Friday, March 7, 2008

Breakdown of "Flexible learning, not just about distance"


Overview of handout one,
Introduction of 4 flexible learning components. Technology, Pedagogy, Implementation of strategies, institutional framework for drawing on previous experience from all components.
More flexibility to meet the needs of the learner i.e. media styles and formats, considering the learning patterns of the learner, have they any special needs that are to be defined.
"What have I drawn from this first hand out?"
The challenges I would face in considering flexible learning as a whole are :
1. Our Stakeholder input from industry would suggest a clearly defined time frame for all practical work as comparable with standard industry practise.
2. With our course being so condensed it would be hard for anyone falling behind (due to illness or lack of experience because of open entry) to catch up before the next semester.
3. We have an on-going and fluid approach to delivery but find it difficult to deliver what we envisage with less than desirable equipment and resources, I'm sure with the help of this course I will have new ideas and a foundation to launch them from.
Rating 3 - average - provides examples of online learning and distance learning, mentions correspondence

4 comments:

Bronwyn hegarty said...

Chef you have listed some very important challenges. Sometimes being innovative is tricky when working to the constraints imposed by industry. It will certainly take some creative and fast talking.

For example, assessments generally have to meet strict accreditation standards and something like online marking of an exam by a computer may be prevented if the accreditation body is unwilling to allow question styles to be changed to fit an automatic computer marking system. or they may worry about cheating and how it will be supervised.

Also could you be more flexible if there were more self-paced resources? So people could work to their time frame?

Now you have thought about some of the challenges - have you some thoughts about how you might solve them using the headings - technology, Pedagogy, Implementation of strategies, institutional framework?
Bronwyn

Sarah Stewart said...

Look forward to geting to know more about you and your department. cheers Sarah

Carolyn said...

It is a challenge to think about how flexibility can be achieved within academic and industry expectations. In our program the Midwifery Council dictate expectations regarding time frame for completion components that must be met etc, this is going to increase instead of getting less. So while we are looking at delivering more flexibly we are also having increasing control and regulation imposed on us. An interesting juggling act.

Alli B said...

What a breath of fresh air - I thought my subject matter was practical - if you can deliver some of your course by flexible learning practice mine should be a breeze!
Alli