Designing collaborative e-learning for the net generation

The designer of higher education programs is on the cusp of some very exciting resource development particularly in the area of postgraduate coursework. Part of this is because of the new learner, a millennial or net generation learner who is time-poor, a networker with strong inclinations towards social or community knowledge pooling and a multiple media literacy which is comfortable in virtual worlds and with visual emphasis. The other element is the perceived changing role of the university or higher education in the transfer of knowledge, moving from a transmission or narrative model to learner-centred and performative approaches. This has been highlighted by greater emphasis on experiential learning methodologies, and the development of action learning practices. The nexus of these two influences, the new learner and the higher education response to delivering learning, may be elaborated further from learning theory which seems to be moving beyond social constructivist approaches, or certainly encompassing what is referred to as connectivism.

This may be a new theoretical approach, or it could simply be an organic growth in meeting the needs of large numbers of higher education student participants who perceive a degree as a skills-based workplace preparation. Whatever the theoretical underpinning may be, the large numbers of learners moving to postgraduate coursework or more workplace oriented programs and subjects has thrown out the challenge to instructional designers to provide just-in-time, relevant and socially transferred learning with strong creative and imaginative engagement.

The case studies incorporated in this paper provide two separate approaches to these challenges - one is a workplace oriented postgraduate team project in a Masters in Communication, the other provides a virtual simulation for developing creative and professional writing skills at postgraduate levels. They both provide perspectives on the net generation learner and collaborative and connected learning models.