Flexible learning is defined as offering education and training in a manner that best meets the needs of students, whether this be in the standard face to face classes, after-hours (evenings and weekend) classes, block courses or blended learning through a variable mixture of face to face and distance delivery strategies such as paper-based, video and e-learning technologies.Maybe a picture would help? (They’re worth 10,000 words after all!) Mark Nicols blogged about (and incorporated into his first e-Primer) this diagram which removes some of the confusion surrounding many of the terms used to describe today’s teaching and learning landscape.
When considering the diagram it’s important to bear in mind that the use of digital technology is not a prerequisite for flexible learning—a face to face evening class, paper-based distance education and a fully online course can all be considered flek-suh-buhl lur-ning.
