Organisational approaches to staff development to support teaching and learning

Abstract

While both the scale and nature of current changes within universities may be contested, especially with regard to teaching, change is definitely taking place. The issue of what and how to teach is helping to drive change, aided by moves towards student-centred and flexible learning and the use of new and emerging educational media. However, teaching staff within universities often feel disconnected from the process and unable to understand or cope with change. This article examines some of the forces of change and outlines how staff can be educated, supported and rewarded with respect to their teaching responsibilities. In particular, it argues that the strategies employed should focus on reforming reward structures and on professional development to ensure that solutions to teaching and learning challenges are not technology-driven.