The Flexible learning strategic enhancement programme will build on the HEA’s suite of Flexible Pedagogies reports which were published during the autumn of 2013 and the spring of 2014 culminating in Professor Ron Barnett’s Conditions of Flexibility: securing a more responsive higher education system. Key to flexible learning is offering students choice in how what when and where they learn. The programme will be based around a developing framework in which the principles and ‘conditions’ of flexibility are explored with a view to the implementation of some form of flexible delivery. The framework can be used at a range of levels including institutional self-evaluation professional development and curriculum planning and design.
| Higher education provider | Project lead | Project |
|---|---|---|
| Keele University | Robert Stannard | The expected outcome of the project is a blended staff development offer for associate tutors overseas available from July 2015. This will act as a contemporary model of flexible blended educational delivery based on sound pedagogy and learning design that meets the needs of a culturally and disciplinary diverse group of teacher-students. |
| Leeds Beckett University | Clare Wiggins | The Leeds Beckett team plans to extend the work of two programme areas: The StART Programme which aims to provide students with enhanced flexible capability and provide them with the ability to make choices; and the Student Journey Project which launched a few months ago and has created an As-Is process map of the current student journey. |
| Newman University | Dr John Peters | The aim is to develop a flexible learning strategy for Newman University in partnership with students and staff which focuses on the growth of students as flexible learners. The priority will be to develop the flexibility of student learners using the affordances of flexibility in pace place and mode of provision and by identifying and further deploying flexible pedagogies. |
| Ruskin College | Paul Di-Felice | To develop a core body of staff with the pedagogic and technical expertise to (a) review provision within their own programme from the perspective of flexible learning and (b) advise on wider college provision. Within this the two key areas for development are (a) assessment and feedback and (b) enhancing peer assisted learning through the use of on line forums. |
| Sheffield Hallam University | Stella Jones-Devitt | This project aims to develop a methodology which will facilitate the appraisal of the widest range of stakeholder expectations for flexible learning within the university. A key output will be an embryonic prototype upon which both SHU and the HEA can scale-up to a realistic and achievable flexible learning framework alongside contributing to sector-wide knowledge and understanding. |
| The College of Estate Management | Aled Williams | This project aims to develop a holistic strategy that addresses the main challenges identified within the College’s teaching and learning plans. It will also create a bespoke innovative staff development programme. |
| University of Birmingham | Professor Michael McLinden | There is an increasing focus on the needs of ‘non-traditional’ learners within the institution and in particular on ensuring that these needs are fully understood to ensure equality of opportunity. Within the context of the Inclusive Curriculum Working Group the main aspect of institutional practice that will be developed through participation in the programme is evidence informed flexible learning approaches that seek to ensure all learners regardless of ‘mode’ ‘pace’ or ‘place’ of study can benefit from an equitable experience. |
| University of Cumbria | Dr Esther Jubb | To develop a framework identifying the key elements of flexible and distributed learning at the University of Cumbria to support Academic Departments and Professional Services in identifying and responding to the needs of students. This framework would be a clear articulation of what ‘flexible’ means at the University. |
| University of Huddersfield | Dr Michael Snowden | This project will enable the development of a transformative model of learning that applies the principles of mentorship to aid learning development and places the learner at the heart of the learning experience. Drawing upon heutagogy solution focussed teaching and learning (SFT) strategies and embracing the concept of ‘learning spaces’ presents a developmental opportunity. |
| University of Warwick | Robert O'Toole | The project intends to design and implement a strategy for institution-wide engagement with flexible learning through the Extended Classroom. |