The evolution of online learning environments:
Perspectives from integrating online report
writing programs into the science curriculum

Online learning environments have created new contexts for teaching and learning both in terms of approaches, materials and space. In addition, the experiences of teachers, developers and learners both in creating this space and interacting with it have reshaped the boundaries of what it means to teach and learn in higher education. Drawing on our work of the last 5 years, in developing online programs to improve report writing skills in the sciences, we will discuss the ongoing challenges in the evolution of these teaching/learning spaces. We will explore the issues involved in creating these spaces, tensions between the theoretical perspectives we have drawn on and the new online environment, the blending of the online and face-to-face curriculum and emerging relationships between teachers, developers and students. Based on our discussion, we hope to highlight key principles and issues which are critical for teaching and learning in these new university contexts.