Professional development for flexible learning and teaching: a comparative analysis of LEARNSCOPE, 2001 - 2002

The experience of planning and implementing a professional development program, ‘Learnscope’, at RMIT is examined and evaluated through a comparison of different management approaches undertaken in 2001 and 2002. ‘Learnscope’ is a national professional development program for the Vocational & Educational Training (VET) sector which has a specific focus on exploring the application of technology to teaching and learning. Learnscope aims to develop teachers’ understanding of flexible and online learning and to build capability, so that teachers may apply these to their own teaching practice. Teachers participate in Learnscope by choice, or in some cases because they are obliged to join a project team. Managers, who support staff participation in Learnscope, do so with the expectation that experience gained from Learnscope will translate into specific outcomes for the provision of highquality learning programs. Specifically that teachers will be better able to make use of new technologies to provide flexible learning for RMIT’s students and clients. There are tensions between this vision and the reality: the role of management, the commitment of teaching staff and the adaptability of the Learnscope format all impact on the effectiveness of the professional development. A suitable balance between all of these elements must be established if the resultant learning is to be successful.