Migrating from paper-based course materials to interactive, Web-based, multimedia courseware

Since the early 1990's the convergence of telecommunications and computer technologies and their relative cost reduction, has created a range of opportunities for the development of new teaching and learning environments. These new educational environments can be linked to technological developments in the workplace and the home. While the latter environments are focused on business goals, entertainment and service provision, the hardware, software and infrastructure they require are largely compatible with that required for training and educational purposes. As Australia's newest regional university, Southern Cross has attempted to identify and conceptualise the opportunity to migrate from paper based print materials to telecommunications based interactive courseware as central to its mission as a regional provider of tertiary programs. At the same time, it is seeking to use these same technologies to regionalise, nationalise and internationalise its programs by offering opportunities for interstate and overseas students to study at Southern Cross without the need to physically visit the campus. The paper outlines the development of a Masters level unit in futures studies as an example of this new generation of courseware.