Advancing Practice in Academic Development

Book excerpt: Within the field of academic development, the last twenty years have seen a great expansion of published research into practice and the further development of theoretical approaches. This growth in the scholarship of academic development matches a growth in the scholarship of teaching and learning. Advancing Practice in Academic Development draws on these evolving scholarships to advance professional practice in academic development, addressing questions such as: . How have global academic developers and their units developed and changed over recent decades? How has the context in which academic development work is done altered? What have academic developers and their professional associations learnt? Case studies and examples are used throughout the text to illustrate development scenarios and methods. Academic development is considered as, among others, a critical, a scholarly, a principled, a pragmatic, a supporting and a leadership role. This book is ideal for use on academic development courses run by SEDA and other international organisations as well as by those who have responsibility for leading the improvement of educational practice. Written in a scholarly, accessible, stimulating and practical style, this book acknowledges difficulties and offers ways forward. As well as analysing problems, it offers solutions. Links to web sources referenced in this book can be found at www.seda.ac.uk/apad