The Digital Backpack is an online portal that provides safe and secure access to a range of online learning platforms for students and teachers in the ACT. It is hosted and protected by secure ACT Government identity and access management systems. The Digital Backpack can be accessed from devices at school, home or elsewhere with a SchoolsNET username and password.
The Digital Backpack includes:
- Cybersafety Help button that provides online access to cybersafety information and assistance available in Australia.
- G Suite for Education (GSFE): a cloud-based education platform offering online productivity tools for learning and classroom collaboration. GSFE provides students and teachers with unlimited cloud storage in Google Drive, Docs, Sheets and Slides. Google Apps also provides student email and other online learning tools like Google Classroom.
- Office 365 is a cloud-based offering of the full Microsoft Office suite online in the web including online storage with OneDrive for Business. Students are able to download the latest version of Microsoft Office Pro Plus on up to five personal devices from the Digital Backpack.
- An online library system 'Oliver' that provides over 2,000 e-books and e-audio books. Students can borrow e-books and e-audiobooks at school, home or elsewhere via the school's online library catalogue.
Students must abide by the Directorate’s Acceptable Use of Information Technology policy when accessing public or Directorate network, Internet and email services. Services requiring personally identifiable student information to be stored outside of the Directorate will only be made available after parental consent.
More information, including the Directorate’s Acceptable Use of Information Technology policy can be found at:
https://www.education.act.gov.au/public-school-life/learn-anywhere-ict-for-students/resources-anywhere-digital-backpack
At Macquarie, students selectively access the Digital Backpack as part of their learning programs. Please contact the front office if your child requires assistance accessing the Digital Backpack or their SchoolsNET account.