1. Using ICT to Deliver Flexible Learning Brian Mulligan Institute of Technology Sligo

2. The Need for Flexible Learning Access –Course not available locally in a suitable format Availability times don’t suit No local expertise to deliver course Demand is too low to make it viable

3. What Is Flexible Learning? A course that can easily be delivered in a variety of different ways. –Easy to reconfigure. –Cheap to deliver to small groups. –May use more than one method simultaneously.

4. Delivery Methods Traditional (face to face) delivery Independent Learning Any blend of the above.

5. Design Approach Design for the most demanding –Independent Learning Create resources: –Materials, activities, support, continuous assessment and feedback. For traditional and blended learning: –Use independent learning resources as core –Add face to face as required.

6. How can ICT help? Aids collaborative development of resources. Easy access to resources. Enables access to more sophisticated learning materials. Improves access to support. –Student-teacher, student-student Easy access to continuous assessment. Faster feedback

7. Is ICT enough? Who pays for development of resources? –Who owns the resources? How do you pay for delivery? –Face-to-face hours, number of students How can you pay for expensive ‘courseware’? How do you manage the complexity of available options?

8. We need.. Freedom to innovate Payment based on student credits Ability to move funding from teaching to materials Ground rules on materials ownership.