The Flexible Learning Agenda in Higher Education Dr Steve Wyn Williams Director for Academic Develop

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The Flexible Learning Agenda in Higher Education
Dr Steve Wyn WilliamsDirector for Academic
DevelopmentStaffordshire University
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• Universities are no longer simply an adornment
  to our national life, of immense value prestige
  but only to a small privileged minority but
  are a sector which is now as important to our
  economy as the big extractive industries of
  the past.Universities are the coalmines of
  the 21C
• (Tony Blair January 2004)

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• .there is no doubt that if we want to succeed
  in the modern world we have to educate our people
  to an even higher extent and degree, for
  countries like ours, with high labour costs, will
  have to move higher up the value added chain,
  so education has got to become a prerogative of a
  greater number of people than we have ever
  contemplated before.
• (Tony Blair March 2004)

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• Institute for Employment Research
• 50 of all UK jobs (c6.8 million people)
• will require a graduate level qualification by
  2012
• Leitch Review
• Of the 18 million jobs forecast to be needed
  by 2020 50 are in occupations most likely to
  employ graduates

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Participation in HE

• Target Working towards 50 participation (18-30
  year olds) in HE (BUTNOT 50 with degrees)
• Current rate 43 - but by 2010 will need
• 150K more places to sustain that level (43)
• Up to 250K more places to move towards 50
• If we want to truly make the step change in HE
  participationthen we have to be prepared to be
  radically different in the way we deliver HE to
  meet the needs of the students of the 21st
  century
• (Bill Rammell, Minister for HE and Lifelong
  Learning Feb 2006)

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Demography Rules! (HEPI, March 2006)
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Institutional Responses

• Many institutions will attempt to diversify their
  markets
• Part time and mixed mode study will increase
• E and blended learning will increase
• As will fast track degrees
• There will be more in-company and career change
  updating
• There will be competition from the private sector
  to provide this
• Much closer work between FE and HE
• .?

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Main Themes

• In the time available I will focus on two themes
• Flexible delivery/provision
• Work-based learning and employer engagement
• Not mutually exclusive nor exhaustive

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Flexible Delivery

• Definition
• Flexible provision of higher education refers
  here to a mode of provision that provides
  learners with guided choice, in a number of
  domains, achieved through employment of various
  strategies including the use of learning and
  teaching techniques and technologies and the
  adoption of policies affecting choices for
  learners. (The Effectiveness of Models of
  Flexible Provision of Higher Education (2001),
  DEST, Australian Government)

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Flexible Delivery

• Flexible learning a continuum of approaches in
  terms of time, place, content and mode of
  learning
• Involves innovative learning and teaching methods
• Technology e-learning and blended learning
• Learner centred
• Experiential and problem based learning
• Flexibility of admissions and enrolment processes
• A number of student issues support and
  resources
• and staff issues flexibility, staff
  development, HR issues

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HEFCE and Flexible Delivery

• HEFCE is supporting a Flexible Learning
  Pathfinder Project over two years to explore the
  potential
• 5 institutions - Staffordshire, Derby, Leeds Met,
  Leeds University, Kent
• The common feature is the development of fast
  track two year honours degree

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(No Transcript)
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Fast track degrees at Staffordshire University

• The following areas are participating in the
  first phase of the project which will deliver in
  2006- 2007. This involves the development of
  accelerated two-year undergraduate honours
  degrees
• Product Design
• Philosophy and English
• Geography
• Law
• The Faculty of Computing, Engineering and
  Technology and appropriate SURF colleges will be
  involved in the development and delivery of a
  Foundation Degree utilising the Learning Through
  Work (Learndirect/UfI) framework

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• This will be supported by the following key
  mechanisms
• Clear APL and APEL systems that recognise prior
  learning
• The provision of online application, registration
  and induction
• Personalised learning plans using the
  Universitys own online PDP facility
• The provision of personalised student web portals
  
• Appropriate learning, teaching and assessment
  models
• The first fast-track and Work Based Learning
  awards will be marketed in 2005-06 and delivered
  in 2006-07.

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Work-based learning and employer engagement

• Ruth Kellys letter to HEFCE
• HEFCEis to lead radical changes in the
  provision of higher education in this country by
  incentivising and funding provision which is
  partly or wholly designed, funded or provided by
  employersthis will ensure that the sector is
  fulfilling that vital part of its mission that
  delivers the skills that the labour market needs

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What is work based/place learning?

• A definition provided by KSA Partnerships
  (Interim Report for HEFCE, 2005)
• Learning through work which is agreed between an
  individual learner, a learning provider and an
  employer or sector
• Learning through work identified LOs are
  achieved through activities which are based on or
  derived from the context of work or the work
  place
• Work place learning includes provision for
  initial and continuing professional development,
  and supports individual learners to access the
  labour market, progress in their chosen career
  or move into a different occupation or profession

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What is work based/place learning?

• Flexible negotiated work-based learning
  qualifications e.g. Learning through Work Scheme
  (LearnDirect)
• Lifelong Learning Awards
• Accreditation of Continuing Professional
  Development (CPD)
• Accreditation of in-house/company training
  programmes
• Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning
  AP(E)L
• Provision accredited Short courses

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Increased emphasis on vocational pathways

• FDs - 50000 by the end of the year
• The development of Lifelong Learning Networks and
  stronger HE/FE links
• 14-19 agenda particularly the new specialist
  diplomas starting in 2008
• ICT, Health and Social Care, Engineering,
  Creative and Media and Construction and Built
  Environment
• Specific initiatives e.g. partnership between
  SEMTA and DfES to support Apprentices into HE