Learning Development as Professional Development

1. Learning Development as Professional Development Mapping the UK Professional Standards Framework

2. ALDinHE Association for Learning Development in Higher Education • Professional membership association • LDHEN Jiscmail list • Journal of Learning Development in HE • LearnHigher website of peer-reviewed resources • Annual conference, CPD events • www.aldinhe.ac.uk

3. Learning Development • Empower students in their learning through helping them understand and master academic practices within higher education • Developmental model that does not assume deficit

4. Learning Development • Empower students in their learning through helping them understand and master academic practices within higher education • Developmental model that does not assume deficit So . . . What are these generic “academic practices”? And who might deliver Learning Development within an HEI ?

5. Access to Fellowship • No set route or role for Learning Developers and many not on academic contracts • Who is Fellowship for? “For those teaching and supporting learning in higher education”How can Fellowship be made available, attractive and accessible for those not on academic contracts?

6. ALDinHE engagement with UKPSF ALDinHE CPD Planning tool Consultation UK PSF Fellowship Academic peer support and other CPD Informal LD peer support

7. Consultation ALDinHE was invited to contribute to the planning of the PSF (2011): • Aimed at maintaining the Framework’s flexibility for Learning Development activities • Aimed at broadening the Framework beyond subject-specific concerns

8. Our professional development Unique position of Learning Developers: • No set route into the profession • No set descriptor for the profession • Variation in roles and responsibilities • Variation in alignment/positioning in UK HEIs • Collaborative working within and across different HEIs

9. ALDinHE’s CPD Planning Resource • Based on a year-long survey of LD professionals’ working practices • Wide range of activity including senior management roles • Aligns to all levels of UKPSF • Resource can be used independently or to complement in-house CPD programmes • Each area of activity is linked to CPD resources recommended by the LD community or developed specially by ALDinHE (eg LD5D) http://aldinheprofdev.wordpress.com http://ld5d.wordpress.com/

10. Fellowship • LDHEN list members with Fellowship: (January 2014)

11. Professional development of colleagues • Supporting learning developers: • HEA Fellowship workshop, ALDinHE conference 2014 • Supporting subject-specific colleagues: • Intervention in PGCert Programmes • Learning development as CPD for all

12. LD in context: Case Study University of Reading Using the UKPSF to help academic staff value a more developmental model over a deficit model • A4: Develop effective learning environments and approaches to student support and guidance • K3: How students learn, both generally and within their subject/disciplinary area(s) • V2: Promote participation in higher education and equality of opportunity for learners

13. Conclusion Overall, we feel the UKPSF has been extremely valuable for Learning Development: • A means for LDers to gain professional recognition • Same “currency” as other academics • Framework explicitly recognises “supporting learning” as well as teaching • Opportunity for LDers to contribute their experience to the CPD of others

14. Conclusion • However, there is still work to be done…. • Although the HEA modified the UKPSF to include “supporting learning”, Learning Development has not yet been included as one of the HEA’s recognised disciplines. • Just as Learning Development aims to embed best practice in teaching and learning into the curriculum, so we hope that the HEA will contribute to the continued embedding of Learning Development into a professional framework.