Walking the tightrope: enabling mindset and practice transformation at scale through compassionate academic development

ABSTRACT

This reflection centres on how existing tensions in academic development work were magnified and challenged as competing imperatives sought to (re)define the roles of academic developers at a UK university during the pandemic in 2020. In a situation of heightened anxiety amongst all stakeholders, issues relating to professional agency, expertise, and pedagogic approaches surfaced. This resulted in a delicate ‘tightrope walk’ of fulfilling obligations as defined by senior leadership and academic colleagues whilst asserting an authentic and compassionate approach that was true to professional values, experience, and expertise.

KEYWORDS:

• Academic development
• agency
• blended learning
• compassion
• pedagogy of kindness

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Martin Compton

Martin Compton is an Associate Professor in the central academic development unit (The Arena Centre for research-based education) at UCL. He works closely with the Faculty of Life Science but his work, which focuses on digital education, is cross-institutional. He previously worked at the University of Greenwich in the Academic Development Unit where he oversaw taught lecturer-development programmes, peer review of teaching, digital education initiatives, and the university CPD offer, including transnational education support.

Alison Gilmour

Alison Gilmour is a Senior Lecturer in Learning Transformation, Innovation and Environments at the University of the West of Scotland. Her role focuses on the support, development, and enhancement of academic practice, with emphasis on curriculum development and a scholarly interest in wellbeing in the curriculum. She previously worked in Academic and Learning Enhancement at the University of Greenwich, co-ordinating teaching-related CPD, an Adjusting to Blended Learning Environment self-paced asynchronous CPD, and as leader of a curriculum development module on a PGCert in HE Learning and Teaching.