Sheffield has joined the growing list of universities deciding to invest in a major expansion of e-learning.

The university is upgrading its WebCT virtual learning environment to the latest version, WebCT Vista, which will allow it to meet growing demand from students for courses to be made available online.

The decision follows similar moves by other universities such as Coventry and City (London).

Sheffield has been using e-learning for around six years, but its popularity has grown hugely in the past two or three years.

Paul Leman, the university's head of internet services, said: "As the technology improves, it is being used more and more.

"Students are coming in with more IT knowledge and the lecturers are also seeing the benefits of working in this way."

Leman cited the growth of broadband access among students as a major reason for the system's growing popularity.

"We are networking halls of residence and are even providing wireless access for students in private accommodation," he explained.

Students use the system in many different ways, including for full distance learning, completing online assessments and participating in online discussion groups with students at other universities overseas. There have even been cases of long-distance love flowering over the system.

The university is not yet using WebCT to deliver live lecture content, but Leman has seen the system being used in increasingly sophisticated ways.

"Some of the lecturers are very ambitious. Funnily enough, usually the ones in the arts departments. There are more and more streaming media elements being put on the system," he said.

Sheffield currently has 500 courses on the system, accessed by over half of its 25,000 students.

Leman expects a considerable increase in take-up and content once the WebCT Vista pilot begins later this year.

"There are a lot of new features in the latest version that I suspect will prove very attractive to students and lecturers alike," he explained.

"We have students now who will only choose modules if they are delivered by WebCT.

"I don't know if that's because they don't want to get up in the morning, but it's certainly something they enjoy using."