"Contested Knowledges: Online learning community to foster an appreciation for multiple perspectives about Resource Management"

The learning experience is driven by four individually based assessment tasks that students complete at set intervals during a 14-week subject. Students have access to a web site that provides content resources and an asynchronous discussion tool to facilitate an online learning community to discuss the content, that is, the multiple perspectives associated with the management of resources.

Students engage with the content by critiquing literature (both on an individual basis and as an online cohort) relating to a number of given scenarios in order to identify key issues. They also have opportunities to contribute to the knowledge base of the subject via online features such as a dynamic glossary and bibliography.

Key support mechanisms are the instructor who acts as a "guide on the side" and a four-key question framework formulated to assist students examine the literature.

This exemplar has been selected for inclusion for the following reasons:

• It represents a learning design that utilises ICTs to foster discourse of different perspective amongst students.
• The learning design is underpinned by constructivist learning principles facilitating students to construct their own meaning and knowledge. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in discussions and contribute to the content of the subject.