Online Learning

Important Note: It is not possible to undertake a thesis externally due to residency requirements.

Online Courses and Subjects

• Why study online?
• Who should study online?
• Library resources
• Equipment needs for Online Learning
• Dial-in-access
• What happens after enrolment?
• IT assistance

Choose from the following

• Courses
• Online Subjects
• Professional Development Opportunity in Psychometrics

Why study online?

Learning online has a number of benefits. These include:

• the ability to schedule commitments around study
• time efficiency gains by saving on travel to study venues
• childcare considerations are minimised
• for online study, immediate access to online materials, papers and journals and chat groups of fellow students and teaching staff

Who should study online?

Despite the above benefits, online learning does not suit everyone's circumstances. Students who are wondering whether they should study online should ask themselves the following questions:

• Do I work well independently?
• Am I self motivated?
• Am I self-disciplined?
• Am I comfortable using a computer and associated software?

Those who answered YES to all questions may enjoy the experience of studying online. Those who answered NO may be better suited to on-campus learning.

Library resources online

Students enrolling in University of Melbourne courses from anywhere in the world have online access to more than 10,000 journals, several hundred of which are in the area of education. Many conference papers, reports, newspapers and statistics can also be accessed online. In addition the key databases which index the education literature are available via the Library's website: www.lib.unimelb.edu.au

Guides are available to help you find the information you need through Subject Resources @ Library dozer.infodiv.unimelb.edu.au/SuRe/subject.php

Equipment needs for online study

To study a subject online from home, the basic requirement is a computer with Internet access. The better the computer and the internet connection, the faster it will be to download material.

Some subjects may also require particular software or equipment. These are specified in the subject description, and on the subject guides available from the lecturer at the time of enrolment. However, these requirements are subject to change given the frequency in technology advancements, and students are advised to contact the lecturer in charge of the subject to confirm the requirements prior to purchasing any software or equipment specified in the subject description.

Dial-in access

The University's Information Technology Services (ITS) recommends that students select an ISP whose service works with the inbound proxy service. ITS keeps a list of ISPs whose service is known to work with the inbound proxy service, at: www.unimelb.edu.au/student/isp.html.

What happens after enrolment?

After enrolling in an online subject, students must create a computer account, which will provide them with an email address, and the ability to access the subject sites of the subjects in which they are enrolled.

Need IT assistance once enrolled?

If you have queries about non-academic problems such as access to subject web sites, or other online study materials, send an email (with your contact details) to education-onlinehelp@unimelb.edu.au
Telephone consultations can also be arranged through this email address. These calls can be outside usual working hours to accommodate student work commitments and different time zones.