Distance travelled: outcomes and evidence in flexible learning options

Publisher:
Springer
Publication Type:
Journal Article
Citation:
The Australian Educational Researcher, 2017, 44, (4-5), pp. 443-460
Issue Date:
2017-11-01
Filename Description Size
Distance_travelled_outcomes_a.pdf418.21 kB
Adobe PDF
Full metadata record
Flexible learning options (FLOs) provide individualised learning pathways for disengaged young people with strong emphasis on inclusivity and wellbeing support. Amidst a rapid expansion of Australia’s flexible learning sector, service providers are under increasing pressure to substantiate participant outcomes. This paper stems from a national study of the value of FLOs to young people and the broader Australian community. The study enumerates the outcomes valued by flexible learning practitioners, as well as the various evidence forms they cite to substantiate participant outcomes. Framing success as ‘distance travelled’ (i.e. an individual’s progress relative to his or her own starting point), practitioners demonstrate critical awareness of the social and structural mechanisms by which young people are marginalised from mainstream schooling. Holistic assessment practices also reveal practitioners’ efforts to expand the terms of reference by which educational outcomes may be validated in alternative education settings.
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: