The Learning Development Project

Show notes

Decolonising the curriculum is more than diversifying the authors on a reading list. It’s about the nature of knowledge, and questioning where that knowledge comes from and why, so that we can better understand the history of the paradigms within which we work and live. As such, responsibility for it lies beyond the subject, extending into third space and Learning Development. But it needn’t be daunting. We can all reflexively consider our positioning and praxis, question our assumptions (without necessarily disagreeing with them - criticality can be positive as well as negative!), innovate, and invite reconsideration. In this way, decolonisation can become a meaningful part of our way of working, rather than an add-on. As part of this, conversation with colleagues is so important, and writing can be a useful way to increase the number of people you have a conversation with. By capturing thoughts in writing and sharing ideas with others, we invite others into conversation, deepening knowledge and travelling further together. After all, publication is not the end of the story or the end of the idea, but only the beginning!

The resources we mentioned

Bohlmann, J. (2022) ‘Decolonising Learning Development through reflective and relational practice’, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, 24, https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi24.913

Mignolo, W. D., & Walsh, C. E. (2018) On decoloniality: Concepts, analytics, praxis. Duke University Press.

Sibanda, B. (2021) Non-violent pedagogical perspectives in decolonising Academic Literacy. Available at: https://www.saaalp.com/post/non-violent-pedagogical-perspectives-in-decolonising-academic-literacy

Spivak - an introduction. https://scholarblogs.emory.edu/postcolonialstudies/2014/06/19/spivak-gayatri-chakravorty/

And the chapter we talked about

Koromila, G. and Powell, E. (2023) Decolonisation in Learning Development. In Syska, A. and Buckley, C. (eds.) How to Be a Learning Developer in Higher Education: Critical Perspectives, Community and Practice. Routledge. http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003433347-19 - OPEN ACCESS

Show notes

Adler, M. (1972) How to read a book: The classic guide to intelligent reading. Touchstone

Becker, H.S. (2020) Writing for social scientists (3rd ed.). The University of Chicago Press

Grant, J. (2021) The new power university: The social purpose of higher education in the 21st century. Pearson Education

Kift, S., Nelson, K. and Clarke, J. (2010) Transition pedagogy: A third generation approach to FYE. Student Success 1(1), 1-20

Syed, M. (2019) Rebel ideas: The power of diverse thinking. John Murray Publishers, Ltd.

Veles N, Carter M and Boon H (2019) Complex collaboration champions: university third space professionals working together across borders. Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, 23 (2-3). pp. 75-85

Veles N and Carter M (2016) Imagining a future: changing the landscape for third space professionals in Australian higher education institutions. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 38 (5). pp. 519-533

A previous career in Marketing has proven useful in helping Sonia advocate for Learning Development in her institution, and in doing so for the students who benefit from it. When we learn to speak the language of strategy, and to align what we do with our colleagues’ institutional priorities, it becomes easier to integrate LD provision by presenting it as a means for achieving goals and solving problems. Similarly, building connections with colleagues and articulating our expertise can boost our confidence by helping us shape the professional identity of LD, a skill that will be increasingly important in the future, along with agility and the flexibility to embrace new developments such as AI.

Sonia’s EdD explored the self-efficacy of students when faced with a writing task, so we asked her advice on conquering the fear of writing, particularly that of the blank page. The answer, for her, is to switch from a blank Word document to a blank paper document, and break down the tasks involved into a mindmap, as messy as you like because the process is just as important as the product - if not more so! 

Bandura, A. (1997) Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. Worth Publishers

Elbow, P. (1998) Writing without teachers. 2nd Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

The Pomodoro technique: https://www.pomodorotechnique.com/what-is-the-pomodoro-technique.php 

Syska, A. and Buckley, C. (2022) Writing as liberatory practice: unlocking knowledge to locate an academic field. Teaching in Higher Education, DOI: 10.1080/13562517.2022.2114337

Hood, S. (2023) Succeeding in Learning Development. In Syska, A. and Buckley, C. (eds.) How to Be a Learning Developer in Higher Education: Critical Perspectives, Community and Practice. Routledge.

Show notes

Any anxiety this might engender can be tempered by understanding and accepting what is within our control – in writing as in life. Steve reminds us – in his work but also in his conversation – that none of us are alone in feeling this way and that we are part of a compassionate and kind community that offers solidarity. To write is to think and to share and be part of that community, so recognise your anxiety and respect it, and take a chance. Write. 

