HERDSA: Request - What is an Academic developer

[Rod McKay]

Dr Kym Fraser, of the CHED at Monash University posts the following
request.  Please send replies to her directly at
<kym.fraser@adm.monash.edu.au>

******************************************
Dear Colleagues

I am about to conduct a study of specific issues related to academic
developers and academic development in Australia.  I would be most
grateful if you would, by the end of this week, 1) comment on the
definition of Academic Developers, and 2) indicate if you know of work
which has been done on any or all of the research questions.

Thanks

Kym


Research questions

1.  What are the career paths of Academic Developers as they move into
and out of the profession?

2. What are the career paths of Directors of Academic Development
Centres as they move into and out of the profession?

3.  What constitutes 'own' professional development for Academic
Developers?

4.  What has been the focus of Academic Development work since the
1990s?

5.  What are the current and projected growth areas in Academic
Development?


Academic development - defined.

For the purposes of this project an academic developer is a university
staff member whose primary work is to assist academics to 'improve'
their teaching.  So, for the purposes of this study, the following would
not be considered to be academic developers:

1)  academic and general student learning staff, who, while they liaise
with academics, have students as their primary focus;

2)  distance eduation specialists who, while they liaise with academics,
have the production of distance education material as their primary
focus; and

3)  multimedia technology experts who, while they liaise with academics,
have the development of 'multimedia as their primary focus.

I realise this definition is at best contentious and I would be grateful
for your assistance in thinking through the pros and cons of it.

Thanks very much

Kym

______________
Dr Kym Fraser
Centre for Higher Education and Development
Monash University
Clayton
Vic 3168

Phone  (03) 9905-6811
Fax       (03) 9905-6801
email   kym.fraser@adm.monash.edu.au
______________

================================================================
The HERDSA list is a moderated bulletin board maintained by the
Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia
for notices about the Society's activities and Higher Education in general.
Current moderators are Coral Watson <Coral.Watson@anu.edu.au> and
Rod McKay, <r.mckay@erau.canterbury.ac.nz>

To post a message send it to <HERDSA@listproc.anu.edu.au>. Please format
the message subject entry as "HERDSA: <brief title>"

For further information see the HERDSA WWW page at
http://sunsite.anu.edu.au/education/herdsa/
==================================================================

______________________________________________________
Roderick I. McKay, Director
Educational Research and Advisory Unit (ERAU)
University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800
Christchurch, New Zealand.
Tel- Work:+64-3 364 2831  Fax:+64-3 364 2830
email: r.mckay@erau.canterbury.ac.nz
______________________________________________________