DIGITAL LIBRARY
TOWARDS EXCELLENCE IN FLEXIBLE EDUCATION: IDENTIFYING CHALLENGES FOR THE DIGITAL UNIVERSITY
1 University West (SWEDEN)
2 Mid Sweden University (SWEDEN)
3 Umeå University (SWEDEN)
About this paper:
Appears in: ICERI2019 Proceedings
Publication year: 2019
Page: 3223
ISBN: 978-84-09-14755-7
ISSN: 2340-1095
doi: 10.21125/iceri.2019.0817
Conference name: 12th annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation
Dates: 11-13 November, 2019
Location: Seville, Spain
Abstract:
The research presented in this paper draws on data from the early phases of a unique development program at a Scandinavian University. In 2018, the University launched an ambitious program aiming at preparing all courses and programs for flexible mode of delivery. After an internal process, 13 projects were selected and funded. The authors of this paper were chosen as evaluators of the program.

So far, the evaluation is based on two sources of data:
(i) document analysis of the project applications, and
(ii) Status reports from June 2019 indicating the progress and the inter-project cooperation.

Each project have been classified with respect to – Pedagogical innovation, Technological maturity, Work integrated Learning, and Strategies for diffusion of results. The results indicate that early barriers to the digitalization program involves Development of a joint infrastructure, Lack of resources for techno-pedagogical support, Organizational routines for admission of distance education students, and Lack of innovation with respect to secure and fair assessment via distance.
Keywords:
Flexible Education, Distance Learning, Work-Integrated learning.