The Scholarship of Academic Development

"This book contains ideas, conceptual and practical, with which it may be possible to negotiate with both government and institutional managers a role for academic development that is established, worthwhile and 'scholarly' in ways recognized by other academics." Teaching in Higher Education

"provides some kind of answer to Macdonald's opening question: are academic developers a 'tribe' with their own 'territory'? On the evidence of this volume, they are disparate occupants of an emerging territory but are, at least, beginning a dialogue. While it may be too early to talk about a new tribe this book represents a valuable start in mapping the political and intellectual terrain." Higher Education Review

In recent times academic development has moved from the margins to the mainstream of higher education institutions. This book addresses the concept and nature of academic development and examines research into and within the field. It shows how academic development might be distinguished from and overlap with 'educational development' and 'staff development', and how it encompasses those activities concerned with developing learning and teaching in higher education at individual, departmental, faculty, institutional and even at national/international levels.

The Scholarship of Academic Development addresses key questions:

• What is academic development and how is it part of scholarly academic practice?
• What are its roles and functions?
• How can research be carried out into, and used in, academic development?

The contributors to this volume represent a broad church of experience, roles and approaches to academic development, and to theorizing, researching and practicing in this field. They have provided a significant resource to academic developers, to scholars of higher education practice, to higher education managers and policy-makers.

Professor Heather Eggins is Director of the Society for Research in Higher Education, Visiting Professor at the University of Strathclyde and senior Member of Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge. Her research interest is in higher education policy and she has edited a number of volumes on different aspects of higher education: Restructuring Higher Education, Higher Education into the 1990s (with Christopher Ball), Art Graduates, their skills and their employment and Women as Leaders and Managers in Higher Education.

Ranald Macdonald is Head of Academic Development in the Learning and Teaching Institute as Sheffield Hallam University. He was recently Co-Chair of the UK's Staff and Educational Development Association and convenes the SEDA/SRHE Educational Development Research Network. His current research interests are in problem-based learning, plagiarism and academic development.