In november 2001, the Flexnet project was started by institutions in IT-Vest. The purpose of the development project is to develop and implement flexible net supported distance education of high quality. Groups of scientists and teachers behind some of IT Vest’s existing educational institutions have joined the project in order to contribute to development of high quality distance education in Denmark.

A total of 12 educational groups from IT Vest’s four institutions take part in the project, which runs until the summer of 2004. In addition to the existing educational groups, a series of transverse project groups have been appointed. These groups work with relevant problems according to development of education, concepts for use of technology, didactic thinking and much more.

Objectives of the project:
1) Development of flexible education, which consists of modules of high quality.
Flexibility is achieved by means of:
- Minimal face to face education
- Well delimited and well described modules
- Technology support of working and learning processes

Quality is achieved by means of:
- Pedagogically substantiated choices of technology
- Consciousness of consequences of flexibility
- Systematic evaluation and adjustment

2) Building up practice community concerning development and holding of flexible education.

In the summer of 2004 at the latest, the project must contribute with the following:
- A number of modules of high quality developed for flexible education – see temporary review of modules here.
- Description of concepts for flexible net based IT education, including practical instructions of how to bring these into play.
- Forum/network for exchange of experience and sharing of knowledge in relation to development of flexible net supported education.

The following educational institutions participate in the project:
From the University of Aarhus:
- Master of Software Construction
- Diploma of Software Construction
- Master of Multimedia
- Master of Technological IT (being prepared)
- Master of IT, communication and organisation

From the Aarhus School of Business:
- Master of IT, language and learning (in cooperation with Aalborg University)

From the University of Southern Denmark:
- Information science

From Aalborg University:
- Master of IT and learning (in cooperation with the University of Aarhus, The Danish University of Education, Roskilde University and Copenhagen Business School)
- Master of Industrial IT
- Master of IT – focussing on religion or philosophy (being prepared)
- Diploma of Information Technology (being prepared)

Furthermore, the purpose of the project is to develop concepts for net supported IT education, which contain the participating educational institutions’ present differences within method of teaching, target group and aim of learning. In particular, four dimensions of net supported education are put into focus in development of these concepts, namely technology, pedagogy, materials and organisation of education.

Evaluation and promotion of the project’s activities and results are perceived as an important objective, including establishment of network and forum for exchange of experience for teachers and developers of flexible net supported education.