Abstract:
With long-term investment, high levels of enthusiasm, and great expectations all focused on moving the flexible-learning agenda forward, it is time for a critical review of two long-unanswered questions: Why is it that far fewer faculty than anticipated are prepared to engage with flexible learning, and what barriers exist between strategic intent and the translation of flexible-learning principles into good educational practice? A recent report from a prominent British organization that supports leadership in the use of information and communications technologies (ICT) in education notes that “policies can drive forward an agenda for change, but the real test comes at the point of use” (JISC 2008, 5). Answering these two questions is therefore critical to the national and institutional implementation of flexible-learning strategies. In this chapter, I analyze these questions from the perspective of capacity development, and I use the findings from a study of long-term prospects for grassroots flexible-learning initiatives to propose some answers. While my context is New Zealand, these analyses apply elsewhere.
