Exploring the flexible learning preferences of business and commerce students using a learner segmentation approach

Abstract

Flexible learning is emerging as a new paradigm for responding to the demographic, economic, political and technological changes confronting the higher education sector in Australia. Various studies have reported on specific flexible learning approaches and techniques, but none have examined student preferences for a variety of techniques. The aim of this study is to use the flexible learning preferences of business students at a regional Australian university as a basis for identifying discrete and meaningful learner segments. The findings indicate that students can be segmented into five discrete segments, each with clearly differentiated flexible learning preferences. Further analysis indicates that the balance between employment and study account for some of the differences between segments.