Connections Seminar: New professional learning frameworks for academics teaching first-year undergraduate students.

Presented by Dr Trudy Ambler, Honorary academic, Macquarie University

Professional learning is an essential component of the institutional conditions required for a high-quality first-year student experience. Initiatives to improve students’ determinative first-year in higher education have expanded but one area notably absent in the literature pertains to professional learning tailored to meet the needs of academics teaching first-year students.

To be effective teachers and make a positive impact on first-year students’ learning necessitates that academics have an ability to draw on key knowledge, skills and attributes (Ambler, Solomonides, Smallridge, McClusky and Hannah, 2019). However, these constructs are not finite and to be responsive to the evolving needs of students, professional learning for academics should be multi-faceted, on-going and integral to everyday practice.

The purpose of this presentation is to introduce two new evidence-based frameworks that were developed specifically to support professional learning for academics teaching first-year undergraduate students. The presentation will provide an overview of the research underpinning the frameworks and explain how the frameworks might be used in the context of practice.

Ambler, T., Solomonides, I., Smallridge, A., McCluskey, T., and Hannah, L. (2019.) Professional learning for academics teaching first-year undergraduate students, Professional Development in Education, DOI: 10.1080/19415257.2019.1647272

About Trudy

Trudy Ambler is currently an Honorary academic at Macquarie University (MQ) and she also works as a Learning and Teaching Consultant. Prior to this Trudy worked in the Faculty of Arts at Macquarie University where she held the position of Associate Dean (Quality and Standards) and Director of Learning and Teaching. Before commencing her work in the University sector Trudy worked extensively in the school system in the United Kingdom (UK), Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Australia as a teacher, administrator and education advisor.

Trudy’s research and publications explore issues related to teacher and student learning, specifically how their ‘experiences’ of learning enable us to better understand the world. This research agenda has taken different forms and includes: teacher learning in both the school and university sectors; teacher knowledge; students’ learning; peer learning; first-year curriculum: mentoring; narrative inquiry; autobiographical inquiry; practitioner inquiry; research ethics in learning and teaching; learning spaces and places.