Flexible Teaching and Learning: Perspectives and Practices

The rapid growth in flexible delivery of open learning and teaching through the use of interactive communication technologies poses significant questions relating to resource allocations, different learning environments, more demanding time constraints, the role of the teacher and new modes and techniques of communication. It is also evident that there has evolved a number of different terms for this new, rather deregulated approach to education and training, and that there is much talk of a new paradigm. Overseas and Australian examples indicate that two major developments in this regard include the development of consortia of providers and the use of the Internet to deliver programs. This paper will address the issues inherent in these developments, provide examples of ways in which new models are addressing the issues, as well as present what appear to be trends in such delivery