Learning development

Learning Development describes work with students and staff to develop academic practices, with a main focus on students developing academic practices in higher education. Learning developers are academic professionals who teach, advise and facilitate students to develop their academic practices, create academic development learning resources, and reflect on their academic practices through a community of practice.

Hilsdon (2011: 14) defines Learning Development as, "a complex set of multi-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary academic roles and functions, involving teaching, tutoring, research, and the design and production of learning materials, as well as involvement in staff development, policy-making and other consultative activities." The Association of Learning Development in Higher Education (ALDinHE) suggest Learning Developers work in a "bridging role" where they "mediate between the knowledge and skills which students bring to university and the demands and conventions of academic subjects, guiding students to navigate their university studies.". There has been growing acknowledgement that the work operates within a paradigm of 'Academic Literacies', meaning that it functions not to fix perceived deficits in students, but as a means of supporting them (and staff) to fully access the often tacit language and knowledge-making processes encoded in subject-disciplinary contexts.

Learning Development is the term primarily used to describe the work in UK. There is significant overlap with professional fields elsewhere, with common role titles including Academic Language and Learning Advisors (Australia), Tertiary Learning Advisors (Aetearoa New Zealand), Learning Specialists (Canada) and Academic Literacy Advisors (South Africa). There is also overlap with academic advising in the USA; however, there, the work is often more specifically focused on writing development. The Learning Development movement in the UK has aligned itself closely with the UK Educational Development movement in light of its developmental work with academic staff. However, the primary objective of Learning Development remains the development of student learning.

History

The Learning Development movement began with the recognition of a new direction of practice emerging by founding and early members of an email discussion forum Community in 2002, which was transferred to the documented JISCMail Listserv Community LDHEN in 2003. Early members were all involved in the provision of study skills support, but recognised the limitations of a purely study-skills approach.