Towards First Year Biology online: a virtual learning environment

In our changing world where university students are demanding a greater say in their tertiary education, and in particular are demanding a greater flexibility in the way they receive their instruction, it is imperative that we investigate and experiment with course delivery strategies that fulfil these expectations. Online delivery of learning materials offers teacher and students a more flexible mode that may better suit the learning style and commitments of many of the students. First Year Biology at the University of Sydney caters for a large number of students with varying incoming academic backgrounds and interests. In an attempt to offer them greater flexibility in the learning environment we first launched a Virtual Resources Room (VRR) offering access to various learning materials and subsequent development of communications capabilities turned the VRR into a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). The paper will show how the learning experiences of first year biology students at the University of Sydney have been influenced by a change in teaching philosophy and how this change has stimulated the development of a virtual learning environment which offers both individual learning experiences and opportunities to work together. Further developments in 2000 will exploit Web discussion technologies (in particular WebTeach) to enable students to have more effective communications with one another and with teaching staff.