Abstract

This chapter discusses the use of online materials to enhance the student’s dissertation experience in an Irish Higher Education Institution. The project began in the School of Hospitality Management and Tourism in 2009 partly as a reaction to the fact that from that September, the final year students of all honors degree programs would complete a dissertation. This necessitated a more structured approach to the management of this process and also meant that supervisors would be supervising many more students than heretofore. As part of this new system, it was decided to investigate the possibility of developing online support materials which would be available to all students in conjunction with the support that their supervisor would provide. This chapter discusses the process by which the resources were developed, presents examples of materials that have been used successfully and engages in an analysis of how the success of such materials can be evaluated. The experience and views of students are also incorporated in the chapter as a key way of appraising the effectiveness of the online tools.