The school has unveiled its new-look library to parents and the community after the transformation by staff during the last school holidays.

As part of the close to $200,000 in new technology introduced this year, the school has partnered with the University of Newcastle in a world first – using virtual reality technology in a senior drama class.

Year 11 drama students are using the new virtual reality headsets and equipment to create 3D representations of stage sets corresponding with their unit of study.

Teacher Louise Rowley applied for an innovation grant through the school for the project after researching the use of the virtual reality in theatre.

Associate Professor Erica Southgate from the University of Newcastle, who is assisting with the project, said Dungog was the first high school in the world to use the technology for drama and performing arts.

“We research how new technology such as virtual reality can enhance learning for students and how teachers can use it effectively in classrooms to offer students 21^st century learning skills,” she said, praising the school for its innovation.

“The students and staff have been amazing,” she said. “They have taken this (technology) and run with it and created the most amazing theatre designs.

“It’s an experience of 21^st century learning right here in Dungog. The results have been extraordinary.”

Student Georgia Stewart said her drama class would use the virtual reality equipment once or twice a week for their 52-minute lessons.

“It’s an opportunity we haven't had before,” she said.

“It’s certainly upped the quality of our set designs.”

Ms Rowley said as well as creating a virtually reality set design, the students then had to create a real design – which was of greater quality thanks to the students honing the design beforehand.

“It improved their depth of thinking,” she said.

This technology is just one part of the new-look library.

The library is now a hive of activity before school and at lunchtime with students keen to be in the new space.

The students are offered robotics clubs and coding lessons during lunch time which have been taken up with enthusiasm.

The library is sectioned into fluid zones allowing classes to run at the same time but without interrupting each other.

One zone for example allows for large presentation and parent talks or whole year meetings while another allows for collaborative research.  All the tables can be moved to suit the class and the table tops double as white boards where students can brainstorm or use the space for working out maths problems.

There are 60 laptops in the library students check in and out like a book to use or they can bring their own device which is slowly increasing as the whole school has access to wifi.

Senior students have access to quiet rooms solely for their use which offer booth style seating as well as desks and access to larger computer screens.

The revamp is the result of input from both students and staff over a lengthy period. The long term plan by Principal Janene McIntosh aimed to  bring critical elements into the school’s everyday working – collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creative problem solving.

“We are taking a professional learning and a collaborative approach not just in the infrastructure but in the learning for the staff and students that comes along with that investment,” she said.

Ms McIntosh created an E-learning head teacher  to work with partner primary schools around the district.

“We are embracing technology as being integral to learning,” she said.