Virtual platforms at Athabasca University

Abstract

The Athabasca University environment includes a virtual media lab (the e-Lab) which is an integrated website platform for curriculum enhancement and development, social networking, and pedagogical and disciplinary research. The e-Lab consists of a Virtual Tool Cupboard, a Demonstration space featuring e-Portfolio (Mahara), a Workshop space that uses Adobe Connect for webconferencing, a Social Networking environment called the Landing (built in Elgg), and a space for Pedagogical Research whose current theme is mobile learning. .Although complementary, these initiatives are reasonably autonomous. The primary benefit of the e-Lab to the university community is in supporting experimental initiatives for online learning, networking, creativity, and communications. These can be tied directly to courses and applied coherently across entire programs in an online learning community.