E-learning for geoscience: an educational approach

In the summer of 1999, the department of Applied Earth Sciences of Delft University of Technology started a project to stimulate instructors in the use of a web-based learning environment. The idea was that instructors would electronically support their B.Sc. and M.Sc. level educational courses. A small group of enthusiastic instructors was kick-started with an introductory course, and they began to use the virtual learning environment BlackBoard. It was soon discovered that this new environment changed the tutor-student relationship completely, and questions arose on how to use course content in such an environment, and what role it should play in the new communications options. Here we explore some of the problems faced, and we illustrate them with five examples of how the knowledge model can be used, and how the creative thinking of our instructors has enriched our educational program.