Central Queensland University's drive to provide students with state-of-the-art, online learning opportunities has won the University an international best practice award.

CQU took out the veteran-user category for its ongoing Multimedia Streaming Project at the recent TeleConnections/TeleSpan Conference Best Practice Awards.

The awards are designed to recognise and reward organisations or individuals who are using rich media conferencing technologies.

The conference - an industry event for users of video conferencing, web conferencing, audio conferencing, satellite TV and live streaming - is a one of its kind in Australia and presented expert opinion and showcased best practice from Australia, New Zealand and the USA.

CQU's Manager for Flexible Delivery Services, Shaune Sinclair said the award recognised the multimedia streaming project as a well managed and executed project that will deliver an industry-leading delivery system for CQU.

"It recognised CQU as an industry leader and constant innovator in the area of video streaming and video conferencing for flexible delivery.".

Funded by CDP, CQU's multimedia streaming project commenced in early 2003 and has moved through various phases of research, needs analysis, market testing and finally design and implementation. The technical implimentation will be completed by March 2005, after which the working party will coordinate a gradual rollout and trials of the technology.

Mr Sinclair said the system will be used to deliver online video, audio and/or web based materials to staff and students, initially across the Central Queensland campuses.

"We expect that the materials will also become available to broadband Internet users and other CQU campuses over the next year or two," he explained.

"The multimedia streaming programs will include teaching materials, CQU corporate communications and staff development/training materials.

The project has been driven by representatives from CQU's Information Technology Division (ITD), Division of Teaching and Learning Services (DTLS) and faculty academic staff.

Photo (left): Multimedia Streaming Project Team members (L-R) Malcolm Russel, John Nelson, Allan Honeysett, Leone Hinton.

Photo (above): Multimedia Streaming Project Team members (L-R) Ian Jenkins, Shaune Sinclair, Peter Lawrence, Julianne Weekers and Dan Yarrow. Absent: Dave Patterson, Jillian Litster, Carlos Isaza, Colette LePage, Ashley Holmes and Jeanne McChonnachie.