Abstract
Given the increasing pressure higher education institutions are facing, collaboration is key to increase capacity to address competing demands. The professional development (PD) of academic staff has been identified as one of the key priority areas in the modernisation of Higher Education to support them to cope with growing numbers, more diverse student groups and a dynamic environment. There is a need for a flexible approach to PD that leverages from formal and informal approaches to allow academic staff to upskill while practicing. Many Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) are collaborating in this area to exchange best practice and increase the PD activities they offer to their staff. However, each HEI has different strategies, cultures and institutional needs. To allow them to collaborate they need to develop a shared vision in the area of PD. This paper discusses the FLEXIpath project in which three HEIs are collaborating to extend their PD provision to enhance academic practice. It explores the role of a visual modelling approach, (specifically the OOFAT model), in facilitating the development of a shared roadmap for the provision of collaborative PD through negotiation and scaffolded discussion.
Highlights
This paper seeks to propose a response to the following question: can the OOFAT model support the development of a shared vision for flexible, inter-institutional professional development in Higher Education academic practice?
One representative from each FLEXIpath partner institution was asked to produce a reflective narrative on their experiences of engaging with the OOFAT model during the workshop by responding to the following question: How did the OOFAT model work to start shaping a shared vision and a way forward to develop a strategy for flexible inter-institutional professional development across the three partner institutions? Each partner institution was asked to identify one person to produce a reflective narrative in response to this prompt on behalf of the institution
The evaluation of the workshop and the use of the OOFAT model through the institutional reflective accounts helped us respond to the question set at the outset: How did the use of the OOFAT model work to start shaping a shared vision and a way forward to develop a strategy for flexible inter-institutional professional development within the three Higher Education institutions in the Midwest region? Through the analysis of the three institutional reflective accounts three themes emerged, discussed below
Summary
The project responds to strong calls in the literature and from academics locally for greater flexibility in both the provision and recognition of professional learning, both formal and informal It seeks to design flexible learning pathways for all staff who teach, taking account of the distinct contexts and needs of a diverse range of disciplines. The project seeks to identify flexible routes to accreditation and recognition, offering those who teach the opportunity to have different types of professional learning recognised This will include Recognition of Prior Learning (both experiential and accredited) and a range of accredited offerings, from individual modules to a clear pathway to a regional doctoral qualification at Level 10 in academic practice
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