The Drive for Flexibility: A cultural shift?

1. The Drive for Flexibility: A cultural shift? • Dr Alison Le Cornu, FHEA, FSEDA • Bath Spa University • 12 July 2013

2. Aims of flexible learning Flexible learning has become a familiar phrase in higher education (HE) policy. It aims to attract and meet the needs of a wider range of students and stakeholders - including employers - and make full use of the opportunities to enhance learning and teaching offered by learning technology. (http://www.hefce.ac.uk/whatwedo/lt/flex/flexiblelearningpathfinders/; retrieved March 11th 2013)

3. Definition • Offering students the choice (and therefore opportunities) in when they study, at what pace, and where. • Pace • Place • Mode of delivery

4. Student-centred learning Choice, power and active participation (McMahon and O’Neill, 2005: 29)

5. Drivers Increased student fees Need to work alongside study Employers’ move towards greater flexibility

6. Strands within FL Part-time learners and learning Work-based learning Online learning Credit transfer New pedagogical ideas Institutional systems and structures (Internationalisation?)

7. UK initiatives • Mode: • Online delivery • MOOCs? • Social media? • Pace: • Pathfinder projects • Accelerated and decelerated degrees Place • Employer engagement projects • Work-based learning • Mobile learning

8. Flexible working • ‘Western Europe is in a very inflexible labour environment’. Vance Kearney, European Vice President for human resources, Oracle (software company) • CBI report, ‘Thinking Positive: the 21st century employment relationship’ (2011).

9. CBI1: ‘Thinking Positive’ Over the past 20 years the relationship [between employers and employees] has changed substantially in the private sector, something which is manifested ‘in a more flexible individual package of work and reward that works well for both parties’. The successful ‘right to request’ model of business organisation (i.e. to request a change in working patterns) offers a genuine alternative to legislation and regulation, with the result that both parties are empowered to develop an organisational model which ultimately enhances productivity as well as the well-being of employees. 1Confederation of British Industry

10. Recommendation • Develop a more flexible approach to work and the employer-employee relationship • ‘Businesses and employees cooperated to find ways to reduce business costs and retain skilled staff. Job shares, recruitment and pay freezes, reduced overtime and short-time and flexible working all played a part in that. … These arrangements relied on cooperation with employees, and, where present, trade unions.’ (2011: 4) • Move towards an outcome-based way of working

11. Communications revolution Teleconferences, videoconferencing, webinars and remote working systems have ... enabled skilled employees to work more flexibly by choosing when and where they want to work. In the services sector and in service-oriented roles in other sectors in particular, remote and mobile working, enabled by new technology, is increasingly standard. … Emails, websites and mobile phones have transformed the way that workers do their jobs, communicate with their managers, and the flexibility that they have. For many employees today, working does not necessitate physical presence at work. Employees working in this environment have greater freedom, choice and skills than previous generations. (2011: 6-7; emphasis added)

12. Person-centricity and individualisation From the living room to the gamer… Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOaRFyC24xw From the office to the worker? From the university campus to the learner?

13. From the university campus to the learner “We’ll show you how we’re making access to our content and experiences, social interaction and courses vastly more simplified and streamlined. And we’ll show you the many ways in which the university is no longer the center of the HE ecosystem, the learner is.” With the learner as the focal point for our efforts, we’ve created a platform attuned to people’s changing behaviors and evolving sense of curiosity and need to gain new skills. Ease of access regardless of location or device has been an absolute priority. With mobility and the ability to share content and experiences becoming an increasingly important part of the learning experience connectivity between devices and the ease with which they connect has been essential to meeting the demands of today’s casual or core learner. Our vision for the future is learner-centric, developer-inspired and characterised by an unwavering commitment to phenomenal learning experiences. These experiences can happen on a console or a handheld device, and we’re meeting the demand for mobility with … “

14. EOC report ‘Working Outside the Box’ • “We run as a virtual firm, all our lawyers and typists/support staff work from home on total flexi-time and flexi-holidays. We have no offices. • We get incredibly high-quality lawyers from top firms joining us because of the lifestyle they can achieve. We would never attract those lawyers to a small firm like ours without this flexibility. We have never had any issue with trust or how long people have worked etc. Good professional people know what hours to work and don’t need it enforced.” • Woolley & Co, Solicitors • Equal Opportunities Commission report, ‘Working Outside the Box’, 2007, p5.

15. New models of work? The most forward-looking employers have already seen the future. They are responding and the results are exciting. Innovation and technology provide the potential to re-define the way we work so that businesses can operate longer and achieve better results faster in more varied ways – and with a modern, flexible and productive workforce. Innovative employers are increasingly moving away from simply flexing time to re-designing work around business objectives as part of a new dialogue with employees. New and exciting models of work are appearing for different types of businesses in different sectors. These pioneering employers are transforming work today and are finding that it’s not just good for their employees and for wider society. It brings significant bottom-line benefits too. (2007, p4)

16. Implications • Work and employment • Work-study-life balance • Negotiated balance of power • Individualism • Higher Education • Greater use of credit transfer • Quality assurance and standards • Emphasis on lifelong learning, skills development and assessment • Systems and infrastructures • Flexible pedagogies

17. Thank you! Dr Alison Le Cornu Academic Lead: Flexible Learning Higher Education Academy, UK alison.lecornu@heacademy.ac.uk flexible.learning@heacademy.ac.uk