Flexibility, what´s that?

Flexibility in learning is often seen as a vague concept, in which people put the emphasis of flexible learning on the location where learning takes place (Collis & Moonen, 2001). 

The choice to be flexible on the location of where you can learn is quite familiar idea. Someone can learn in a classroom, research lab, gymnastics area, field trip and many more other locations. Moreover, the development of computer-based learning makes learners able to learn anywhere when there is a computer available. A more recent technology development is that of mobile learning: learning can take easily take place outside of the classroom with the use of mobile devices (Price, 2007). But even within the school flexible learning can be created, when learners can decide in which area of the school they want to study. This can be done, for example, by letting the learners study in the library or pc-room instead of the classroom.

  

However, as Collis and Moonen (2001) indicate that the concept of flexibility in learning is broader than flexibility in location, therefore, flexibility in learning is better explained as giving the learner more choice about his learning. Moreover, he stresses out that it can be quite difficult to create flexibility opportunities in learning.

But, when flexibility is defined as giving the learner more choice about his learning, it still remains as a broad and little bit vague concept. In the following segment, I will try to find out some examples for possibilities of flexibility in learning to make it more concrete.

As said before, 

Beside the flexibility of the location, learners can be given flexibility on, for example:
 

•  The time that they want to study. Some learners need more time than others, some learners like to study in the morning, others in the evening, for example.
• The content. Learners can choose (parts of) the subjects which they find most interesting to study, make their own personal curriculum, skip courses that they already master.
• The teacher. Sometimes, there a more teachers who can teach the same subject, so students could be flexible in choosing the teacher.
• Studying alone or in pairs or groups. Learners differ a lot in preferences for working alone or together and might be given the flexibility to choose.

Of course, there are many more options for flexibility and also more examples available. 

A nice example for flexibility supported by mobile devices is Bitesize. Bitesize is an online school support system for students in the UK. Students can download tutorials and exercises for all school subjects on their computer or laptop or mobile device. The video below is an example for a Bitesize tutorial. This tutorial teaches learners on how to participate in a group discussion, which is something that students in the UK are tested for a school.

Another nice example for flexibility in learning is the ´Iederwijs´ schools in the Netherlands. At most Iederwijs schools students are totally free to choose what they want to learn and when they want to learn this, all by themselves. They have the full responsibility upon their own learning. At the end of their school career they can choose to do the Dutch central examination for high school, but this is not mandatory. A nice video about Iederwijs in Dutch:

References

Collis, B., & Moonen, J. (2001). Flexible learning; it’s not just about distance. In J. Moonen (Ed.), Flexible learning in a digital world: Experiences and expectations (chapter 1). London: Kogan Page

Price, S. (2007). Ubiquitous computing: Digital Augmentation and Learning. In N. Pachler (Ed.), Mobile Learning: Towards a Research Agenda (Vol. 1, pp. 33-54). London: WLE Centre for Excellence, Institute of Excellence, University of London.