Future (and present) engineers need to be great communicators, complex problem solvers, interdisciplinary team members, system thinkers, and mindful of the socio-technical world in which they live and work. E-learning is a reality for many engineering educators and ‘shovelware’ will rarely deliver these graduate attributes! The technology is only as good as the methodologies that it supports. While e-learning has had its fair share of criticism over the last few years, there are a number of approaches emerging that seek to exploit the advantages of the online learning medium. This paper does not seek to definitively address a formal research question but rather act as a catalyst for discussion and exploration. This paper introduces a range of e-learning activities that are designed specifically to encourage deep learning and take advantage of the educational potential of the World Wide Web. Case studies highlighting the potential (and constraints) of using methodologies such as the Insight Reflector, WebQuest, Hotlist, Knowledge Hunt, and other e-learning activities are shared. Concepts discussed that are critical to the success of e-learning design include authenticity, learner scaffolding, usability and trust in the facilitator.