Implementing Online Delivery and Learning Support Systems: Issues, Evaluation and Lessons

Abstract

IT is unlikely to create empty institutions delivering distance learning; it is more likely to create distanceless learning which is potentially more accessible to students. This implies the whole business of delivering teaching and learning will be transformed in a way that has not happened for generations. While it is possible to develop IT-based approaches that, to some extent, mirror traditional methods of remote learning by isolated individuals which has little or nothing to do with lifelong experiences or expertise, most academics will find themselves forced to confront very basic questions about what it is that they are trying to achieve and how they might best go about achieving those desired outcomes. This paper considers some of the practical aspects and ways in which, where possible, they have been addressed. The premise of this work is not about technology but the application of technology in a teaching and learning context.