Enhancing Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Engaging with the Dimensions of Practice

Book excerpt: This book is an essential guide if you are working in higher education and seeking professional recognition for your role in teaching and supporting learning, and particularly if you are seeking a fellowship with the UK Higher Education Academy (HEA). The book maps a range of key themes against the United Kingdom Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) and invites you to engage with its 'dimensions of practice'. Its distinctive features include: Explicit links to the UKPSF and practical advice on how to put together a scholarly narrative account of your academic practice in order to seek fellowship status with Higher Education Academy (HEA) An exploration of the contested nature of academic practice, inviting you to interrogate how this can be negotiated within your own learning and teaching context Contributions from leading scholars in the field, practitioners writing about their roles and experiences, and the views of students. Each chapter interweaves insightful commentary with case studies, practical examples and opinion pieces, as well as debate pieces and 'Dear Lecturer' comments from students. Each chapter also includes helpful extracts from successful HEA fellowship applications, demonstrating how the content of the book can be used in a practical way to help you put together your own application. If you are following an individual or institution accredited route to fellowship and/or studying a taught course (such as a PG Cert HE) then this book is an indispensable tool to help you think critically about the UKPSF dimensions of practice and academic practice in general. John Lea is Head of Academic Professional Development at Canterbury Christ Church University, UK.