No 22, June 2025

This article presents an asynchronous distance-learning university course in the didactics of French as a Foreign Language (FFL), which for two consecutive years offered students the possibility of choosing between three differentiated learning pathways. The characteristics of these three paths are described in terms of content, learning modes and assessment. The article proposes certain hypotheses concerning the flexibility of the course and the impact this openness may have on learning. It examines the ways in which students make use of the choices on offer, and the parameters that guide their choice of entry into a given learning pathway. It then attempts to draw up an assessment of these two years, based on anonymous end-of-semester questionnaires collected from students on this course.

The purpose of this article was to build upon empirical research, leadership theory, open university practice, and shifting global trends to provide open university leaders with a framework for strategic reset. Strategic reset is re- setting institutions priorities – making leadership choices – and taking actions to build competitive advantage, quality, and service for the future.  The foundational pillars of strategic reset are centred around 1) digitalization – specifically online capacity; 2) setting new strategic priorities, and 3) establishing a national footprint that aligns with critical national employment and workforce development needs. A secondary theme that weaves itself through this article is the need for open universities to revitalize their commitment to innovation. The article concludes by offering some tactical actions that open university leaders can consider for framing strategic reset and setting new priorities for the future. These include: 1) streamlined open university models; 2) precision access; 3) building a national service footprint; 4) renewal of critical partnerships; and 5) exploring alternative funding models.