Engendering ripple effects when improving learning and teaching

Neil Haigh

Centre for Educational and Professional Development

AUT University

What is it about?

During a three year research project which focused on the relationship between academic development and student learning, academic developers at seven New Zealand universities worked collaboratively with teachers of first year courses to  develop and evaluate teaching and learning enhancement initiatives (TLEIs) that were intended to improve aspects of students’ learning (Haigh et. al., 2006). The academic developers’ engagement with their colleagues was sustained and intensive as the TLEIs were designed, implemented and evaluated. While this approach to academic development has many benefits, it does have potential constraints. The time demands mean that some teachers who are seeking, or could benefit from, similar support are likely to be denied the same opportunity. The beneficial outcomes may also be confined to a single teacher and their students. However, these constraints may be offset if ‘ripple/butterfly effects’ can be engendered so that the local impacts of academic development for one teacher and his/her students can have positive consequences in other contexts. The focus of the session is on strategies, outcomes and issues associated with the efforts within one case study university to broaden impacts to a School/Faculty, the University, other New Zealand universities and beyond.

Why is it important?           

Some commentators on tertiary learning and teaching research express concern that projects focused on the teacher and students in one course, in particular as they interact in classrooms, often have limited or negligible impact on other teachers and their students. Others state that there is an undue pre-occupation with such projects: there are other contexts for learning and teaching that need to be investigated as well.  The researchers/practitioners associated with these project are often themselves disappointed that their research does not have a more substantial and enduring legacy. Funders of research may also be concerned about this limited legacy.  Academic developers also wrestle with the pros and cons of a commitment to this form of support for colleagues, which they often regard as optimal. In undertaking this project, we were aware of these legitimate concerns and attempted to address them.

Haigh, N., Neill, L., Kirkness, A., Parker, L., Lester, J., Gossman, P. and Naidoo, K. (2006). Unlocking student learning: The impact of teaching and learning enhancement initiatives (TLEI’s) on first year university students. Annual Conference of the New Zealand Association for Research in Education, Rotorua.

How will the session be run?

I will begin by briefly elaborating on these general concerns and contextualizing them in relation to the three year project.

I will then seek suggestions from participants for ways in which we might have addressed the concerns in the course of the project.

Finally, I will review and discuss our ‘engendering ripple effects’ strategy, and comment on the influence of complexity theory on my thinking about the concerns identified and this strategy.