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The Australian government Office for Learning and Teaching's (OLT) Resource Library is a key means of disseminating the outcomes from projects funded by itself and its predecessor organisations, the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) and the Carrick Institute. In order to apply the recommendations and resources emanating from these projects, it is vital that educators and other stakeholders are aware of, and effectively able to use, the Resource Library. Based on anecdotal evidence indicating a lack of awareness of the Resource Library and problems with consistently being able to search for and retrieve relevant resources from the database, the OLT commissioned a project to formally evaluate the Library and redesign it to improve access and usability. This paper reports on the project's progress, including the results from a questionnaire completed by 117 higher education stakeholders.

Discovery-based learning designs incorporating active exploration are common within computer-based instructional simulations, supported by constructivist theories of learning focussing on active individual knowledge construction. On the other hand, researchers have highlighted empirical evidence showing that ‘pure’ discovery learning is of limited value and that combinations of explicit instruction and guided discovery learning are more effective. Little is known, however, about differences in the cognitive processing that occurs when a learner undertakes active discovery learning using a computer-based simulation compared to when they are guided through observation of simulation output. A better understanding of the cognitive processing occurring when learners interact with on-line materials in the context of specific learning designs is important both for networked learning researchers and for on-line teachers. This paper reports on a study in which the brain activations from two learning conditions using computer-based simulations were compared using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). One condition allowed exploration through manipulation of simulation parameters, while the other allowed observation of simulation output from preset parameters. Drawing on constructivist theories of learning, it was hypothesised that the active exploration condition would lead to greater activation of brain areas associated with working memory organisation and long term memory formation. The study also set out to explore the broader feasibility of using fMRI to explore learners’ cognitive processing while undertaking holistic learning activities using on-line learning materials. Results of the study were somewhat equivocal about differences in brain activation with no consistent differences in activation between the two conditions able to be measured. Consistent with our related research which suggests that discovery learning strategies vary substantially across individu

Active learning is a key element of constructivist learning theory and has been used as an argument for employing discovery-based designs with instructional software. On the other hand, researchers have highlighted empirical evidence showing that 'pure' discovery- based learning is of limited value. This suggests that how learners interact is important in predicting whether learning occurs. This paper reports on a study of 158 university students who each used two instructional simulations - one with a discovery-based design and the other with a tutorial-based design. Students' learning outcomes were assessed via pre-tests and program were recorded and coded as either systematic or unsystematic. The results showed that when compared with the tutorial-based learning program systematic exploration resulted in learning benefits, while unsystematic exploration did not. These results have implications for the design of instructional software if such resources are to be used effectively.

Recent educational models of computer-based interactivity stress the important role of a learner’s cognition. It has been suggested that interactive learning tasks carried out in the context of an authentic, problembased scenario will result in deeper elaborative cognitive processing leading to greater conceptual understanding of the material presented. Research methods that have been used to investigate cognition and learning have traditionally included self-report questionnaires, focus groups, interviews and think-aloud protocols and, more recently in computer-based settings, interaction log file or ‘audit trail’ analysis. While all of these techniques help researchers understand students’ learning processes, all are limited in that they rely either on self-report or behavioural information to speculate about the cognitive activity of users. The use of functional brain imaging techniques has the potential to address this limitation. Drawing on issues encountered during a recent study using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), this paper discusses the methodological issues involved in the use of these techniques for exploring interactivity and cognition. Initial results comparing brain activation when exploring an interactive simulation with brain activation when using an equivalent tutorial program, for a single participant, are presented in order to provide information about the feasibility of the proposed methodological approach.

A great deal has been written over the past few years about the characteristics of a new generation of students and the implications for teaching and learning. This generation, which has variously been referred to as the ‘Net Generation’, ‘Digital Natives’ and ‘Generation Y’ are claimed to be very different to their predecessors in their familiarity with technologies and the regularity with which they use them. Additionally, some commentators have claimed that their immersion in technology during their developmental years has changed the way that they learn and perhaps even the physiology of their brains. This paper reports on some preliminary results from a large cross-institutional study of the implications for University teaching of the characteristics of this generation of students. This paper focuses in particular on the results of a survey of the frequency with which 2588 first year students at the University of Melbourne, the University of Wollongong and Charles Sturt University, use 41 different applications of new technologies in their study and personal lives. The results indicate that there is greater diversity in frequency of use of technology than many commentators have suggested. Importantly, the use of collaborative and self-publishing ‘Web 2.0’ technologies that have often been associated with this generation is quite low. The results of this large survey suggest that to accept the claims of some of the commentators on the changes needed in universities to cater for this generation of students without undertaking further research is likely to be a substantial mistake.

