ABSTRACT
SUMMARY UK higher education has traditionally followed a rigid course delivery system in which the student attends classroom-based teaching activities held at predetermined times and places on campus. The exception to this rule has been the Open University, which relies on flexible learning to reach students who are geographically dispersed and who learn at times and locations convenient to themselves.
Numerous universities offer both campus-based courses and distance teaching, thereby creating ‘dual mode’ institutions with little overlap between the two modes of delivery and little chance of flexible exchange of students between these.
A fourth approach is the ‘mixed mode’ university in which materials and methods developed for distance teaching are also utilised for on-campus students. The mixed mode commonly applies as dual mode universities seek to maximise benefits from their own distance learning materials. A second mixed mode model applies when a conventional university adopts a flexible approach incorporating materials prepared elsewhere (for distance use) within its on-campus programmes. This chapter focuses on the special issues in this second mixed mode and examines these in the context of the experience gained within the University of Luton.
The University of Luton has used open and other flexible learning approaches in a low-key manner since the early 1980s. A significant expansion in student numbers during the 1990s has led to a re-evaluation of teaching and learning strategies to focus on student-centred approaches. The university recognises the shift in the nature of university students away from 18-year-old school leavers to mature individuals with family and, often, work commitments.
The justifications for this strategy include: a need to maximise return on staff resources (especially in shortage areas); a need to broaden the available expertise; a need to use limited space most efficiently; a desire to enhance access to higher education for those who may be limited by their social, physical or employment circumstances; and an opportunity to extend the effective geographical catchment area.
One strategy adopted is to use ‘off-the-shelf' flexible learning materials. The materials are a major and essential part of the teaching process, being interspersed within and beside conventional teaching. While ‘off-the-shelf' learning materials have been adopted, they have been subjected to the university’s validation and quality assurance procedures. Furthermore, the materials have a much greater level of face-to-face support than could be offered by a distance teaching institution.