Archer, M.S. (2000) Being human: The problem of agency. Cambridge: CUP.

Bauman, Z. (2010) Living on borrowed time: Conversations with Citlali Rovirosa-Madrazo. New Jersey: Wiley

Danvers, E. (2018) ‘Who is the critical thinker in higher education? A feminist re-thinking’, Teaching in Higher Education, 23(5): 548-562

Fanon, F. (1961) The wretched of the Earth. London: Penguin Books

Rose, G. (2011 [1995]) Love’s work: A reckoning with life. New York: NYRB.

Show notes

Writing is magical. It can take your thoughts and ideas and spread them further than you could reach alone. It can unite a group of colleagues in pursuit of a common goal to build a field. And it can mediate and strengthen a creative and rewarding friendship. Alicja and Carina share their experiences of writing together and collaborating on the production of their book, How to be a Learning Developer in Higher Education - where the idea for the book first came from (a Greek beach), what their experience of editing a book was like (compiling the index will never be forgotten), and what writing means to them (everything).

The resources we mentioned

Jensen, J. (2017). Write no matter what. University of Chicago Press.

Lamott, A. (1995). Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Anchor Books.

Murray, R. (2014). Writing in Social Spaces: A social processes approach to academic writing. Routledge.

Pressfield, S. 2002. The war of art: Break through the blocks and win your inner creative battles. Black Irish Entertainment LLC.

Silvia, P.J. 2007. How to write a lot: A practical guide to productive academic writing. American Psychological Association.

Strunk, S. and White, E. 1999. The elements of style (4th ed.). Pearson.

Zinsser, W. 2016. On writing well: The classic guide to writing nonfiction. New York: Harper Perennial.

Syska, A. and Buckley, C. (2023) How to be a learning developer in higher education: Critical perspectives, community and practice. Routledge.

Show notes

After a career as a marine biologist, Trevor washed up in London to discover a love of teaching and an aptitude for writing, which became something of a compulsion. Just as writing has become a fundamental part of his own identity, so he is also committed to helping students develop that writerly part of their own identities too, to think holistically about what they are writing and who they are writing it for. This kind of deep thinking about purpose is what he terms ‘writing in the bones’ - a part of who you are and its own motivation. By engaging in dialogue with ourselves around writing, we can unpick our strategies, build our confidence, and support others to do the same. Trevor’s advice for writing is valuable for everyone: start the process with the freedom and looseness of creativity, to figure out what you already know and play with ideas, and then refine through criticality. The outputs of writing are important, but that process of becoming a writer has benefits that reach far beyond any single piece of writing. How about you: would you call yourself a writer?

The resources we mentioned

Brande, D. (1981 [reprint]) Becoming a writer. Jeremy P Tarcher

Elbow, P. (1998) Writing without teachers. 2nd Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Hickman, D.E and Jacobson, S. (1997) The power process: An NLP approach to writing. Anglo-American.

Nicol, D. (2021) The power of internal feedback: exploiting natural comparison processes, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 46:5, 756-778,

DOI: 10.1080/02602938.2020.1823314 

Sword, H. (2012). Stylish academic writing. Harvard University Press.

Zinsser, W. (2016). On writing well: The classic guide to writing nonfiction. New York: Harper Perennial.

And the book we talked about

Day, T. (2023). Success in academic writing (3rd ed.). London: Bloomsbury.

Show notes

As someone who has been passionately engaged in the craft of teaching for over 20 years - and who has practised at every level from primary to higher education in that time - Virna was keen to explore how to engage an increasingly diverse student body in interesting and relevant teaching. Her journey in producing this fantastic book was triggered by the pandemic, which suddenly made inequalities in access all the more pronounced. Her roots to shoots model, and the metaphor of the tree, emerged from the values that together summarised her understanding of ‘inclusive’ - at which point she discovered the vital importance of finding shared meanings of words, developed further through the guest provocations and narratives that illustrate her intentions so well. The pandemic has brought increased visibility to educators and developers, no matter how they identify, and we all need to make a bit more noise about what we do. A piece of writing is a dialogue between an author and their readership, and despite its challenges, this sense of collaboration and exchange enriches everyone involved.

Healey, M., Matthews, K. E., and Cook-Sather, A. (2020) Writing about learning and teaching in higher education: creating and contributing to scholarly conversations across a range of genres. Elon, NC: Elon University Center for Engaged Learning. https://doi.org/10.36284/celelon.oa3. 

