Reform, quality agendas and professional development: Reflections on engaging academics in technology and change

Major policy reforms within Australian Higher Education coupled with important advances in elearning technologies have created a highly stressful environment for teaching academics. Faculty learning and teaching leaders responsible for the delivery of professional development face demanding new challenges. The authors outline the relative success of strategies they have trialed, including those using new technologies, to assist staff with their learning and teaching practice. Although the use of new technologies to assist staff has resulted in some success, problems associated with the initiatives are identified. The assumption that the uncritical use of new technologies will necessarily provide the solution to the current dilemmas faced by teaching academics is questioned. The paper concludes with a discussion of new ways of thinking about professional development where a strong focus is placed on the prudent use of new technologies and where staff are given greater responsibility for their learning and teaching development.