The impact of technology on the ways we work with our students in their learning has been dramatic. The technological landscape in which we operate is a dynamic one.

In the late 90's, The University of Melbourne took a major initiative in bringing multimedia and educational technology to centre stage. The 'TaLMET' program of project grants led to the development of 227 imaginative medium scale projects across all areas of study in the university - architecture, arts, economics and commerce, education, engineering, law, science, music, medicine and health sciences, and veterinary science. While a small number of Melbourne subjects are offered 'online', the objective was to move the 'digital revolution' into the mainstream of teaching and learning at Melbourne. As simple measures of impact, over 400 teaching and professional staff were involved as successful project applicants; subjects typically had enrolments of around 300 students and around 30% of projects reported over 1000 student.hours of engagement per semester.

Innovative curriculum change must be driven and owned by the practitioners of their discipline. In the later phases of the TaLMET program, emphasis moved to a partnership that required financial commitment from the discipline faculties to establish local support, development and maintenance processes; in many cases these faculty-based initiatives provided an active focus for new programs of high quality, often developed in collaboration with a centrally supported design and technical unit. In parallel with this, over the last two years, Melbourne has moved to implement an enterprise-wide LMS, to provide a basic online space for all subjects and for all students on a common platform. The ramp up of LMS activity has been steep and it is planned that all subjects will be available through the system by 2008.

The University of Melbourne is a campus-based institution. Students' ability to participate in the life of the university, while also being part of a broader international community is valued as a notable feature of their experience. Elearning is not to be a replacement for a campus-based experience, but an integral part of it. Among key principles in the strategy will be opportunities for students to have a coordinated e-learning experience that increases in sophistication as their course develops, to use e-learning environments to link to and engage with current research programs, and to use e-learning mechanisms to increase opportunities for international networks and learning. The provision of newly designed spaces in a network of learning hubs that promote active and collaborative learning programs, enabled by access to technology, is a major development project in that strategy.

The paper will present an overview of these evolving challenges at The University of Melbourne.