Neo-liberal higher education policy and its effects on the development of online courses

This paper discusses the managerialist approach to developing and implementing systems for flexibile delivery of educational systems in the Australian University sector. Raphid advances in communication technologies have enabled the education sector to provide greater flexibility and diversity in the traditional areas of mixed delivery and distance education. Notes that educational policy is being shaped by neo-liberal ideology, leading to systems of flexible delivery in which a concern with economic worth and efficiency can override the purpose of such systems. Asserts that, in order to develop effective online flexible learning systems, universities need to plan for, and invest heavily in, adequate programs to train academic staff in all aspects of the delivery of courses in the online flexible learning systems and to provide incentives to academics to become e-moderators and managers of online flexible learning systems.