One of FLANZ’s core purposes is to foster ‘growth, development, research and good practice in distance education, open learning and flexible delivery systems for education’. While we already publish an open access journal and run a biennial conference, these more formal activities have been complemented with a bi-monthly blog series, presenting topical, thought-provoking pieces by various individuals with an interest in the fields of open, distance and flexible learning. Invited contributions will be sent out to our membership and publicly available online on the FLANZ website. If you are interested in writing a blog post for FLANZ, please get in touch.
As an educator in an online distance, flexible learning (ODFL) context, the greatest motivation for me is seeing my learners succeed in their courses and qualifications, all the while learning flexibly at a distance and managing studies along with life
As a digital learning professional with a background in educational technology and teacher education, I have been fortunate to work in various capacities across K-12, higher education, and the EdTech industry. Many people often think that educational technology professionals merely
Context is oftentimes important. For this discussion, I was in a room of early and mid-career university academics with a shared, nascent interest in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). We all worked at a large, research-intensive university
For sustainable and equitable education in a flexible online distance classroom, design of learning resources should start with understanding needs, wants, and context of each member of a classroom community. So, teaching staff and students can relate to each other
This is a well-known quote since a long time ago, however, it seems that such judgment is still going strong in our current education setting simply because there is an unspoken rule that higher education is not for everyone,
The 2023 EDEN conference (18-20 June 2023) at Dublin City University (DCU), explored the theme, “Yes we can!” – Digital Education for Better Futures. This theme focused on the language of opportunity and challenged participants to dream big. With 324 participants from
Today’s students—especially those engaged in blended and online learning—face many external pressures that impact their studies. Many students work one or more jobs, often full time, to keep up with the current cost-of-living crisis and housing crisis. Others have families
It’s a long time to serve with any group, but as a member of the FLANZ Executive Committee, the last seven years have been well worth it. And now that I’m stepping down, I’m not even prepared to go very
![Mama Mia: Let the substance shine through the language [Opinion]](https://flanz.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/multiple-languages-642x300.jpg?crop=1 "Mama Mia: Let the substance shine through the language [Opinion]")
The use of English is embedded in most learning and teaching practices. Even in flexible learning contexts, where learners are given autonomy on how, what, when and where they learn, the use of English is the primary medium for a
Cost Rica: A Gateway to Peace, Conservation, and Sustainable Education In a landmark decision, the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) has chosen the beautiful nation of Costa Rica and its renowned distance education institution, Costa Rican Distance