Dear John et al,
The continual push within universities to separate learning development from staff, professional, education or academic development is representative of the pathologising
of the Widening Participation student. If that student is 'remedial' then those that work with those students are also somehow remedial. This also connects with Len Holmes'
points about the failures of the SKATTy approach to study & academic 'skills' development and 'skills' development per se.
Within London Met Learning Development works very hard to maintain links with CAPD (Centre for Academic and Professional Development), involves itself in Learning &
Teaching Strategy implementation and resists the labelling of our work as remediating.
And whilst internal politics do play a part, overall this phenomenon is a by product of the move to a mass HE system in a country where an elitist model was the informing
norm. It is one reason why we have to address issues of WP and Quality Assurance etc.. within the popular press as well as within our own institutions.
I would be happy to join in research on this topic - and may be it should become a key theme at the next LDHEN event?
Very best wishes,
Sandra Sinfield
London Met
John Hilsdon wrote:
> Dear All
>
> The Learning Development in higher Education Network has an Excel file on the JISC site at
>
> http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/files/LDHEN/
>
> which represents our attempts, last year, to gather information and data about our services.
>
> I wonder if I could invite you all to ‘go there’ and look at your submissions – or think about submitting some details if your institution is not represented … ? If you
> are willing and able, please copy the Excel file to your own computer, then write to it, save it again and mail back to me
>
> I ask for a number of reasons: most pressing for me is that an ‘administrative review’ has been underway here at the University of Plymouth, one consequence of which is a
> strong drive to separate Learning Development from Educational Development … and I fear (my paranoia?) an agenda is at work not unrelated to a ‘questioning’ of the
> academic status of our work … and the related possibility of preventing the growth of a case for academic contracts of employment for those in this field … and the
> division of our work being organised to separate us from the benefits of being able to conduct research under legitimate and valued conditions …. So I am interested in
> our continued mapping of our collective situation (s) and would like to hear the views of others. And is anyone out there interested in doing some research and writing
> about this? We are such a potentially rich resource!
>
> John
>
> John Hilsdon
>
> Co-ordinator, Learning Development
>
> Educational Development
>
> University of Plymouth
>
> Drake Circus
>
> Plymouth
>
> PL4 8AA
>
> 01752 232276
>
> [log in to unmask]
>
> www.plymouth.ac.uk/learn
>
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