Flexible learning

As a distance educator, Flexible Learning is a guiding principle in the USQ Policy on Learning and Teaching (Refer to University Calender Section 7.5)

USQ now uses the concept of fleximode, to articulate its aim of extending the learning and teaching practices and online resources, traditionally applied in distance mode only, to all students. This adoption of fleximode now includes minimum service delivery standards for all USQ courses.

Flexible learning means that all students have the right to receive a comparable learning experience regardless of their mode of study, location, gender, race or ethnicity. However, flexible learning can also present the possibility of offering students choices in what to learn, how to learn, how their learning is assessed and where and when the learning occurs.

Flexibility in learning and teaching practice can be interpreted broadly according to the following:

• flexible curriculum design, including flexible assessment schemes, negotiated curricula, different assessment types and teaching that addresses different learning styles

• flexible delivery, including distance or on-line mode, on-campus mode, intensive mode or any other mode of delivery that accounts for competing challenges faced by students today.
  

Flexibility can also apply to other aspects of university processes which affect the student learning journey, such as admissions, equity issues and faculty organisation.

The Learning and Teaching Support Unit supports teams wishing to address issues of flexibility in their program or discipline curricula, or in the delivery or program or discipline curricula through the following:

Information flyers

Refer to http://www.usq.edu.au/learnteach/learnres/howtoflyers.htm for Information Flyers on:

• designing learning,

• facilitating and supporting learning, and

• improving teaching

Video

Refer to http://www.usq.edu.au/learnteach/learnres/vsarchive/default.htm

• Presentation of Fleximode by Professor Alan Smith

Other resources

Refer to http://www.usq.edu.au/learnteach/topics/flex.htm