Writer(s)
1. Mark Nickhole R. Bernandino
2. Primo G. Garcia
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic compelled higher education institutions to transition from traditional classroom instruction to flexible learning to sustain educational continuity. Framed within Daniel’s Iron Triangle of Education Framework and moving beyond descriptive accounts, this study explored how the perspectives of students, faculty, and administrators shape these tensions between issues of access, quality, and cost. Thematic analysis revealed that participants viewed FL as a combination of traditional and digital approaches, a product of the pandemic, and a potential means to attract new students. Divergences emerged between increased access and decreased student motivation; enhanced faculty skills and increased workload; and institutional affordability versus the need for additional investment. The study concludes that flexible learning entails ongoing negotiation among cost, access, and quality shaped by stakeholder perspectives on FL itself. Recommendations emphasise the need for inclusive planning, sustained faculty training, and investment in digital infrastructure, and strategically framing FL as a long-term and sustainable mode of education.
