THE VIRTUAL CAMPUS - ECUS DEVELOPMENTAL PATH

Edith Cowan University's Virtual Campus arose out of the need to offer technology-based subjects such as computer science to remote, distance education students. It was decided to use technology to assist in the teaching of technology and the Virtual Campus project was born. The path from idea to implementation proved to be rocky with the way ahead blocked by technical problems, telecommunication issues, costs, training hassles and staff resistance to change. The path was cleared of major obstacles and the project is now fully operational and gathering strength. The development team is now looking ahead to new goals: graphical user interfaces, multimedia training materials, better tools and a computer-managed learning (CML) engine that will drive remote multimedia learning packages housed on CD-ROMs. Originally developed for use by distance education students, the ECU Virtual Campus is now in demand for internal use also and is opening up possibilities for mixed mode learning of traditional campus-based courses. This paper follows the developmental path of the ECU Virtual Campus from its beginnings to its future goals and details the major events along the way.