Introduction : [Changing university learning and teaching: engaging and mobilising leadership, quality and technology]

On the face of it, the significance of technology in changing university learning and teaching in the 21st century seems quite obvious. Developments in information and communication technologies (ICTs) have transformed the ways in which students and teachers provide, access and engage with learning and teaching practices. Whereas once an Australian student confronted with an assignment on the archaeological features of Crete, for example, would have to make the best of a relative dearth of material gleaned from the university and local libraries, now a simple Google search will uncover an abundance of material. The challenge has become how to manage information glut. In addition, the emergent Web 2.0 technologies such as Second Life offer many creative possibilities for designing curricula pertinent to the interests and practices of today’s university cohort.