Abstract
With many universities undertaking rapid curriculum development, and the rapid development of the technology underpinning new, more student-centered curriculum design, the role of an educational designer is evolving. In past, more content-focused approaches to curriculum development, many universities employed dedicated production teams, and many designers operated in prescriptive production and technology support positions that resulted in a mediated experience for academic staff with teaching technologies. The role of educational designers in the new environment is changing to support a more sustainable practice, with a focus on building capacity in academic staff to navigate their own relationship with technology. It calls for designers, in many cases, to surrender their expertise and to work with academic staff, modeling their approaches and processes for adopting technologies. The transition of educational designers is further evident in how they work around the blurred boundaries of “classic” curriculum expertise and in their increased strategic agency within the institution. This chapter explores how interactions, the adoption of new pedagogies, technologies, and curriculum renewal strategies, give rise to the tension between academic and professional identities and suggests a third space in which educational designers now practice.
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Acknowledgments
I would like to thank my colleagues at La Trobe University Learning and Teaching for their invaluable input, discussions, and feedback on this chapter.
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Appendix A: Questionnaire
Appendix A: Questionnaire
Background
What is your educational background?
Can you give a brief overview of your work experience? (How long have you been and educational designer, where have you worked, and what other positions have you held.)
Current Position and Recent Restructure
Has your title changed as a result of the new structure?
Where were you based before?
How is the fulfillment of your role different from where you were?
How have you found the transition? Are there any challenges?
Do academic staff perceive your role in the same way in current role compared to previous?
Interactions
How much do other education designers influence how you work or perceive your role?
How do you negotiate that working relationship with academic developers on curriculum projects and workshops?
How do your interactions with academic influence your role?
Research
What research are you interested in? What informs your practice and what areas are you interested in contributing to?
Do you get a chance to produce papers, articles, or conference presentations?
Do you feel research for educational designers is encouraged?
University Strategy and Policy
How important is the university strategy to your work?
Do you feel pressure to fulfill strategic goals or are you comfortable with the strategies you are working on?
How important are the key initiatives of, e.g., student retention, students’ success, and graduate employability, and how much do they affect your work?
What is your relationship to policy? Are you involved in policy development?
Technology
What technologies do you work with?
How do you keep up with the technological changes?
Do you feel pressure to constantly be at the forefront of latest developments?
How do you work with academic staff to introduce new technology use in teaching and learning?
Other Institutions, Professional Bodies, and Influencers
Are you a member of any professional organizations associated with your role?
How much do you take note of practice in other universities, advice of professional bodies, and other influencers?
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Bisset, D. (2018). Role of Educational Designers in Higher Education Institutions. In: Bossu, C., Brown, N. (eds) Professional and Support Staff in Higher Education. University Development and Administration. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1607-3_14-2
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