Responding to learners' need for choice: Flexible learning modes for creating an e-learning community

Students need to balance work, family, and their university learning. In an effort to manage these conflicting demands, students make pragmatic choices which can lead to almost empty lecture halls and tutorial rooms by mid-semester. In response, this action research project piloted an e-learning portal for criminology students in 2006. Four courses were delivered by two different flexible learning modes, across 2 different levels of students. Early results indicated no difference in learning outcomes for either less experienced learners (second year level) or more experienced learners (third year level). High levels of satisfaction with online teaching were found from both student groups in either flexible learning modes. High levels of satisfaction in student learning were evident from experienced learners with less robust levels of satisfaction with their learning from less experienced learners. As this project is driven by a cycle of evaluation and then action, adjustments were made in flexible delivery modes for less experienced learners in 2007. For 2008, this e-learning project intends to build a community of learners for the criminology student body. Methods and measures are discussed, as well as implications