2008 - 2013 Flexible Learning Course

Light at the end of the tunnel by Terry Grealey

Week Six and we are nearing the end of the exploration phase for Flexible Learning. Now it is time to start building your toolbox of strategies for teaching and facilitating your students in your own unique style. For this topic you will be investigating a range of possible strategies, within the five dimensions (time, delivery and logistics, entry requirements, content and instructional approaches and resources) of flexibility (Casey & Wilson, 2005). Blended learning appears to be preferred by students. So what does this actually mean in terms of your  teaching and the tools you use? .... Read more about this topic on the wiki.

Speakers this week
I have organised two speakers for the workshops this week:
1. Wednesday, 6 April. Onsite: 10:00-12:00. Venue: D317. At 11:30 - Barbara Kerr from Vet Nursing will tell us how they are using video assessments in their programmes.
2. Thursday, 7 April. Web conference: 15:00-16:30. At 15:45 - Jennifer Hamlin ( previously a facilitator in the course) also from Vet Nursing will tell us how she facilitates learning for distance students.

I hope you can join us for one or the other workshop or both to design and describe strategies for your teaching context.

Activity Five – Design and describe flexible learning strategies for your context.

• Explore a variety of strategies.
• Talk to colleagues about the strategies they use for teaching and learning.
• Developing A Blended Learning Strategy: Instructional Media & Pedagogical Considerations. This has 72 slides and you will need to pause each one to read it.
• Investigate the Gallery of Strategies on the Australian Flexible framework site. This is about eLearning but many strategies are applicable in all areas of learning.
• Design and describe strategies for your context, and post them to your blog. 

There is one reading this week.
Heinze, A. & C. Procter (2004). Reflections on the use of blended learning. Education in a Changing Environment. University of Salford, Salford, Education Development Unit.