Flexible Higher Education: Reflections from Expert Experience (Society for Research Into Higher Education)

"It is both uplifting and challenging. It offers tales of great persistence, self-belief and belief in the community of learners these pioneers were seeking to engage with and influence. It is a wonderful narrative which should be compulsory reading for all those aspiring to influence the shape and content of post-secondary education in their own nations."
Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning

"Quite simply, this is essential and inspiring reading to prepare the next generation to lead distance education."
American Journal of Distance Education

• What did forty-four leading-edge distance education pioneers in higher education experience and learn over their careers?
• What concerns and research ideas could they pass on to younger colleagues to consider?
• What do seven expert commentators find in those lessons and experience that might promote theory-building and practice enhancement for post-secondary education?

This unique book analyzes the work of over forty pioneers who helped drive key late twentieth century changes in access to, and learning in, higher education, via distance education. It examines how they defined their challenges, made decisions, coped with traditionalist resistance, developed new teaching and learning models, used various technologies, felt the excitement of innovation, and, above all, respected adult learners’ goals and contexts.

The book also assesses the relevance of that experience and skill to today’s contexts. Seven international leaders in adult, distance and higher education assess the pioneers’ reflections to glean the ideas of most relevance for contemporary teachers and administrators.

Flexible Higher Education provides key reading for post-secondary educators who are interested in learning and teaching design, technology use, quality assurance, learner access and inclusion, innovation in higher education and respect for reflective wisdom.

Commentators: Michael Collins, Sir John Daniel, Yvonne Hillier, Michael Grahame Moore, David Murphy, Diana G. Oblinger and Barbara Spronk.