CONFERENCE THEME

Web-based learning is rapidly emerging as an alternative or complementary approach to traditional classroom-based education. The World Wide Web is changing the way that universities and corporations offer education and training to their students and employees. This has been demonstrated with a shift from a traditional instructor-centered learning environment to a learner-centered platform.

With the rapid development of Web-based learning and new concepts like virtual classrooms, virtual laboratories and virtual universities, many issues need to be addressed. On the technical side, there is a need for the effective technology for deployment of Web-based education. On the learning side, the cyber mode of learning is very different from the classroom-based learning. How can instructional development cope with this new style of learning? On the management side, the establishment of a cyber university imposes very different requirements for the set up. Does industry-university partnership provide a solution to addressing the technological and management issues? As with many other new developments, more research is needed to establish the concepts and best practice for Web-based learning.

These developments are forcing educational institutions to expand their technological and pedagogical developments within their distance learning structured environments on many different levels (e.g. systems, applications, infrastructure, social etc.). Subsequently, the successful application of e-learning encourages innovation, enhances the workforce performance, and helps reduce cost expenditures.

The 2nd International Conference on Web-based Learning (ICWL 2003) follows the tradition of the successful ICWL 2002 held in Hong Kong and aims at providing an in-depth study of the technical, pedagogical, as well as incorporating management issues of Web-based learning. Additionally, focus will be applied on issues of interest to the learner, offering the optimal web based leaning environment to achieve high academic results. Deakin University is organizing this conference in conjunction with The Hong Kong Web Society, to provide a forum which gathers educators, researchers, technologists and implementers of Web-based learning from around the world to discuss, collaborate and advance all relevant issues pertaining to this area of research.