Daphne Loads

‘I'm a dancer’ and ‘I've got a saucepan stuck on my head’: metaphor in helping lecturers to develop being-for-uncertainty

University lecturers need to help their students to develop ways of being that will allow them to flourish amidst uncertainty. Professional development workshops involving artwork and reflection provide a space where lecturers themselves can hold, examine and develop tolerance for uncertainty. Artwork and exploration of metaphors enable them to reflect on who they are as teachers, and what teaching means to them; two enquiries that are likely to involve some encounters with uncertainty. Two series of art workshops were offered to 11 nurse educators over two periods of three months. The workshops were characterised by exploration of metaphors, which allowed participants to draw on and move beyond naïve inquiry. Photographs of their artwork are presented, which demonstrate that participants were enabled to make a restorative space in their workplace, stay with ambiguity and re-embody their thinking.

An exploration of a restorative space: A creative approach to reflection for nurse lecturer's focused on experiences of compassion in the workplace

This study was undertaken as part of a larger programme of research; the Leadership in Compassionate Care Programme. The aim of this study was to explore and respond to the perceptions of nurse lecturers in regard to experiences of compassion in the workplace. A participatory action research approach was adopted. The study took place in a large school of nursing and midwifery in the United Kingdom, eight lecturers participated in this study. A series of four facilitated reflective workshops titled a restorative space were provided and participants used the medium of collage as a process for reflection. Data was gathered in the form of collages, field and reflective notes. Data analysis involved an iterative process between facilitators and participants during the workshops and resulting actions were implemented. Findings from this study identified three key themes related to compassion in the workplace; leadership, culture, professional and personal development. Actions identified and implemented as a consequence of these findings included opportunities for lecturers to participate in a leadership development programme and implementing rapid feedback processes between lecturers and the senior management team. The restorative space workshops and utilisation of the creative medium of collage provided a valuable process for practitioners to collaboratively reflect on their workplace experiences.

Fresh thinking about academic development: authentic, transformative, disruptive?

We highlight three ways of conceptualising and enacting academic development: firstly as authentic, practice-based activity, secondly in terms of a new transformative paradigm for academic development units (ADUs), and thirdly as a space for disruption. We illustrate these conceptualisations through our investigation of the practice of internal secondment of faculty to ADUs. We report our findings from a sector-wide survey of Scottish higher education institutions and a series of in-depth interviews with secondees and their managers in two Scottish universities. We recommend further investigations to identify new ways of enacting authentic, practice-based, transformative, and disruptive academic development.

Collaborative close reading of teaching texts: one way of helping academics to make sense of their practice

In this paper, I draw attention to a lively and accessible way of helping academics to make sense of their practice as teachers. First, I define ‘collaborative close reading’ and ‘teaching texts’. Then I invite the reader to eavesdrop on three (lightly fictionalised) reading sessions. Finally, I suggest some guidelines for facilitators.

Poetic transcription with a twist: supporting early career academics through liminal spaces

Abstract As pressures on new academic staff members increase and change, academic developers need to find different ways of working with them. This paper offers for discussion a new way of supporting early career academics in their negotiation of liminality, the betwixt and between space separating old and new roles. We call this innovative approach poetic transcription with a twist. We begin by describing the approach, before reflecting on its value in our work with a group of colleagues who came together to share their stories of early career academic life. The paper outlines the responses of the individuals who engaged in the process before considering the possibilities and perils for wider use.

‘ … But we are academics!’ a reflection on using arts-based research activities with university colleagues

ABSTRACT Arts-based practices, although familiar in some areas of educational research have the capacity to surprise and to shock: they hold promise but also pose risks. In this essay we introduce arts-based research practices and in particular cut-up and collage. We invite readers to reflect on our experiences of arts-based educational research activities with a group of academic colleagues. We describe what we did, what went wrong, what went right and what we learned.

Of zombies, monsters and song: the third Academic Identities Conference

This essay is a response to the third biennial conference showcasing research and scholarship on academic identities held at the University of Auckland, New Zealand in July 2012. The first conference, with the theme of ‘academic identities in crisis’, was held at the University of Central Lancashire in 2008; the second, ‘academic identities in the 21st century’, was held in 2010 at the University of Strathclyde. The third, entitled Screaming in a 20-mile zone: Academic Identities in 2014 will take place next year on 8–9 July at Durham University, UK.

Identity Work in the Contemporary University

Academic identities research is a growing area of scholarly enquiry especially as academics themselves question the evolving nature of their roles in rapidly-changing university environments. Contributors explore the power of conceptual tools drawn from Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology and Politics to challenge increasingly instrumental neoliberal political approaches to higher education, supported by empirical evidence. Worthwhile teaching, learning and research require significant personal investment, and the book pays particular attention to the deeply affective dimensions of current academic practices.

Recognising Ourselves and Each Other in Professional Recognition

We begin this chapter by inviting readers to eavesdrop on a group of university educators engaging in arts-enriched identity work as part of their professional development. We then look at one aspect of the context in which this work is taking place: the current focus on recognition for university teachers. While welcoming this new interest we warn of the risks of too heavy a reliance on external standards and normative frameworks.

Faculty Development for Educational Leadership

The chapter describes five examples of dedicated faculty development trajectories for educational leadership in research-intensive universities, focusing on their nature and effects. After discussing and elaborating on the concept of ‘educational leadership’, the chapter portrays and compares professional development trajectories for educational leadership in five research-intensive universities: the universities of Edinburgh, Lund, Oslo, Copenhagen, and Utrecht. Through analysing similarities and differences between the initiatives, different pathways towards educational leadership are outlined, although they all can be said to support educational leaders. As such, the chapter provides insights and lessons for those interested in systematic development of the next generation of educational leaders.