Perceptions of Flexible Provision

1. Perceptions of Flexible Provision Lesley Faulconbridge Peter Tunnicliffe

2. Particular focus will be on: • employer engagement • modes of delivery • professional accreditation • individual learning plans • service agreements

3. Group discussion How do you address these areas? • 5 minutes • Be prepared to share your practice

4. Employer engagement • Validation of programmes • Influence content • Contributing to assessment and periods of assessment • Programme committee • Shaping patterns of delivery

5. Modes of delivery • Evening • Daytime • Saturday • E-learning • Full time /part time • Period of study • Patterns of study

6. Typical patterns of student participation: (Faulconbridge 2010:56)

7. Student perceptions: “I would support e-learning ……I feel that a face to face lecture would still be required though. E-learning would just make the course more flexible” “Is distance learning when you’re given the module and you go away and do it? Is e-learning when you get things on-line? I really don’t know”

8. What do you think students want? Alternative modes of study: • E-learning • Distance Learning • Block weeks • Summer school

9. What do you think students want? (Faulconbridge 2010:56)

10. What do employers think students (employees) want? (Faulconbridge 2010:54)

11. Employer perceptions: Private Day Care Proprietor: “Training requires sacrifices and students need to demonstrate commitment; this might mean studying in their own time.” School Head: “Flexibility is fine but I need the TA’s in the classroom. We do give time to allow TA’s to study but we can’t allow it to affect the service that we offer. However staff do need to be allowed to progress.”

12. Employer perceptions: Private Day Care Proprietor: “There are funding issues as employers need financial support to allow staff to study. Private Day care setting money is tight. Allowing staff to study does benefit the company in the long term as we then have better qualified staff. However releasing staff in the day time is not an option as we have a service to provide so flexibility is important.”

13. “Paradoxically there can be conflict between flexibility in delivery mode and providing a quality learning experience for the student, the business needs of employers and the culture of academic study patterns in the higher education sector” (Faulconbridge 2010:58)

14. Individual Learning Plans • Guidance and counselling • Reality check • Access modes successfully • Making informed choices • Personal contact

15. Professional accreditation : • TDA • CWDC • LLUK • IfL

16. Service level agreements Collaborative partnerships with: • Colleges • Training agencies • Local authorities • CETT’s

17. A final word: Teaching Assistant: “Flexibility can go too far you can’t please everyone.” First year student: “Why don’t you just tell us what you want us to do?”

18. Reference: Faulconbridge LK 2010 “Perceptions of Flexible Learning : a comparison of the views of students and employers” MA dissertation : University of Derby