Southern Cross University (SCU) has six Australian campuses plus overseas based students through our strong international links. SCU currently has over 16,000 students, with around 3,000 enrolled as external distance learning students. All of the units taught at the university have an online presence with extensive use of video-conferencing, Web-conferencing, video, audio and other online tools to facilitate learning.

High speed broadband would enable SCU to provide students with opportunities to engage in world class communication and media rich student-centred learning environ­ments. Limitations of the current available bandwidth are restricting teaching innovations and students’ access to the types of technolo­gies that are available overseas. In particular, improved bandwidth would enable improved collaborative learning opportunities for all students and provide opportunities for links with industry and other universities to create engaging learning environments.

SCU’s Converged Delivery Project is cur­rently designing and developing an inno­vative range of learning and delivery designs that respond to the technical opportunities avail­able in the 21st century. The University is acknowledging that students need be able to access flexible, relevant and engaging study options to meet their work and family respon­sibilities. The aim is to develop a new genera­tion of flexible delivery.

Many of the innovations being trialled would benefit significantly from greater bandwidth so that all students can effectively access and contribute to the learning activities. For example, the use of virtual environments allows study content to move away from static text and one-way media downloads to collabora­tive, media-rich and immersive learning options.

By enabling students to engage with professionals in industry, authentic and inter­active learning environments are being cre­ated to allow students to practice workplace skills. These activities will encourage students to be ‘work-ready’. Virtual legal moot courts, online scenario-based learning for health professionals and virtual hotels where tourism students can practice frontline management skills and interview skills are some new developments.

"Every Southern Cross University student should have a range of pedagogically sound study options to best suit their learning prefer­ences and their work and life demands. This vision would see all students, whether geo­graphically in close proximity to a campus or not, provided with equitable learning opportu­nities through a single enrolment mode."

Professor Janet Taylor Director, Teaching and Learning, SCU

Other opportunities include:

• students access to high resolution images and video facilitating new learning experiences in many University subject areas, such as nursing, environmental science, visual arts and music;
• effective collaboration with other students in Australia and overseas via web and video conferencing, exchanging media-files and content to enrich their learning experience, and;
• improved communications with researchers in other Universities, in Australia and overseas, facilitating more collaborative research projects.

Improved access to higher bandwidth would enable SCU to demonstrate how regional Australia can provide engaging learning experiences for all students, regardless of how, when and where they study.