pilot study.

The pilot is designed to help ACER researchers understand how students interpret and respond to assessment questions and ensure the items in the early stages of development are meeting their requirements by gathering feedback from students and collecting relevant data. No real AI was used for the assessment.

During the pilot, 48 SHC Year 10 students – all of whom were wonderful ambassadors for our College community – were asked to complete a series of assessment questions and tasks on a computer for 60 minutes. Eleven students then took part in a 40-minute focus group interview with ACER researchers where they shared their thoughts about the questions and tasks; and provided feedback on their experience completing the assessment.

ACER researchers commented on how impressed they were with the maturity and insights offered by all SHC students involved in the pilot. A huge congratulations to our students here!

SHC responses and understanding of the pilot assessment materials, will now inform ACER’s research in further developing the MAIL test in preparation for its implementation across OECD countries (including Australia) in 2029.