Welcome to the university of the 21st century. At the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), 92 percent of the 500 subjects on offer utilise online facilities to provide class information, lecture materials, and even interactive lessons. Aiming for the whimsical "let a thousand flowers bloom" approach, academic staff are in no way obliged to integrate the Internet into their teaching practices, however, the option is made available to all.
According the Shirley Alexander, director of the institute of interactive media and learning at UTS, encouraging teaching staff to experiment with the presentation of materials online has resulted in a range of online services, from lecturer videos to interactive educational CDroms.
"We have also been able to use the Internet to provide different qualitative opportunities for students," Alexander explains. "The most exciting developments are teaching approaches which aren't possible through any other medium."
Of the more innovative approaches to e-learning Alexander describes is a novel way to get water management students engaging in the politics that will ultimately affect them in the real world. Working in small groups, students were required to research the background of different leaders in the Middle East, and use this as the basis for their participation in an online role-play.
"I have never seen students so engaged in what they were doing. Some were setting their alarms at 1am so they could log on and see how the scenario had progressed," Alexander explains.
Although she concedes that not all approaches to online learning have worked according to plan, she says the more enthusiastic staff are cognisant of the risks faced by early adopters.
"There is a wide range of approaches, from people who just use it to post announcements to whole new approaches to class delivery," Alexander says. "The earliest adopters are generally so enthusiastic they are willing to experiment with different approaches, and they don't mind if it fails."
This will never work! After all, the internet is only used for porn and games... At least, that's what Alston tells us. Could it be that he has no idea what he's talking about?