New reforms in the Australian Curriculum, particularly in the three cross-curriculum priority areas (ACARA, 2015), focusing on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and culture, Asian and Australia’s engagement with Asia and Sustainability, offers alternative possibilities to learning in new media. This research investigates how alternative possibilities can be achieved when creativity and innovation are privileged in active learning environments. These learning environments position schooling in a new light, extending education into new and often unknown spaces.

The research project reports on the implications and consequences of employing the cross-curriculum priority areas in diverse intercultural settings. The evidence indicates teachers often lack confidence to foster critical and creative thinking skills in learners and highlights the need for further systemic support in the preparedness of teachers to develop experiential learning opportunities that lead towards innovative solutions.