ABSTRACT
The production of teaching or training material, and its delivery, is often regarded as the core activity of institutions engaged in open and flexible learning. The advice and assistance provided to those colleagues thus involved is typically seen as the central staff development task. While the chapters in this book redress these beliefs and broaden the scope of staff development, many would accept that the production and delivery of such material is a powerful vehicle within which to engage in staff development. A second observation is that, given the opportunity, many teachers and trainers can identify their needs and, cooperatively, satisfy them. I have been fortunate to work with numerous colleagues, within a variety of academic and technical areas, at different levels and in a large number of institutions and countries. I continue to be impressed by how knowledgeable and versatile these colleagues are, how readily they share their ideas and how readily the ‘how to produce and deliver the material’ vehicle can be utilised. The challenge is to create an environment in which this can occur. This chapter suggests how an environment for staff development activities in open or flexible learning can be created through a board game and how subsequent needs and activities can be identified by the players themselves.
