From nice to know to “newfound popularity”: academic developers’ perceptions of how COVID-19 has changed their role

ABSTRACT

The disruption caused by the pandemic and the rapid transition to online teaching brings into sharp focus the role of academic development within the institution and creates an opportunity to pause and reflect on the impact of the academic developer (AD) role. This reflection on practice explores how the AD role has transitioned through the Covid-19 pandemic with a view to considering future implications for the field. Short auto-ethnographic reflections capture academic developers’ experiences of their role at a time of crisis and their perception of the future of academic development. The data shows a lack of clarity and visibility of the role pre-Covid, with a variety of tasks being assigned without a central focus. This was amplified during the pandemic, with a broadened remit in response to an increased demand for support. While this initial support was reactionary, focusing on teaching online, a renewed and more holistic interest in teaching and learning emerged across institutions, with ADs playing a key role in this evolution.

KEYWORDS:

• Academic role
• Covid-19 pandemic
• emergency remote teaching
• online teaching

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sarah O’Toole

Sarah O’Toole is an Educational Developer/Educational Technologist working at the Centre for Quality, Teaching and Learning at the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS). Sarah’s works with staff on the integration of digital technology and on curriculum development. She teaches curriculum design and digital enhanced learning and teaching on the MA in Academic Practice within TUS and has worked in higher education for over 15 years. Her research interests involve active learning and student engagement in blended and online learning as well as the integration digital tools for student enhancement. Sarah has had previous roles with the National Forum for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education as well as the Munster Technological University, working as a learning technologist to support staff at individual, programme team, and department level.

Ide O’Sullivan

Íde O’Sullivan is a Senior Educational Developer at the Centre for Transformative Learning at the University of Limerick (UL), where she is Curriculum Development Support Lead, steering the development of a curriculum development framework for the University. Íde teaches curriculum design and leads three scholarship modules on the Graduate Diploma in Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship. From 2007 to 2019, she co-directed the Regional Writing Centre, where she led the design, delivery, and evaluation of writing-support interventions at UL. She is a Senior Fellow of the Staff and Educational Development Association, elected vice-chair of the executive committee of the Educational Developers in Ireland Network, and a founding member of the Irish Network for the Enhancement of Writing. Her current research focuses on curriculum design, professional development of academic staff, writing transfer, writing pedagogy and assessment, and the institutional work of writing centres.

Emma O’Brien

Emma O’Brien is a Lecturer in Taught Postgraduate Programmes in Education at Mary Immaculate College (MIC) where she teaches on and co-ordinates a number of postgraduate programmes aimed at those working in the education sector. Emma has taught in higher education for over 18 years, her research involves the intersection of informal learning, workplace learning, flexible learning, and problem-based learning. She is particularly focused on the role of digital tools in supporting such pedagogies. Previously Emma was an academic developer at the Learning Enhancement and Academic Development Centre (LEAD) in MIC.

Laura Costelloe

Laura Costelloe is an Academic Developer at the Learning Enhancement and Academic Development (LEAD) Centre at Mary Immaculate College, having previously held positions as an academic developer, lecturer, and tutor at Dublin City University, National College of Ireland, University of Limerick, and Université d’Avignon, France. She supports the continuing development and professional practice of colleagues from across the institution and offers expertise and teaching across a range of professional development initiatives designed to enhance institutional learning and teaching practice.