Flexible Learning Guidebook
Flexibility, when incorporated into curriculum design enables people more choice in their learning.
Today, many organisations are working out new ways to offer flexibility in their learning programmes. For example, a combination of distance and face-to-face contact(blended), flexible start and end dates, the full assessment of an individual's skills and understanding prior to starting a course, smaller courses to pick and mix, individualised or negotiated assessment, open access for wider participation. In this topic we will look at a few examples and consider the methods used to achieve flexibility.
Activity
Activity Three – Investigate and describe an example of Flexible Learning in your organisation:
- Make a time to talk to two colleagues about how they incorporate flexibility in their teaching.
- Who are their students?
- How are the five dimensions of flexibility designed - time, delivery and logistics, entry requirements, content and instructional approaches and resources (Casey & Wilson, 2005)? Hint: Use the flexibility grid - Table 2.2, p. 7 & 8, and also Appendix 3, p. 41-44 in A practical guide to providing flexible learning in further and higher education by Casey, J. & Wilson, P. (2005). A practical guide to providing flexible learning in further and higher education.
- You may wish to interview the teachers, and/or prepare a description to post to your blog. (Remember to ask permission to use any audio or other information on your blog.)
- Use the Three-Step Reflective Framework and template as a guide when writing posts for your blog. Look for the template. (This is based on Bronwyn Hegarty's Doctorate research.)
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Reading
- Listen to or read the article: Akyol, Z., Garrison, D.R. & Ozden, M. (2009). Online and blended communities of inquiry: Exploring the developmental and perceptional differences. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 10(6).
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