Inclusive Learning Design - the companion website (https://inclusivelearningdesign.com/)

Maha Bali - Reflecting Allowed https://blog.mahabali.me/

Rossi, V. (2023). Inclusive learning design in higher education: A practical guide to creating equitable learning experiences. London: Routledge.

Show notes

We might see predominantly our own little slice of the higher education sector but something we all have in common is a concern with the knowledge ecology and how we think with students about their learning. For this, writing matters. Writing is a way of thinking and being; it is a form of dialogue, and conversation matters too - with each other, and with our students. By writing long-form essays on her Substack, Helen has found a lightening of voice and a closer connection to an audience. For her, writing is a commitment to writing as development, a way of coming to be and coming to know; she’s a different person at the end of a piece than when she started. And perhaps this process is more important now than ever. The knowledge ecology in which we all work and live feels dominated these days by big business. Despite sometimes unavoidable pressure to support and promote these technological interventions, our knowledge practices can remain open, communal, and ethical. 

Ivanič, R. (1998) Writing as identity: The discoursal construction of identity in academic writing. John Benjamins Publishing

Maxwell, G. (2012) On poetry. Harvard University Press

Nussbaum, M. (1992). Love’s knowledge: Essays on philosophy and literature. Oxford University Press

Seymour, R. (2019). The twittering machine: How capitalism stole our social lives. London: The Indigo Press

After an eclectic career that has involved extended stays in vastly different countries, Julian Edwards is familiar with the need to find a way to integrate his experiences into his sense of who he is. He is also familiar with how easy it is for students to feel bamboozled or at the mercy of something they don’t understand, and the detrimental impact that can have on the curiosity so vital for truly widening – and deepening – participation. Julian’s goal, in what he calls this ‘kitchen sink’ book, was to help students get through a complex and complicated assignment by helping them to understand their writing and reduce the culture shock inherent in confronting new forms of writing. Reflection itself contributes to that process, in creating a means for recognising that perception and reality are often dissonant but time usually solves all ills. Looking back on an event or an experience is the best way to learn from it, after all! 

And what of his advice to the struggling writer? Get some distance from your writing and don’t be afraid to edit, not just for the finishing polish but to really figure out what it is you want to say. As for where you start, work with what you’ve got. Perhaps a student has brought a question, or a colleague has a problem. Maybe there’s something you’d like to see changed. Maybe you feel inspired. Whatever it is, cultivate a regular habit of putting something onto the page and you’ll be on your way!

Demings, W.E. (2000) Out of the crisis. Massachusetts: The MIT Press

Davies, WH. Leisure. Available at: https://www.yourdailypoem.com/listpoem.jsp?poem_id=100 

Elbow, P. (1998) Writing without teachers. 2nd Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Kolb’s reflective cycle. Available from https://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html 

And the book we talked about

Edwards, J. (2023). Write reflectively. Los Angeles: SAGE.

Lee would be the first to admit he’s a tech nerd (in fact he does at least twice, in this conversation!) and has been since building his first website as a child. However, he never loses sight of the person in front of the screen, and he has never forgotten what it was like to be the only one of his school friends not to have access to a computer. That sense of inclusion has driven him ever since, culminating (to date, anyway) in the Designing for Diverse Learners poster now in the National Teaching Repository. As well as providing clear instructions for ensuring all our resources are as inclusive and accessible as possible, they also open up more of a link to design thinking. Well designed resources benefit everyone, and it’s an important habit to cultivate. As for writing, Lee loves it. (We cheered!) He has engaged in an ongoing process of trial and error to figure out what works best for him but as with other guests, recommends collaborative writing for that sense of accountability and value. If you’re still unsure whether to take the plunge, perhaps this is the extra nudge you need?

Tomlinson, T., Fallin, L. and Watling, S. (2022). Designing for Diverse Learners Poster [4.0]. National Teaching Repository. Poster. https://doi.org/10.25416/NTR.20141498.v1

Fallin, L. (2021) “Teaching academic software via YouTube videos in the Covid-19 pandemic: potential applications for learning development”, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (22). doi: 10.47408/jldhe.vi22.679.

Fallin, L. and Tomlinson, T. (2022) “Designing for diverse learners ”, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (25). doi: 10.47408/jldhe.vi25.973.

Fallin, L., Davison, E., Spencer, G. and Tomlinson, T. (2023) “Supporting inclusive learning resource design with Designing for Diverse Learners ”, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (26). doi: 10.47408/jldhe.vi26.924.