Elizabeth Stacey is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at Deakin University. She has researched, supervised research students and taught about topics covering a range of interactive communication technologies including online learning via the Internet, computer conferencing and collaborative learning through blended, flexible open and distance education. She has published regularly in international journals of distance education and educational technology. Philippa Gerbic is an active practitioner and researcher in the e-learning field. She teaches undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in teacher education and adult learning at the Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. She has recently completed a substantive investigation into undergraduate student approaches to learning when online discussions are included within a campus based programme. Other research interests include blended environments, the development of online and flexible learning, computer mediated communication, online learning design and student perspectives on learning. She is currently investigating the role of e-portfolios within a lifelong learning framework, and issues regarding their placement within blended environments.