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e-learning in post-secondary education 287to be completely re-designed, then project management becomes essential. Itis more difficult to determine whether mixed-mode courses, which combine areduced face-to-face teaching load with substantive online learning, require aproject management approach, but they would certainly benefit from collegialmaterials development. In general, though, the more important the role of e-learning becomes in a course, the more important it becomes to use a fullproject management approach.Lastly, successful boutique, project management, and collegial materialsdevelopment require access to resources, such as instructional designers,graphics designers, web programmers and, above all, someone who understandsand is experienced in project management. Project management andcollegial materials development therefore require a significant shift inmanagement strategies and approaches to teaching, as well as resources dedicatedto funding staff other than teachers. However, even a Lone Ranger canuse many of the principles of project management when developing coursesusing e-learning.LEARNER SUPPORTSupport for e-learners is perhaps the most important and least understoodaspect of e-learning. Noble’s fear of the automation of teaching has not proveda reality in most cases because, without adequate support for learners,programs collapse. Learner support covers a wide range of topics, but the mostimportant are:• marketing/course information;• registration and tuition-fee payment;• course admission/passwords/technical help;• ordering and delivery of materials;• online moderating;• student counselling;• student assessment and feedback.With the possible exception of online moderating, these issues are not anydifferent from those of regular campus-based learners where e-learning ismerely used as a classroom aid. However, as the proportion of time devoted toe-learning compared with regular classroom teaching increases, then so doesthe importance of equivalent online learner support services. The more timestudents spend on e-learning, the more they need and expect other services,such as online admission and registration, online counselling, online paymentof tuition fees, and online ordering of materials to be available. For students