New whitepaper - Driving business value through flexible learning

The Open University, in collaboration with TrainingZone, has launched a report to help employers reap the benefits of flexible learning.

Flexible learning used to mean consuming content in flexible ways, but we have come a long way from that in recent years. Flexible learning means so much more now, as discussed in ‘Driving business value through flexible learning’, a new whitepaper produced by The Open University in collaboration with TrainingZone. Authored by Laura Overton, the learning analyst and founder and original CEO of Towards Maturity, the whitepaper looks at what flexible learning means today and why it is important to organisations.

So what is flexible learning today? According to Overton, it means different things to different people and organisations.

“For some, it means digital content, online courses, e-learning. For others, it means small bite-sized resources that are delivered just at the point of need. And for others it might mean a qualification delivered through a distance learning programme.”

'What does flexible learning mean to you?' asks @lauraoverton. Share your thoughts! And find the full report from @OpenUniversity here: https://t.co/Rie1oZuD7n#flexiblelearning #onlinelearning #remotelearning #learninganddevelopment #distancelearning pic.twitter.com/FXRtwR0beK

— TrainingZone (@TrainingZone) April 22, 2020

Flexible learning is about enabling people to learn the skills they need to learn, at the point of need, in order to do their jobs better. Digital content is part of that, but on a deeper, more profound level, it encompasses a way of learning and working, both on an individual and organisational level. Learners need to be flexible and organisations need to be flexible in order for flexible learning to happen. It is just as important to have the right mindset as it is to have the right digital tools.

In the whitepaper, Overton talks about the three Cs of flexible learning: current, convenient and connected.

• Current – relevant and meaningful
• Convenient – to work and to the individual
• Connected – to the real world

Viren Patel, Director, Business Development Unit, at The Open University, says that there has never been a more important time for businesses to explore how to make flexible learning work for them. “In today’s world of constant flux and innovation, it is vital that people understand the true scope and value of flexible learning. We are living through unprecedented, turbulent times, and recent events are causing many organisations and individuals to rethink how things are done.”

Download from the TrainingZone website