Postgraduate coursework beyond the classroom: Issues in implementing flexible delivery

In Australia, new technologies for course delivery have coincided with rapid enrolment growth in postgraduate coursework programs. During 1995 we conducted a national study of flexible delivery in postgraduate education, by questionnaire and case study. We discovered an increasingly complex blend of delivery options, but only a modest uptake of electronic technologies. This paper examines the broad management implications, by addressing factors that inhibit implementation. Three issues are discussed: concern about academic standards, the impact on academic work, and cost and infrastructure requirements. We argue that the realisation of widespread flexible delivery of postgraduate education will depend on further attention to policy in these areas.