Planning a new venture

This Guide is designed to help practitioners develop flexible learning processes across a range of domains and levels and to aid subsequent implementation. It starts by providing practitioners with some contested definitions of flexible learning and argues a case for a particular approach; it articulates a set of overarching principles for flexible learning processes; covers the parameters of flexible learning and outlines what falls outside of scope; it considers the implications for staff and institutions when operationalising flexible learning processes and possible impact on students; finally, it provides brief synopses of others' innovative approaches in this domain alongside further resources. The immediate intention is to build confidence in those seeking to use more inclusive, collaborative and flexible pedagogical processes in enhancing student success. A longer-term ambition is to develop an emerging network of practitioners as part of our Flexible Learning Community of Practice who can use this Guide as a conduit for sharing further ideas and to use as a springboard for taking flexible learning to a new level. The Guide should be read in conjunction with the illustrative case studies and with the HEA Framework for Flexible Learning in higher education (2015) against which many of its key principles are aligned.