Spheres of Influence: Ventures and Visions in Educational Development*

3-6 July, 2002
The University of Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia

Abstract

Fellowship: Building the people culture and embedding good practice - putting learning and teaching strategies into action

Gina Wisker, Anglia Polytechnic University, United Kingdom

Universities in the UK have more explicitly developed learning and teaching strategies since HEFCE's funding initiative 1999 following the Dearing Report. Many educational developers have been working to identify, nurture, recognise and embed good practice in learning and teaching throughout their universities. Focusing on a specific case at APU in the UK, this workshop explores, and encourages the sharing of examples of issues and practices involved in initiating, nurturing and embedding good practice in learning and teaching in institutions. We will look at:

• The work of the Learning and Teaching Unit including the Learning Technologies Taskforce, half time secondments as principal and senior fellowships to act as change agents, internal publications and conferences for dissemination, the influencing of policy and practice.
• Fellowships - coordinated as supported groups - which enable staff in the core university and its regional partners to develop and embed the results and practices arising from individual and group based learning and teaching projects.
• Schools Advisors who work within their schools to share and develop good practice in learning and teaching.
• Learning and teaching oriented research groups focusing on: retention, postgraduate student learning, learning in different disciplines, internationalising the curriculum, taking disadvantaged women returners over barriers to learning.

These can be seen as examples of strategies in practice which other colleagues might like to share and further develop.

Key words:
Fellowship; Learning and teaching strategies

Objectives, outcomes and activities:
By the end of this session participants will have:

• discussed a variety of successful strategies and practices for implementation of learning and teaching (discussion and sharing activity);
• been informed of a variety of practices which are examples of putting learning and teaching strategies into action in the UK, of which practices at APU are a specific case (considering a model among other models ); and
• shared examples of good practice in the innovating, progressing and embedding of good practice in involving colleagues in educational development practice, improving student learning practice, using research into student learning to underpin teaching strategies, influencing colleagues, policies and cultural change in relation to educational development, learning and teaching (discussion and sharing activity).

Gina Wisker is Director of Learning and Teaching development at APU in Cambridge UK where she also teaches English and coordinates Women's studies. Gina is chair and co-editor of the SEDA journal 'Innovations in Education and Teaching International' and an Oxford centre learning and teaching consultant. She has published several books and essays including The Postgraduate Handbook (2001) and Empowering women in HE (1996).

Contact: Gina Wisker, email: g.wisker@apu.ac.uk