DISCIPLINE
The application was used in a unit that focused on Multimedia Project Management. However, the shell can be used for any discipline.

DURATION
Entire length of subject/unit/course (e.g. 13 weeks of 3 hrs/week).

ICT USED

• Web site - 2 interfaces provided based on connection speed. For broadband, a "Shockwave" interface was provided, for modem speed connections an image-based interface was also provided to allow for quick connection.
• The site was primarily designed for Microsoft Internet Explorer 5+, and Netscape Communicator 6+, though it also works on older browsers. The site relies heavily on user feedback via Cascading Style Sheets. These features aren’t available in older browsers.
• filemaker pro backend database system contains the core of the content. The server itself is a G4 Macintosh, running MacOS X 10.1
• Video streaming was also supported to provide contextual examples of employers and industry representatives discussing the importance of skills being learnt.
  However, the video streaming facility is no longer used. We had a video streaming server attached to "JoePM" when it was running for 2-3 years, however, now that it is used solely for demonstration purposes (as we are using a new courseware management system that is component based) the streaming server has been taken off line.

DELIVERY CONTEXT
Both face-to-face and online. There are 13 face-to-face sessions that include a 1-hour lecture followed by 2-hour tutorials. Students use the tutorials to help understand the weekly content and interact with their peers.

The online component supports face-to-face instruction by providing:

• Team and individual logins to set up team profiles.
• Contract completed by each student to define their responsibilities within the team.
• Journals to help students track their progress, as well as that of their peers.
• Weekly information resources including - skills being targeted, items to complete, focus questions, relevant pages for text and reader, Powerpoint slides, templates, QA procedures, useful links and video clips from industry representatives.
• Training materials based on the weekly topic.
• Expert tips and tricks related to the weekly topic.
• Communication tools (Bulletin Boards) to discuss issues and post summaries.
• Electronic portfolios and file management tools to update files to server.

TARGET AUDIENCE
Learners can be from either undergraduate or postgraduate streams. However, the learning design is targeting students in their final year so they can apply their skills to develop a product as part of a team, while at the same time developing generic skills needed for employment.

COHORT
Any number of students. Ideal student/tutor ratio is 20:1 to allow for 5 teams of 4 students.

BROADER CONTEXT
This third year unit encourages students to select a team role or identity their skills in a multimedia development team. Students choose a role and become "expert" in a team that produces a web site for a "real" client. In this role they create QA procedures, metrics and provide services that are identical to the industry. This helps students to pull together all the skills they have developed in other others, and at the same time develop professional skills needed for the industry, as graduates of the Bachelor of Communications (Interactive Multimedia).

The learning environment is designed to promote meaningful learning (in any subject area), which then also results in the development of generic skills as a natural consequence of the learning activities. Skills targeted at ECU were focused in the domain of project management and included communication skills, leadership skills, collaboration skills, research skills, self/peer assessment, time management skills, learning to learn skills, problem solving and task management skills.

IMPLEMENTATION OF ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES
Assessment is implemented as follos.

IMPORTANCE OF ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES USED
All the assessment items are integrated.

• Students create project proposals, and design specifications that are used to create a multimedia product for a real client.
• The problem solving activities are used to encourage the students to interact with the content needed to develop project proposals, design specifications and other documentation needed to develop their product.
• The self and peer assessment is used to reflect how each team member is performing, and has a direct influence on the project.

HOW ICT USE HELPS
The learning problem prompting use of ICTs was helping students engage in deep and meaningful learning, and as a result develop generic skills.

ICT support helped to scaffold many of the learning activities. In particular, self/peer assessment was simple for the students to complete, and it was easy for the tutors to read reports that were compiled by the online application. Similarly, the online problem solving system provided open and feedback to all the students.

MOST IMPORTANT ICT CONTRIBUTION TO LEARNING DESIGN
Flexibility in providing resources and feedback to students. Feedback from peers - within their own team, and in other teams. Also, students could see solutions and comments made by tutors in other tutorial groups.