Flexibility: Beyond Distance Learning

Introduction

Distance learning has been mostly taken as synonymous with flexible learning and vise versa. Flexible models of teaching which allows students to study at any time and any place have traditionally characterized as distance education and which is taken as flexible learning.  Yes, distance education is one way of flexible learning, however, flexible learning now days become very complex and involves many dimensions on the top of distance education.  It is becoming very broad concept and coming to  satisfying the needs of individual students. Flexible approaches increase the degree of student control over when, what, where, how and at what pace they learn. It has been recognized that there is no single way to teach or learn flexibly. There must be more flexibility to meet the needs of the learner, through adaptability to different learner needs, learning patterns and settings, and media combinations (Van den Brande, 1993, in Collis & Moonen (2001).  With this in mind, there have been many types of strategies for introducing more flexibility deliver a  courses/study.

Possible Flexibility Dimensions

Distance learning has played a major role in extending educational opportunities in many parts of the world. It can directly improve the accessibility of education by facilitating work-based and community-based learning being one dimension of flexibility. Now a days , there are different issues that one can be flexible in the teaching learning process beyond distance learning.  According to Collis & Moonen (2001), the following are flexibility areas in teaching;

·         Flexibility in time like finishing and starting a course

·         Flexibility in content (like content sequencing)

·         Flexibility in entry requirements

·         Flexibility in  instructional approach and resources

·         Flexibility in delivery and logistics

Therefore, it is possible to see clearly that there are different dimensions of flexibility in the teaching and learning process beyond distance.      

Why Flexibility

Flexibility comes to emerge to the response for different interests of learners. According to Van den Brande, (1993) in Collis & Moonen (2001 ) flexibility is to meet the needs, learning patterns and settings, and media combinations. Flexibility has the following purposes:

·         Flexible approaches to teaching and learning cater for a range of student learning styles and approaches;

·         Students are given more choices about how, when, and where they learn

·         To  response to a range of contemporary demands; flexible approaches to teaching and learning provide the potential to attract more students

·         Students will increasingly require educational programmes and a way of experiencing those programmes tailored to their own situations, rather than fitting a standard model

·         Researches also indicated that flexibility has a lot of advantages with respect to instructors, (Gunn, McCormick &  Honey, 2002 and Collis & Moonen, 2001).

Which all are related to satisfying diversified needs of students.

Challenges in Implementation Flexibility

Although flexibility is more interesting and seems to be affordable, there are associated challenges when come into practice. Flexibility learning may be:

·         Unmanageable

·         Not acceptable

·         Not affordable

·         Nor realistic (Collis, 1996a in Collis & Moonen, 2001)

The following are some examples of possible flexibilities, associated disadvantages and advantages:

a)      Open assessment schedule for students: Learners currently are not interested to take examinations based on a scheduled time, hence, there is a demand from students to take examinations and assessments when they feel comfortable and ready to take.

b)      Open entry requirement: Students show an interest to  join a particular field of  specialization regardless of their prior knowledge. There is high demand for academic institution of such students.

c)      Open choice of courses and topics: Workers and adults are currently showing an interest to take a particular topic of study or course which fits with their day to day life problems. The academic institutions have a great opportunity to attract these learners.

d)     Open communication with the instructor: There is a demand from students to contact with their teachers through email, Skype etc rather than face to face contact.

e)      Online learning: Contents are delivered through online system to satisfy the needs of different learners who cant come to school to attend face to face

However, the above flexibility options have their own advantage and disadvantages (simply one advantage and disadvantage)

Flexibility	Advantage	Disadvantage
Open assessment schedule	·         Give time for students to read	·         Difficult to manage the time, room for exam, etc
Open entry requirement	·         Students will attend their first choice of interest	·         Creates the issue of accreditation of studies
Open choice of topics	·         Learners will get pertinent study to solve their real problem	·         Creates the issue of accreditation
Open communication	·         Student can access the teacher at any place, and time	·         Difficult for the teacher to manage
Online Learning	·         Reaches learners who can’t able to come class	·         Decreases interactive learning

My concern and understanding:

Flexibility is market driven education system: “Reaching the customer through their interest”. However, currently, learners have too diverse and complex interests, hence, I have a fear that as flexibility increases, the issue of de-schooling will come to emerge.

What do you think?

References

Gunn, McCormick &  Honey  (2002). The challenge of change: introducing

Flexible learning into a traditional Medical and health sciences faculty. University of Auckland, New Zealand. Retrieved on September 22, 2010 at http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/auckland02/proceedings/papers/125.pdf

Collis, B., & Moonen, J. (2001, second printing 2002). Flexible learning in a digital world: Experiences and expectations. London: Kogan Page