Developing new Learning Developers: survey results and roadmap

• Published in: Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education
• Main Authors: Kate Coulson, Matt Crofts, Sam Thomas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Association for Learning Development in Higher Education (ALDinHE) 2024-10-01
• Subjects: Learning Development; CPD; professional development; new Learner Developers; CPD framework
• Online Access: http://journal.aldinhe.ac.uk/index.php/jldhe/article/view/1424

Did you know that only 7.7% of new Learning Developers are taught how to conduct a one-to-one tutorial, and only 38.5% are taught how to lead a workshop? (all data according to our survey: Coulson & Crofts, 2023). Despite this, nearly half (45.6%) of new Learning Developers have had the opportunity to complete a Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) in Teaching in Higher Education, which is not tailored for such an expert role. Kate and Matt met at #ALDCon23 in Portsmouth and discussed how new community members develop their expertise. Matt is a new Learning Developer, and Kate has worked in Learning Development for over a decade; they recognised that there was a gap in the ALDinHE CPD provision and agreed to find out if this was true. This presentation outlined the results of a survey they designed and shared with the ALDinHE community in November 2023. This online survey asked new and established Learning Developers about their experiences of CPD, including what was useful, what they experienced and what would have benefitted them. The survey showed a clear gap in Continued Professional Development (CPD) provision for Learning Developers. Kate and Matt are now in the process of designing a CPD framework that not only meets the needs of new Learning Developers but also enhances the skills and knowledge of more experienced colleagues. Participants had the opportunity to contribute their own experiences of CPD to the group to enhance further the quantitative data collected in the survey. As part of this session and beyond, Kate and Matt are keen to include community members in the design process, including being critical friends, designing and contributing resources and teaching development sessions within the framework.