Transformations in contemporary higher education have led to an explosion in the number of degrees delivered online, a significant characteristic of which is the incorporation of multimedia to support learning. Despite the proliferation of multimedia and growing literature about the affordances of various technologies, there are relatively few…

Academics preparing students for experiential placements within professional programs require considerable curriculum planning and pedagogical expertise. Communities of practice involving workshops and online processes provide opportunities for collaborative work in developing quality curriculum materials and also in supporting widespread…

Mobile devices, such as tablets and smart phones, are increasingly being utilised as tools for education, with tablets such as the Apple iPad being introduced into many classrooms. These devices are seen as enablers of learning through a fun, interactive interface; however the process of producing a pedagogically valid, yet entertaining…

The University of Sydney is a large, research-intensive, campus-based Australian University. Since 2004 a strategic initiative of project-based eLearning support has been creating teams of non-academic and academic staff, who have worked together to develop online resources to meet identified needs. The University's aims in continuing to provide…

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a powerful instructional design for professional education, which may be used to guide the design of interactive multimedia (IMM). An IMM package incorporating PBL principles has been developed to assist teachers in learning to integrate information and communications technologies (ICT) into their teaching. The…

This paper describes the evaluation of high quality learning designs, which are being selected for possible redevelopment in a National Project funded by the Australian University Teaching Committee (AUTC). The project focuses on "Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and Their Role in Flexible Learning" and is evaluating…

The five papers in this edition address issues of general interest in distance education. In the first paper, "Study Methods and Study Notes: Interim Report," Stephen Relf and Terry Geddes report on a study designed to identify patterns of use and trends in the ways in which distance students use their study notes. In the second paper,…

A study investigated models of faculty instructional support offered in universities in Victoria (Australia), including support unit location, sources of funding, nature of the support offered (for example, discipline-specific workshops, materials development, accredited courses, and study skills course components), student population receiving…

The perceptions and practical experiences are important influences when creating and developing online learning experiences in cross cultural contexts. In this study, 15 educational designers studying for their Master's Degree were asked to contribute their interpretations to an ongoing study of what meaning and interpretations were generated from…

This paper reports on the development and evaluation of "WoundCare: an Interactive Learning Program for Health Professionals" (trial version). The major goal of this project was to develop an interactive multimedia application that could be used by student nurses to enhance learning related to the assessment and treatment of people with…

Many tertiary institutions in Australia provide support to develop online teaching and learning resources, an environment characterized by demands from students for quality face-to-face and distance education, staff concern over workloads, institutional budgeting constraints and an imperative to use management systems. There also remains a…

This guide was prepared for staff members responsible for preparing materials for a program of external teaching at Brisbane College of Advanced Education. It includes information on the planning, development, and production of teaching units, including instructional design guidelines for: clarifying goals and objectives; maximizing student…

These 14 essays address convergence--the breaking down of barriers between open and distance learning and conventional education, and the creation of more multimodal institutions. "Convergence of Distance and Conventional Education" (Tait, Mills) is an overview to the book. "Efficacy and Ethics of Using Digital Multimedia for…

This report of a study of 36 Australian families involved in distance education suggest ways to improve learning materials and cautions that more needs to be known about how children learn in isolation before new communication technologies can be used effectively. Researchers interviewed parents, pupils, and home tutors--mothers or governesses,…

This project was commissioned to investigate ways in which schools can include the cultural activities and symbols of young people--musical interests in particular--in the design and implementation of a music curriculum. The resulting report is divided into three sections. First is a literature review that focuses on the musical interests of youth…