based off campus courses. Learning and teaching strategies vary across the courses. 

Frequently they consist of a text based framework of information in addition to activities 

which include asynchronous and synchronous communication with teachers and peers, plus 

online and workplace activities. Some courses are supported by textbooks and use the online 

technology primarily for collaborative work by class members, submission of assignments and 

communication between all members of the class. Some courses are only available to a 

minimum number of students, while others can be completed by individuals working at their 

own pace. A number of courses are still at a developmental stage. 

TAFE SA Online (

http://www.tafe.sa.edu.au/top/

) has more than 1000 students in over 100 

subjects in 20 accredited courses. The online courses provide learning materials, guidance, 

tracking, and instructions from TAFE tutors who communicate with students through e mail 

and online discussion groups. Students can also interact with one another and TAFE SA 

support staff through the online learning environment. Some courses are delivered entirely 

online while others are supported with a range of printed materials or other learning resources. 

Individual and collaborative learning tasks are designed to be undertaken off and online. 

Assignments can be completed online or delivered electronically to the lecturer for marking. 

Online quizzes are also used for self assessment and for some areas of final assessment. 

Case Study 3: Australia. Edith Cowan University 

This case study is a transcript of an interview written by Desmond Keegan. 

Edith Cowan University [12] <12> (

http://www.cowan.edu.au

) is a university in Perth, 

Western Australia. The university s virtual campus for web based training has an enrolment of 

8000 students in over 120 units in more than 30 courses. 15.000 of the university s 20.000 

students have access to the web for library and other services. As of August 1998, 5 courses 

are completely web based. Focus is on interactive learning environments which are supported 

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