Harnessing Insight into Disciplinary Differences to Refine e-learning Design

Many different teaching methods are used to support learning in higher education. Research into the relationship between the knowledge traditions of fields of study and their most appropriate teaching methods identifies clear differences between the appropriate which are the most suitable in different disciplines. Increasingly, blended approaches to education are being introduced, integrating e-learning with face-to face methods. However, major influences on our understanding of the potential of e-learning have come from psychological and educational perspectives, which are not, of themselves, clearly associated with specific disciplinary needs. This paper identifies e-learning approaches which particularly suit specific disciplinary preferences. It surveys students to identify methods which they believe are particularly relevant to their studies. Their responses support the case for taking a disciplinary perspective when developing blended approaches