DISCIPLINE
Engineering (all types), Geography, Arts, Science, Education

DURATION
Over several learning sessions

ICT USED
E-Sim utilises internet technology to enable synchronous and asynchronous interaction amongst students and teachers/tutors that may be geographically separated. Particular aspects of the technology required are:

• Server-based software: Typical Course Management software (e.g. Blackboard, WebCT, TopClass) can be adapted to host the e-Sim. Primary features needed in server-based software are password protection to discussion board, email and content hosting facility. Secondary features are group work areas, real-time chat and other collaboration facilitation tools.
• Specialised proprietary software such as Fablusi could also be used.
• Client software: students use an internet browser and must have an email address.

DELIVERY CONTEXT
Delivered in blended format with face-to-face sessions for parts of the briefing and debriefing stages. The interaction and forum stage are online. Delivery to distributed locations requires some training in debriefing techniques at each location.

TARGET AUDIENCE
This learning design has been tailored to the undergraduate sector.

The current version has been implemented with second and third year undergraduate students.

Participating students are enrolled in a subject on Asia-Pacific Development Studies as well as Engineering subjects on Environmental Engineering and Technology. Students taking these subjects are drawn from the Faculties of Art, Science, Education and Economics as well as Engineering. The students in these subjects are studying at different Universities and in different countries.

Participants need to have basic computer (email, website navigation) and groupwork skills. Reflective and independent learning skills are desirable.

In terms of the content, the students acquire the knowledge they need while researching their role. In this learning design some students had knowledge about the Mekong region and development issues while others had prior knowledge about Engineering.

COHORT
The learning design was originally designed for a student cohort of 140 which is broken into groups of four.

The design is scalable and could be run with cohorts of 30 up to several hundred. However, management of groups is a key issue.

BROADER CONTEXT
The Mekong e-Sim is a component of three different subjects in four participating institutions:

• Asia-Pacific Development Studies, University of Sydney:
  Third year geography students drawn from the faculties of arts, science, education and economics.
• Technology Assessment, University of Technology, Sydney:
  Third year engineering students from sub-disciplines comprising civil, environmental, telecommunications, computer software engineering and mechanical engineering.
• Environmental Engineering II, Adelaide University & Sepang Institute of Technology, Malaysia:
  Second year engineering students from the Civil, and Civil and Environmental Engineering programs.

Each subject uses the e-Sim to create an experience for the student about the Mekong region and the socio-technical issues facing the region. This experience can then be interpreted within the theories and practices applicable for each subject. It is designed to occupy 40 hours of an individual student's time and comprises between 35 and 50% of the assessment for the subject.

The intended learning outcomes from this learning design are:

• Awareness of multiple dimensions and perspectives about natural resource decision-making in the Mekong region.
• Knowledge about stakeholders' roles, responsibilities, values and attitudes of organisations involved with development in the Mekong region.
• Development of communication, research, critical thinking, negotiation and decision-making skills and an appreciation of cultural/disciplinary differences and approaches.
• Utilise Information Communication and Technology skills.

IMPLEMENTATION OF ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES
Within the learning design there is a strong linkage between learning outcomes and assessment tasks. The assessment includes measures of the performance of the participants while they are undertaking the activity, and measures of their learning from the activity.

The performance of participants is measured by the quality and quantity of email and postings to the Forum. The quality of the posting is measured primarily by peer assessment with validation by teaching staff. Their participation in the activity is also monitored through statistics obtained when they access the website.

Other learning outcomes are assessed through written reflective material (essays), a technical report on a specific issue (issues paper, news articles) and multiple choice quizzes on information about the region and other personae. Biggs' assessment framework using SOLO (Structure of Learning Outcomes) is used to grade reflective tasks.

All groupwork activities use an online self and peer assessment process to improve groupwork function.

The breakdown of marks between the assessment items are:

• Persona Statement (10%).
• Quizzes (10%).
• Issue paper (20%).
• Persona Performance (30%).
• Critical Learning Incident (15%).
• Debriefing Report (15%).

IMPORTANCE OF ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES USED
The balance of marks between the assessment of student performance and the assessment of other items in the learning activity is thought to have a significant impact upon student learning. Assessment of the persona performance can help encourage participation in the activity. An over-emphasis on participant performance tends to produce a strong understanding of the perspectives of that individual persona but not necessarily the perspectives of all personae. In particular the reflective essay is important to assess the extent to which students are able to be aware of multiple perspectives on issues.

WHY ICT IS USED
The problem addressed by the use of ICT was, "How to have access between distributed students?" and how to create a "rich and authentic simulated world in which they could collaborate".

HOW ICT USE HELPS
The affordances offered by the use of ICT are:

• distributed interaction;
• different communication media richness; and
• asynchronous and synchronous interaction.

MOST IMPORTANT ICT CONTRIBUTION TO LEARNING DESIGN
The most important aspect of using ICT in the learning design is communication to promote collaborative learning.