The Anthropology Teaching and Learning with Electronic Resources (ANTLER) project, an initiative of the University’s IT Policy Committee, was a collaborative venture between the Library, the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning. The aim of ANTLER was to investigate the issues which arise when creating an online academic course which effectively demonstrates the integration of content delivery, skills acquisition, information resources, and assessment within a single online environment.
Anthropology and Sociology had been actively reviewing its first year curriculum, seeking to integrate information technology into their teaching programme in order to promote more active learning. With a large enrolment, including a significant number of distance education students based in Albany and Geraldton, Anthropology and Sociology provided an ideal test bed for exploring the benefits and challenges of the online delivery of course materials.
The project examined a broad range of issues concerned with delivering an academic unit online. Designing information for effective delivery online is not the same as designing a traditional academic unit. The aim of this project was to produce a "best practise" model which would assist academic staff new to online teaching produce a course efficiently and effectively. WebCT was selected as the online environment. Staff training in WebCT authoring and ongoing technical support (both for staff and for students) were two challenges.
Teaching in an online environment is made more effective with access to online information resources. ANTLER strove to pioneer a model which, possibly for the first time in Australia, effectively integrated digital information resources within the main online academic unit. The University Library is designing an online course materials system which echoes the physical course reserve. The intention is to produce an "electronic reserve" students can access anytime, anywhere; whilst browsing the Library Web site, or from within their WebCT course itself.
The Project Team delivered their Final Report in October 2003.
