A program of development of online learning resources should provide content, resources, support and activities to promote excellence and innovation in instructional quality and assessment. This article provides details on five best practices in digital object development for teaching and learning. In addition, an evaluation of the learning object…

Higher education providers are becoming increasingly aware of the diversity of their current and potential learners and are moving to provide a range of options for their engagement. The increasingly flexible delivery modes available for university students provide multiple pathways and opportunities for those seeking further education. In…

The article "Conversation as Inquiry: A Conversation with Instructional Designers" (Campbell, Schwier & Kenny 2006) appeared in the "Journal of Learning Design" Volume 1, Issue 3 in 2006. Nine years on, Professor Katy Campbell, Dean of the Faculty of Extension, University of Alberta, reflects upon the arguments articulated…

While video is recognised as an important medium for teaching and learning in the digital age, many video resources are not as effective as they might be, because they do not adequately exploit the strengths of the medium. Presented here are some case studies of video learning resources produced for various undergraduate courses in a university…

The article on which this paper reflects ["Exploring a Cross-Institutional Research Collaboration and Innovation: Deploying Social Software and Web 2.0 Technologies to Investigate Online Learning Designs and Interactions in Two Australian Universities"] presented elements of a research project investigating learning interactions in…

Since the article "Beyond Instructional Design: Making Learning Design a Reality" (Sims, 2006) was published, much has changed in the opportunities we have for learning, and Professor Rod Sims's thinking has evolved. In this article, Professor Rod Sims reflects upon his original article, and he offers an evolved model of learning design,…

One significant manifestation of the proposition of a "classroom without walls" is the online learning environments evident in most contemporary Australian universities. A key element of the effectiveness of those environments is the quality of the interactions that they foster. Planning and implementing rigorous research into that…

This paper will explore some of the practical options that are available to teachers as we move towards Assessment 2.0. Assessment 2.0 describes an environment in which the teacher sets tasks that allow students to use more dynamic, immersive and interactive environments for exploring and creating responses to sophisticated assessment tasks.…

The paper addresses the question of how to design for learning taking place on mobile and wireless devices. The authors argue that learning activity designers need to consider the characteristics of mobile learning; at the same time, it is vital to realise that learners are already creating mobile learning experiences for themselves. Profound…

New technologies rather than educational principles and philosophies have tended to dictate the shape of development in the world of elearning. Giving educators an active and determining rather than a passive role in the development of learning systems is vital if e-learning is to realise its transformative potential in education in the 21st…

Research spanning the last thirty years confirms that people learn better by active enquiry, collaboration and experimental problem solving than by passive reception and acceptance of information. Empirical evidence, as well as the pressing demands of pervasive social and technological change, requires learning and teaching approaches that combine…

Instructional designers regularly engage in a process of professional and personal transformation that has the potential to transform the culture of institutions through faculty-client relationships. Instructional designers promote new ideas and understandings in social contexts that include other designers and clients, among others. This research…

Authentic learning designs have been explored for some time now and have frequently been shown to provide learning settings that provide many meaningful contexts for learning. These meaningful contexts provide not only encouragement for students to learn but also a raft of learning enhancements including higher-order learning and forms of learning…

When we reflect on the emergence of online education and e-learning as the leading contender to confront the traditions of face-to-face teaching and learning, it is not only a case of better understanding the characteristics of online environments, but also timely to assess the relevance of theories and frameworks informing the design and…