Abstract :
With increasing international collaboration in the delivery of higher education
e-learning programmes, the requirement for changes in institutional
practice needs to be considered in relation to the creation of shared online
resources. A group of academic and learning technologists involved in a
US/UK project experimented with technology and a new cultural approach to
creating learning material suitable for use in geography programmes on either
side of the Atlantic. The methodology, called Collaborative Learning Activity
Design was undertaken to develop a series of learning activities to support the
use and understanding of the Global Positioning System. As a result of this
study, effective communication, reliable and flexible technology and a robust,
iterative methodology were identified as critical factors for successful outcomes.
These outcomes included learning materials that are readily redeployable
in other institutions and cross-fertilisation of ideas and knowledge to
produce higher quality resources.The experiences of designing and developing
multi-institutional learning materials from the viewpoint of practitioners at
the University of Leeds are discussed in this paper.
