Flexible Delivery. Will a Client Focus System Mean Better Learning?

This paper outlines and examines the implications of the main points of the national framework for flexible delivery of vocational education in Australia's technical and further education (TAFE) colleges. Endorsed by the National TAFE Chief Executives Committee in 1992, the framework establishes specific plans of action to be achieved by 1995. The rationale for and definition of flexible delivery of vocational education are presented, and its implications for TAFE and public and private providers are considered. Discussed next are potential benefits and drawbacks of the following flexible delivery modes and venues: self-paced learning, resource-based learning, technology-enhanced learning, home-based learning, work-based training, and learning centers. The roles of administrators, teachers, and students in each mode/venue are also examined. Following this are the main features, rationale for, and general concerns associated with flexible entry and exit points and flexible assessment (including provisions for recognizing prior learning). Next, several questions and concerns regarding flexible modes and venues are considered, and guidelines are presented for developing flexible and modularized curricula. Effective individualized instruction is a way of accommodating different learning styles, personalities, physiological constraints, disabilities, motivation levels, and cognitive abilities. Contains 79 references. (MN)