STILE - A HYPERMEDIA APPROACH TO THE PROVISION OF A FLEXIBLE, INTERDISCIPLINARY RESOURCE BASE FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING

The STILE Project is using hypermedia to provide greater opportunities for independent and flexible modes of learning both in a campus situa tion and for distance learning. The approach is resource-based. STILE provides a mechanism for users (both teachers and learners) to discove r and access relevant resources when they need them, together with fac ilities that enable users readily to use and re-use existing materials and to integrate them with further materials of their own in a way th at seems natural to them. The result is not a closed and finished prod uct, but a set of tools and services and a continually developing reso urce base. The effect is to ease the load on academic staff in maintai ning and supporting student access to resources and to enrich the set of resources available to both staff and students. This paper outlines the underlying philosophy of the project, the technical infrastructur e that has been developed, and current use, and discusses some of the associated theoretical and practical issues.