Academic Futures: Inquiries Into Higher Education and Pedagogy

Product Description 'This is a book of its time, and one for its time'. So says Paul Trowler of Lancaster University, in his Foreword to this edited collection of new work. The book exemplifies the iPED Research Network's diversity, exposing both the links and the boundaries between the higher education researchers involved, their students and their institutions. But, as Professor Trowler goes on to say, 'What all the chapters have in common is the rigorous and grounded approach based on evidence'. The fifteen contributed chapters are thematically divided into three sections: Responding to Complexity - authors from Australia, Austria and the UK consider aspects of academic life as diverse as funding and intellectual pleasure; Transforming Academic Identities - views from the UK, Eire and Denmark on evolving as an academic; and, Pedagogy and Practice - exemplars of approaches to teaching and learning that use innovative technologies and methods across varying educational contexts. The Introduction by Professor Paul Blackmore of King's College London sets the scene. Chapters are supplemented by commentary from critical friends, providing alternative perspectives on the work by educational researchers from different disciplines, institution types or nations. Keywords are provided to encourage the reader to dip into the book according to their research interests. Review This book brings together a rich collection of work by authors grappling with issues and questions of academic work in teaching and learning, research, leadership and management in higher education and their communities. There is no navel gazing or reference to a golden age of academia in these pages. The authors, each with a commentary from a critical friend, rigorously interrogate aspects of academic work and roles with no attempt to simplify. Academic work is complex but with researchers and scholars working together to tease out some of the complexities and issues as they have in this book, the future looks promising. --Denise Chalmers, Professor; Director, Centre for Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL); National Leader for Teaching Quality Indicators Project;This book is an important read for anyone who wants to influence the future shape of universities. Scholarly explorations into the student journey, learning as pleasure, pedagogy, technology, academic productivity, collegiality and community take the debate about the future of universities beyond the familiar laments about managerialism or the loss of a golden age. --Professor Glynis Cousin, Director, Institute for Learning Enhancement, University of Wolverhampton About the Author iPED stands for 'inquiring pedagogies' and encapsulates the idea of higher education research in a multi-media age. The iPED Research Network facilitates research into teaching and learning internationally. Based at Coventry University and peer-led, iPED, aspires to overcome the barriers of discipline, culture, geography, and economic and hierarchic status which divide pedagogic researchers. Alongside this book, iPED is guest editing a special issue of the International Journal of Web Based Communities (IJWBC) on the subject of web-based research networks and learning communities.