PROJECT LEARN: Supporting On-Campus Learning with On-Line Technologies

Abstract

PROJECT LEARN (http://learn.lincoln.ac.nz) was initiated in July 1997 as an in-depth staff development activity which provided targeted academics with a team of instructional designers, graphic artists, and computer consultants to help them restructure their instruction to take advantage of the interactive capabilities of the World Wide Web (WWW). A key premise was that any resources developed would engage students in exercises that promote an active learning experience. Students interact with subject-specific material, related resources, and other students and teachers. By systematically focusing on academics teaching compulsory subjects, PROJECT LEARN staff were able to create materials which are used by the greatest number of students—thereby increasing the campus-wide impact of their work. This article includes the development model, results from implementation, and a discussion of factors which have contributed to the project’s ongoing success. It concludes with a discuss of how the implementation of PROJECT LEARN compares to the University of Twente’s Implementation Model and generalizes to other university settings.