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Flexible provision
The Swinburne learning and teaching policy requires flexible and learner-centered provision of education that offers some choices to learners in meeting their individual learning needs and exercising their learning preferences. Arrangements for flexible provision vary between Academic Units and programs.
What is flexible provision?
Offering choices that accommodate student's learning needs and preferences. For instance choice about time, place and pace of study or about stlye of learning.
Why offer choice?
- To meet student preferences about time, pace, place and style of learning
- To allow students to prepare for classes and to make best use of classes contact time
- To allow students to review learning materials
- To allow teachers to use their time to best advantage
- To allow teachers to use appropriate means and media for different teaching purposes
- To provide alternative representation of key concepts through the use of media
- To use prepared and available learning resources for providing basic information
- To use classes for inspiration and motivation, building relationships, exchange between students and teachers, concept clarification, and response to issues rather than conveying information
- To allow multiple modes of communication between students and between students and teachers
- To provide multiple means to allow students and teachers to monitor progress
How do we achieve flexible provision?
Flexible provision may involve a shift away from a traditional face-to-face teaching model. The aim is to place less reliance on lectures and tutorials, to use the face to face contact time in a range of less didactic ways and to utilize more flexible and learner-centered approaches.
What means are used to provide Choice?
- Seminars, workshops and laboratories
- Summer schools
- Industry-based learning
- CDROM, DVD and VCD
- Printed study guides and notes
- Streaming media
- Video conferencing
- Online materials and resource links
- Online communications
One element of flexible provision is through the use of learning management systems - Blackboard or WebCT. Each subject has a web site on one or other system. These sites provide a subject outline and resources such as lecture notes and slides. They may provide for online discussion and for quizzes and assessment tasks.
A vignette from an experienced Swinburne on-line teacher
Lisa Germany
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