Book excerpt: First Published in 1997. Pressures to find ways of delivering courses to new markets, lifelong learners and part-time students have all contributed to the growth in finding ways of delivering flexible learning. This book provides case studies to illustrate the diversity of approaches and gives advice on good practice. The case studies paint a broad picture of flexible learning developments in higher education in the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States of America. Several trends concerning the introduction of flexible learning have emerged, and the contributors examine strategies that have been developed at an institutional or departmental level for supporting flexible learning initiatives.