Professional Learning

PORTFOLIO 2009

Dean Groom, Head of Educational Development

Macquarie University, Australia

Facilitating Environment•The belief is that in this portfolio;

•that learning can be achieved

•and that the pay-offs will be sufficient to justify it

•Borrowed from Winnicott (1965), who uses it to describe the conditions under which growth can potential take place.

About this presentationAs a pre-amble to the professional learning activity, to outlines the ways in which the Learning and Teaching Centre will create a framework for incremental improvement.

The major challenge :To establish a flexible, adaptive framework that unifies and supports the activities of the learning and teaching centre. To meet the challenge of increased ‘demand’ identified by the LTC strategic and operation plan.

Considerations• Alignment with MQ and LTC strategic plans

• Resources & Social Capital in the LTC

• Communication, Collaboration with faculties

• Enhance reputation for excellence & innovation

• Measurement & Research

• Core business - incremental improvement of learning and teaching.

• Virtual Learning vs Face to face learning

are complex,atomistic and

fragile ...incrementalchange isdisruptive

OurEcosystems.

Aligned Themes• Core LMS enrichment - massive

increases in activity - low increases in maturation

• Learning in a Web2.0 world - how is that important? Basic to Innovative.

• Learning and Teaching - What are the core focus areas? Group vs Individual

• LTC professional learning - learning about and modeling best practices in our own abilities; collaboration, process etc.,

The focal points•What are the ‘core’

imperatives? - What do people need to know? What do they need to engage with?

•Curriculum renewal, graduate capabilities, accessibility, TEDS etc. Innovation to Integration, EMG, Tilt, Blueprint, FILT etc ... Open University ... more?

Storming, Norming, Performing

•De-stabilisation - declaration that there is something ‘new’ to learn

•Disorientation - emotional responses where moments of ‘elation’ are not as common as frustration in the process

•Re-Orientation - integrating the new learning into her or his overall belief system or conduct, and has eventually to face the challenges posed

‘the storm’

•Keeping the learner in touch with reality

•Assuring her or him of the naturalness of the feelings

•Recognising the nature of the loss of confidence, feelings, control are normal

•Holding out realistic (but not facile) hope for the future.

Learning at a loss

Are we going to framework the improvements?

‘the norms’•deliberate effort to de-stabilise the

previous learning

•not so different from the culture established in order to promote learning

•non-threatening situation which is both business-like and friendly

•clearly defined alignment with strategic and operational plans

Performing

•Measurable increases in performance

•Use of technologies, levels of attainment in staff, participation, published works, scholarly engagements, demonstrated use in curriculum by staff - resources (being used, not just developed) ...

•Results, results, results!