Recent educational models of computer-based interactivity stress the important role of a learner’s cognition. It has been suggested that interactive learning tasks carried out in the context of an authentic, problem-based scenario will result in deeper, elaborative cognitive processing leading to greater conceptual understanding of the material presented. Research methods that have been used to investigate cognition and learning have traditionally included self-report questionnaires, focus groups, interviews and think-aloud protocols and, more recently in computer-based settings, interaction log file or ‘audit trail’ analysis. While all of these techniques help researchers understand students’ learning processes, all are limited in that they rely either on self-report or behavioural information to speculate about the cognitive activity of users. The use of functional brain imaging techniques has the potential to address this limitation. Drawing on issues encountered during a current study using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), this paper discusses the key methodological issues involved in the use of these techniques for exploring interactivity and cognition.

This paper describes a project, which has been supported by the Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, that aims to identify how the technologybased tools of a new generation of students can be successfully used by higher education. Recent commentaries propose that Universities are ill-equipped to educate a new generation of learners whose sophisticated use of emerging technologies is incompatible with current teaching practice. This project will investigate this proposed gap between learners’ and teachers’ use of technologies and identify the implications for higher education. This paper presents the rationale of the project, highlighting its critical stance on current notions of the ‘Net Generation’. The three phases of the project – Investigation, Implementation and Dissemination – are then described. The project will be undertaken as a collaboration between staff at The University of Melbourne, the University of Wollongong and Charles Sturt University. In the final stages of the project, members of the ascilite community will be able to participate in practical workshops based on the lessons we have learned from questioning the ‘Net Generation’.

Three dimensional (3D) technologies have revolutionised computer games to the extent that virtually all new games are based upon 3D graphics. Some might claim that it is only a matter of time before 3D environments become the norm for other types of software, such as business systems, desktop computer task managers and online learning resources. On the surface it would appear that 3D environments have great potential in educational contexts as they provide the possibility of rich learner engagement and allow learners to explore, construct and manipulate virtual objects, structures and metaphorical representations of ideas. This thesis argues that the potentially unique contribution of such environments to learning depends on their ability to facilitate spatial learning. Specifically, it is argued that the ability of such environments to facilitate spatial learning is an implicit assumption in applications of 3D learning environments, whether they are based on models of real or metaphorical objects or spaces. In order to explore the degree to which 3D environments have unique advantages over alternatives such as video or interactive multimedia in facilitating spatial learning, it was necessary to first identify the distinguishing characteristics of 3D learning environments. The study identified seven characteristics of 3D learning environments that distinguish them from other types of multimedia learning resources. These are realistic display, smooth update of views, smooth display of object motion, consistency of object behaviour, control of view position and direction, object manipulation, and control of object model and simulation parameters. Having identified the distinguishing characteristics of 3D environments, the study explored the contribution of these characteristics to spatial learning. Investigating the contribution of all of these characteristics was considered to be outside the scope of a doctorate. Consequently, the contribution to spatial learning of

This paper explores the potential learning benefits of 3D Learning Environments (3DLEs). It presents definitions of key terms and analyses the learner-computer interactions facilitated by 3DLEs, in order to identifj! the unique characteristics of such environments It is argued that the most important potential contribution of 3DLEs to conceptual understanding is through facilitation of spatial knowledge development. The effectiveness of3DLEsfor spatial learning is discussed, drml'ing on7iterature from a range ofdisciplines. Aspects ofa research agenda are identified including exploration of the characteristics of 3DLEs that are most important for spatial learning along with issues in designing appropriate lem71ing tasks.

There is a lack of published research on the design guidelines of learning spaces in virtual worlds. Therefore, when institutions aspire to create learning spaces in Second Life, there are few studies or guidelines to inform them except for individual case studies. The Design of Learning Spaces in 3D Virtual Environments (DELVE) project, funded by the Joint Information Systems Committee in the UK, was one of the first initiatives that identified through empirical investigations the usability problems associated with learning spaces in virtual worlds and the potential impact on student experience. The findings of the DELVE project revealed that applying architectural principles of real-world designs to virtual worlds may not be sufficient. In fact, design principles from urban planning, Human–Computer Interaction (HCI), web usability, geography, and psychology influence the design of learning spaces in virtual worlds. In DELVE, the researchers derived several usability guidelines: form should follow function, that is, that the shape of a building or object should be primarily based upon its intended function or purpose; use real-world metaphors such as mailboxes for students to leave messages, or search pods similar to real-world information kiosks; consider realism for familiarity and comfort; design for storytelling; or design to orient the user at the landing point, etc. However, the investigations in DELVE identified that the key usability problems experienced by users in 3D learning spaces are related to navigation and wayfinding. In this chapter, we report on the Navigation and Wayfinding (NAVY) project which builds on the findings of the DELVE project. As the most commonly used virtual world for education, Second Life was the logical choice for conducting the NAVY project research. Based upon empirical investigations of a number of islands in Second Life (an island is a space which is analogous to a website in a 2D environment) involving user-based studies