Changing perspectives: teaching and learning centres’ strategic contributions to academic development in Australian higher education

Abstract

This article reports on a study of Australian teaching and learning centres to identify factors that contribute to their effective strategic leadership. These centres remain in a state of flux, with seemingly endless reconfiguration. The drivers for such change appear to lie in decision makers’ search for their centres to add more strategic value to organisational teaching, learning and the student experience. Through a synthesis of findings based on interviews, a survey of directors of centres and focus groups, the article identifies paradigmatic shifts in the ways centres see themselves, relate to their organisations and respond to external environmental forces. From an understanding of paradigm shifts, strategic contributions to academic development in the sector are framed organisationally through key points of leverage. Points of leverage are manageable actions that can be taken to maximise overall institutional impact and effectiveness.

Keywords:

• strategic leadership
• academic development
• learning organisation
• points of leverage

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank their own university (Deakin) and the partner institutions (Macquarie University, Monash University, RMIT University, University of New England, University of Newcastle) for their generous contribution to this project, as well as all those participants who contributed to the data collection processes. Support for this publication has been provided by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council Ltd, an initiative of the Australian government’s Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of ALTC.