For all you Baby-Boomers, that's the Technical Correspondence Institute - haha!  Simon explained the concepts and possibilities of Distance Learning. He has taught at 7 universities, two of which included Distance/On-Line Learning, and has a Doctorate in Museum Studies.

He described the ODFL Challenge (Open, Distance, Flexible, Learning). His presentation explained how "Distance Learning" used to follow the traditional lecture-seminar-workshop model, but this, and later on-line learning still followed the "Walled Garden" approach, i.e. set up a closed, safe supportive environment. But it was still essentially focussed on the lecturer or seminar leader and assessor, and as it demanded certain pre-requisites and sequences it was neither entirely open nor flexible.

New models he is working on include the "Blue Sky", the "Open Jungle", and the "Just-in-time" approaches. With individual programmes a Learning Programme could be bespoke to an individual's circumstances and needs. Simon emphasised that such methods were more suited to vocational learning rather than a general education and would not suit everyone.

David Thompson observed that such methods could well have a place in block courses as part of a wider programme, as in an apprenticeship. And in thanking, Linda spoke of her own successful experience of re-training and distance-learning.