The representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia’s information technology (IT) sector remains critically low, exacerbated by their underrepresentation in IT-focused higher education. Introducing Indigenous perspectives into IT curricula could create a culturally safe learning environment, stimulate Indigenous engagement in IT education and careers, and enhance cultural competency among non-Indigenous IT students. Despite the potential benefits, the integration of Indigenous perspectives in IT curricula has progressed slowly due to challenges such as academic hesitancy, curriculum overload, and student resistance. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of a four-year initiative aimed at integrating Aboriginal perspectives into an IT degree. Employing a quantitative research methodology, the study assesses the effectiveness of the approach in improving learning outcomes, reducing resistance, and influencing perceptions of relevance. The results reveal significant improvements in all these areas. A key finding is diminishing resistance towards the inclusion of Indigenous content, facilitated by sustained exposure. Key lessons include the importance of confidently conveying the necessity of cultural competency for future practice, integrating Indigenous and IT-specific content effectively, and framing approaches to avoid perpetuating deficit views.

Link to Presentation: https://youtu.be/1Nkx7s5nnBI