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NTFS 2024: Relentless passion for CPD to enhance student learning

20 Sep 2024 | Dr Sue Bolt New National Teaching Fellow and member of a winning CATE team for 2024, Dr Sue Bolt, Head of Academic Development at the University of Liverpool, reflects on her passion for transformative academic development.

I believe that learning has the power to transform students’ lives and create a fairer, better world. So, how can I develop myself and build capacity in others to enhance teaching in higher education to support learning for all our students?   

From grit to pearl 

The catalyst that sparked my relentless passion for CPD to enhance student learning was denial of my request for CPD. As a secondary school English teacher in the 1990s, I was aware that some of my students were not ready to learn the prepared curriculum. My request for CPD to learn how to teach ‘non-traditional’ students was denied.  

In 2001, I started my career in educational development in the schooling sector. I engaged in extensive CPD that enabled me to build capacity in others to support student learning. Ironically, as a Literacy Curriculum Consultant, I delivered the CPD that, previously, I had been denied. Interestingly, such CPD, remains relevant to teaching HE students from diverse backgrounds.  

As first in family to go to university (before that was a thing), I experienced the transformative power of learning. As someone who did well at school, my career options were to become a secretary, nurse or teacher – that was it! I went to college to get a job as a teacher. Thus, my horizons were limited until a colleague told me I could do a Master of Education by Research. This excited me, even though I had never heard of postgraduate research. I immediately enrolled and investigated participants’ action learning experiences in the programmes I delivered. I loved doing postgraduate research and went on to do a PhD supervised by my colleague.  

As a PhD student in 2006 I was appointed to the university role my supervisor held before she was promoted and subsequently moved overseas. My PhD investigation into the relationship between professional learning and organisational change and development, was highly relevant to my HE roles in academic development. I found that academics were not that interested in CPD, and not much was offered anyway. I used the time to work on my PhD, develop my academic identity, build rapport and listen to colleagues, becoming one of them. After a year of listening, when I thought I had discovered what kind of CPD academics wanted, I discovered there was never going to be a suitable time for them to do it. Lack of a suitable time for academics to engage in CPD, gave me another year to complete my PhD, and conceptualise CPD in a way that would work for us.  

This experience informed my understanding of the competing demands for CPD from individuals and institutions. I understood that one size does not fit all, one-off workshops don’t work and making someone learn what they already know squanders time and demotivates people. I was committed to making the connections between theory and practice, incorporating top down and bottom-up approaches to change, making us matter, so that we in turn can benefit others.  

Across decades and hemispheres, I have reconceptualised these underlying beliefs in diverse contexts, and in 2024 I was recognised with a National Teaching Fellowship and as team member in the Liverpool Online project winning a Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence. I am grateful for this recognition and thankful to those who supported me.  

Reflecting on my National Teaching Fellowship 

Making a claim for a National Teaching Fellowship compelled me to stop and reflect on the scale of influence I have achieved in my role since 2017, within my team, the Academy, the University and with partners globally. I have added value, for example, by developing a world-first accredited commercial PGCAP available globally through Liverpool Online. I have extended the University’s reach by working with partners, for example, through the Transformative Academic Practice in Higher Education in the Philippines (TAPHEP) project.  

Measuring the impact of academic development on student learning can be challenging because we impact staff who impact their students. I am grateful to have a wonderful team of Senior Academic Developers who facilitate staff development and a supportive line manager who acknowledges the impact of my work leading the team.   

“Through Dr Bolt's leadership, the Academic Development provision for staff engaged in teaching and the support of learning at Liverpool has gone from strength to strength and had a transformative impact on the student experience. That such work has had a direct impact on our recent Gold TEF outcome is undoubted.” 

Take home message 

Learning has the power to transform lives. It behoves us, as educators and developers to work collaboratively to provide high quality learning experiences so that all students can reach their full potential. As you support others, remember to collect evidence of your own success so that you are ready to make a claim for NTF when the time is right for you.  

 

Susan Bolt is Head of Academic Development at the University of Liverpool and Director of Studies for the Liverpool Online Academic Practice Masters level programmes. Dr Bolt is interested in developing further external partnerships to promote transformative academic practice in higher education through Liverpool Online Academic Practice programmes.  

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