New web site aims to help academics create quality learning experiences for university students

Dec 05, 2003

Academics in higher education now have a rich set of online resources to help support them create high-quality learning experiences for their students following the launch of a web site called "Learning Designs" in Canberra this week.

Headed by Professor Barry Harper, Professor John Hedberg and Professor Sandra Wills at the University of Wollongong and Professor Ron Oliver at Edith Cowan University, this large-scale Australian Universities Teaching Committee funded project titled: "Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and Their Role in Flexible Learning" was officially launched at the National Teaching Forum held in Canberra.

The Learning Designs web site offers a range of practical pedagogically sound ideas for teachers to draw upon when creating ICT-based learning environments for their students. The site provides a comprehensive range of resources supporting such outcomes as role plays, problem-focused learning environments and online collaborative learning environments.

Web site users can explore a range of proven learning designs, access a set of generic learning designs based on a selection of exemplars, as well as a set of ICT-based tools with potential for generic use.

Dr Shirley Agostinho, the project manager, said the project took over two years to complete and involved input from more than 140 people from the higher education community.

She said: "There was an overwhelming positive response by the academic community to participate in this project and we are very grateful for the significant contribution made by this community because without them this project would not have been possible."

The target audience for this resource is primarily those involved in higher education staff development, and academics wishing to employ ICT in their teaching. However, the ideas provided can well serve other education sectors such as corporate training and vocational education training.

Professor Harper and Professor Oliver describe the web site as among the first of its kind that draws together the good work already conducted by academics employing ICT in their teaching. They said that they hope that the outcomes of this project would serve as an impetus for uptake of ICT-based learning designs and that the concept of "sharing" among the academic community will be further encouraged.

Please note: The project team will next year conduct research into monitoring awareness of the site and its overall usefulness and would like the media to run the following email address if at all possible. Participants willing to be contacted in 2004 to assist in a questionnaire and possible telephone interview are asked to send their contact details to the following email address: dmc@uow.edu.au The web site address itself is located at: www.learningdesigns.uow.edu.au

For further information contact Shirley Agostinho at UOW's Faculty of Education on 4221 5512.

For more information, contact:

media@uow.edu.au
University of Wollongong
Ph: (02) 4221 5942; fax (02) 4221 3128