ICED Conference Snapshots

Scholarship of teaching and learning

Can scholarly approaches inherent in your discipline be readily translated into how you approach your teaching? How actively should research and teaching be brought together? What do teaching-led research and research-led teaching look like? These were some of the questions raised by presenters who were engaging with the value of teaching as a scholarly activity. While a US speaker recognised that the scholarship of teaching and learning could "lead to new knowledge, improved practice and better outcomes" (Angelo), an Australian presenter queried whether educational developers can "sometimes expect too much of our colleagues [who struggle to find] time to read even in their own discipline" (Asmar). A Lesotho speaker mourned his colleagues' "myopic belief that universities are meant essentially for teaching and not so much for research" (Braimoh) while others had developed models for research-led teaching that they wanted to share (Brew).

• Angelo, T. Engaging and supporting academics in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL): Guidelines from research and best practice.

• Asmar, C. Turning academics into teachers, and teachers into scholars: Approaches to scholarship at a research-extensive Australian university.

• Braimoh, D. Assuring quality in higher education through research and publishing.

• Brew, A. Research-led teaching and teaching-led research: New ventures and new visions for educational development.

Student Learning

What are some of the factors that affect the ability of students to learn? How can teachers enhance the learning environment? A South African study explored the role of generic learning outcomes in post-compulsory education and implications for future programme design (van Schalkwyk & Law). A Finnish researcher examined how the effect of personality and preferred learning styles impact upon the acquisition of information literacy skills (Heinstrom). From Australia came a parallel study of students' conceptions of learning in statistics and in music to examine perceptions of professional work and learning within each discipline (Petocz and Reid). This exploration of 'professional entity' was intended to help teachers and students think critically about what is necessary to teach and to learn, and to assist teachers to enhance student learning in other disciplines.

• Van Schalkwyk, S. & Law, W. Student perspectives impacting on the incorporation of generic learning outcomes in a technikon diploma programme - a South African study.

• Heinstom, J. The influence of personality and approach to learning on information literacy skills.

• Petocz, P. & Reid, A. Enhancing learning through generic and specific aspects of knowledge formation.

Assessment and Evaluation

Two key themes addressed were how to improve student assessment processes and how to use feedback about teaching to improve teaching methods. One study examined the role that critical self-reflection and clear articulation of intended learning outcomes played in creating a fair process for grading (Orrell). A Canadian study asked: Is educational development improving, or are higher grades related to specific assessment activities? The role of "learning mastery", group assignments and student participation was discussed (Mann, Scuhltz & Seifert). Australian researchers examined how feedback from student surveys could be linked to information about existing resources to address specific difficulties in teaching (Hicks et al). An international and cross-disciplinary group described a case study approach that is being used to examine ways to optimise the effectiveness of science-based research groups (Gaus et al). The study seeks to answer questions like: What are the best practices in helping graduate students learn how to generate, communicate and share knowledge? What are the most important factors in arranging successful learning situations?

• Orrell, J. The tyranny of assessment for grading.

• Mann, B., Schultz, H. and Seifert, T. Educational improvement of Type 1 error?

• Hicks, O., Santhanam, E., Martin, K. and Goody, A. Linking student evaluation to academic development.

• Gaus, O., Hicks, O., McAlpine, L. and Wildt, J. Facilitating interdisciplinary communication, knowledge distribution and collaborative research - case studies to derive an international perspective on graduate studies.

Systemic approaches

Systemic approaches and institutional-wide strategies highlighted the move to seeing teaching as more than just the province of the individual teacher. A programme in Hong Kong provided staff with the "tools and techniques to teach learning strategies to students in their courses" (Chalmers et al), an Australian secondment scheme provided excellent teachers with an opportunity to undertake "projects of strategic significance for teaching and learning (Hart et al) and a Council for the Renewal of Higher Education was into its twelfth year of activity in Sweden (Lundh).

• Chalmers, D., Smith, R., & Lam, P. An organisational approach to educational development in teaching learning strategies in context.

• Hart, G., Cochrane, T., Goss, H., & Roberts, G. The teaching and learning hub: A new model of educational development.

• Lundh, A. A Swedish commitment to teaching and learning.

The purpose of educational development

What is educational development and what is its purpose? Some argued that educational development was far more than improvement and change. Taylor, from Australia, views it as an invitation to academics to become learner-workers who have the opportunity to reconsider their learning-working environment in a number of ways. Frielich, from New Zealand, explored educational development as a space in which teaching and learning can be conceptualised as a "complex ecosystem" rather than a dualism. Helm and McDonald, from the UK, observed that a number of people found themselves in educational development roles as they supported innovation and improvement in learning and teaching. Most recognised the significant role of educational development at times of institutional change.

• Helm, P., & McDonald, R. Enhancing educational development for the 21st century: From the margin to the mainstream.

• Frielich, S. Adventures in the zone of educational development.

• Taylor, P. Educational development in universities: Issues of purpose.

The Future for Educational Development

A look into the future was provided by four international speakers. Educational development in Canada is facing issues of a national-level certification programme, possibly more resources for university teachers and a stronger identity for the professional body of higher education developers. In New Zealand, emphasis is on continued development of teaching capability and learning environments to meet diverse learner needs, with particular attention paid to achievement of Maori development aspirations. Norway faces the dilemmas of standards versus diversity; co-operation versus competition and face-to-face versus net-based learning. The appropriate balance between central university initiatives and faculty initiatives to enhance teaching and learning is also a current issue. A speaker from Sri Lanka provided a perspective from the Third World. Global change, environmental degradation, increasing population, and the shift to mass higher education all provide challenges to the effective delivery of Sri Lankan higher education. Factors identified include the need to develop of IT literacy which is complemented by practical application of knowledge; strategies for dealing with large classes while still providing students with appropriate work skills; and how to deal with the expectations of first generation higher education participants who may have traditional ideas about educational practice and see student-centred learning as non-servicing (i.e., not providing the expected tuition).