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Why do we need to change learning and teaching practices? There are many reasons. Government initiatives to widen access and increase participation in further and higher education and encourage lifelong learning have resulted in more people than ever before having the opportunity to continue their education. Learners in the 21st century have a diverse range of expertise/skill in how to learn. This has posed real challenges for colleges and universities because people want to access education in ways that make sense to their lifestyles and prior experience and traditional models do not always fully satisfy their needs. Institutions recognise the need to change and have started to develop and adapt their provision to allow greater flexibility and personalisation to respond to the diverse needs of today's learners, whilst ensuring they deliver a quality service to them.
Other drivers for change come at least partly from the aspirations of our institutions to improve retention and achievement, support FE to HE articulation, ensure our students leave with the broader employability skills they will need, and in general to be able to provide for the needs of an increasingly diverse student population as effectively and pro-actively as possible. Ultimately though, few who are champions for change in tertiary education would fail to recognise that our 'traditional' teaching practices and spaces are by themselves not going to be enough to allow us to respond to the challenges our institutions now face. If we recognise the need for a significant change in teaching and learning, then we can see the very real promise of current and emerging technologies in enhancing classroom activity, improving opportunities for collaborative learning, and providing students with increased control over what, when and how they learn.
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