Cashing in on the connection
While the extent to which the Internet can be integrated into the traditional university structure is still being developed, the race is on to use this medium to offer classes, courses and even entire degrees.
Dennis Glover, was involved in the creation of the Knowledge Nation platform the Labor Party campaigned on in the last Federal Election, proposes to use e-learning to open up educational opportunities to a broader cross-section of Australians.
"We were searching around for ideas which would enable us to have a more educated society. We were looking for a way to include as many people as possible," Glover says.
However, in the course of his research, Glover realised e-learning represented an important economic opportunity for Australian Universities.
"The recommendation was that Australia aims to become a world leader in the creation and delivery of e-learning content," Glover says. "To achieve this, the courses needed to be just as good, if not better than, the offline courses on offer."
According to Glover, a leadership position in the development of e-learning materials would reinvigorate tertiary education in this country, and create more opportunities for academics.
While the Australian Labor party has yet to reendorse its Knowledge Nation policies, it is becoming clear that some of the ideas it put forward are becoming a reality in Universities throughout the country and the region.
Along with increased use of the Internet as an adjunct to face-to-face training, the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has launched an Internet-based post-graduate Masters of Business in Information Technology.
According to Lyn Forsythe, marketing manager for corporate development within the Faculty of science at UNSW, the course will be delivered to students throughout the Asia Pacific zone.
"The Internet has allowed us to offer flexible modes of delivery," Forsythe says. "We have full-time, part-time or online, and we now have over a thousand students enrolled from all around the world, from Papua New Guinea to China."
Similarly, the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) is working in conjunction with the African Virtual University for the creation and delivery of computer science courses.
However, such offerings may find the wind taken out of their sails by an innovative, and ambitious project based in Singapore.
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?