1 Paper presented 20 September 2000 at Borderless Education – a Seminar on Virtual University Initiatives Nordic Interactive, Copenhagen, Denmark Draft, not to be quoted. Internationally distributed and problem-oriented teaching and learning in a net environment Robin Cheesman & Simon B. Heilesen Department of Communication, Journalism and Computer Science Roskilde University A recent sample of the uses of ICT in Danish higher education illustrates great diversity both in technological solutions and in pedagogical techniques (Heilesen 2000). Although Internet technology is the common denominator for the majority of the courses reported on, uses range from Computer Based Instruction (CBI) to Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW). At such a time of “letting a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought contend” it is not an easy task find a common ground for a Virtual University, nor is it easy to identify one particular approach as being the most promising one. Interaction may take place between learner and program, learner and instructor and learner and learner. The basic functionalities of networked multimedia dictating the nature of the exchange are defined variously as information, communication and transaction (Danielsen 1997) or, using verbs, to observe, discuss and manipulate (Brown & Duguid 1995). Examples of purpose are training skills, acquiring information, reaching an understanding, creating a product. Means can be CBI programmes, web pages, conferencing systems or systems for CSCW. These many parameters may be combined in numerous ways. But for the sake of argument, let us look at some typical uses: