Flexible learning in a digital world – experiences and expectations

The juxtaposition of the terms ‘learning’ and ‘digital’ must bring a sigh to publishers and a depressing feeling of ‘... not another book on the e-learning bandwagon ... ’ to practitioners in higher education. The tension between ‘need to know’ and ‘like to know’ is also stretched for the course designer or teacher. Yet, as Betty Collis and Jef Moonen show, there should be a lot of experiences to draw on when thinking about how to implement best practice in e-learning. This book, in the Open & Distance Learning Series from Kogan Page, comes with a jacket ‘blurb’ suggesting that the book covers ‘... an integrated vision of how technology is related to learning-related change, and how current and emerging experiences can inform future success for those working in the field ... ’. Not a book to miss, it seems, if one is to meet instructional expectations of making a mark in the e-learning world or in designing courses that allow learners to make the most of online learning opportunities. I will return to the ‘marketing blurb’ below. In the meantime, what does the book tell us about the experiences and expectations of others?