the political geographies of academic development: neutral, non-neutral and/or marginal iced...

The political geographies of academic development: neutral, non-neutral and/or marginal

ICED Symposium 2010

Catherine Manathunga, Trevor Holmes, Brad Wuetherick, Beverley Hamilton,

Gail Rathbun, Nancy Turner, David Green & Deandra Little

Challenging Academic Development (CAD) Collective Members based in

Australia, Canada, England, USA

© C. Manathunga, T. Holmes, B.Wuetherick, B. Hamilton, G. Rathbun, N. Turner, D. Green & D. Little, 2010

Political Geographies of Academic Development Academic Development as in-

between space: Liminal, transcultural space

(Manathunga, 2006, 2009) Space of migration (Manathunga,

2007) Additional metaphors:

Neutrality - national metaphors and AD tools (Brinko, 1991)

Marginality (Stonequist, 1937)

© C. Manathunga, T. Holmes, B.Wuetherick, B. Hamilton, G. Rathbun, N. Turner, D. Green & D. Little, 2010

Mapping our symposium

Interactive journey 3 modes of navigating and

occupying the landscape, nation states and terrains of academic development

Mapping your own academic development work relative to your institutional topography

© C. Manathunga, T. Holmes, B.Wuetherick, B. Hamilton, G. Rathbun, N. Turner, D. Green & D. Little, 2010

3 modes of navigation

The [im]possibilities of neutrality: metaphors of nation

Investigating the non-neutrality of academic development tools

Academic development on the margins

© C. Manathunga, T. Holmes, B.Wuetherick, B. Hamilton, G. Rathbun, N. Turner, D. Green & D. Little, 2010

The [im]possibilities of neutrality: metaphors of nation

Introduction

Our responses to the metaphor of neutrality

Group discussion using trigger quotes

Further [re]thinking

If your institution were the WORLD, what COUNTRY wouldyour academic development unit be?

Source: http://printable-maps.blogspot.com/2008/07/printable-blank-world-map.html

Introduction…

The [im]possibilities of neutrality: metaphors of nation

Academic Development Unit: a nation in the world of the institution? “We have to be Switzerland” (??)

National and Provincial Quality Assurance in Canada: “Let’s not be the UK or Australia!” (??)

Our responses: troubling identity

The [im]possibilities of neutrality: metaphors of nation

Triggers for reflection and discussion Read a trigger, clarify, discuss

Further [re]thinking: what next?

© C. Manathunga, T. Holmes, B.Wuetherick, B. Hamilton, G. Rathbun, N. Turner, D. Green & D. Little, 2010

Investigating the non-neutrality of academic development tools

Introduction: coming down to earth to excavate

The tools Mental models of AD Instruments of AD

Group activity Conclusion

Investigating the non-neutrality of academic development tools

© C. Manathunga, T. Holmes, B.Wuetherick, B. Hamilton, G. Rathbun, N. Turner, D. Green & D. Little, 2010

Academic development on the margins

David Green SEATTLE UNIVERSITY

Deandra Little UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

© C. Manathunga, T. Holmes, B.Wuetherick, B. Hamilton, G. Rathbun, N. Turner, D. Green & D. Little, 2010

© C. Manathunga, T. Holmes, B.Wuetherick, B. Hamilton, G. Rathbun, N. Turner, D. Green & D. Little, 2010

Upper Administration

‘Mainstream’ Academics

VE

RT

ICA

L,

ST

RU

CT

UR

AL

TE

NS

ION

S

HORIZONTAL, EPISTEMOLOGICAL TENSIONS

Higher EducationDisciplines

‘Mainstream’Disciplines

© C. Manathunga, T. Holmes, B.Wuetherick, B. Hamilton, G. Rathbun, N. Turner, D. Green & D. Little, 2010

managerialism

Upper Administration

‘Mainstream’ Academics

particularism

Higher EducationDisciplines

colonialism

VE

RT

ICA

L,

ST

RU

CT

UR

AL

TE

NS

ION

S

HORIZONTAL, EPISTEMOLOGICAL TENSIONS

‘Mainstream’Disciplines

Orientalism

The isthmus of academic development

© C. Manathunga, T. Holmes, B.Wuetherick, B. Hamilton, G. Rathbun, N. Turner, D. Green & D. Little, 2010

Marginal roles for academic developers

© C. Manathunga, T. Holmes, B.Wuetherick, B. Hamilton, G. Rathbun, N. Turner, D. Green & D. Little, 2010

Nationalist role Intermediary role Assimilation & Passing1 2 3

© C. Manathunga, T. Holmes, B.Wuetherick, B. Hamilton, G. Rathbun, N. Turner, D. Green & D. Little, 2010

[Re]mapping the Political Geographies of Academic Development

Where did we end up?

Which new territories/metaphors/ ’imaginary homelands’ (Rushdie, 1991) can we explore?

© C. Manathunga, T. Holmes, B.Wuetherick, B. Hamilton, G. Rathbun, N. Turner, D. Green & D. Little, 2010

References Brinko, K. T. (1991). The interactions of teaching

improvement. In M. Theall & J. Franklin (eds.) Effective Practices for Improving Teaching: New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 48. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Manathunga, C. (2006). Doing educational development ambivalently: Applying post-colonial metaphors to educational development? International Journal for Academic Development (11)1: 19-29.

Manathunga, C. (2007). “Unhomely” academic developer identities: More post-colonial explorations. International Journal for Academic Development, 12(1): 25-34.

Rushdie, S. (1991). Imaginary homelands. London: Granta.

Stonequist, E.V. (1937). The Marginal Man: A Study In Personality and Culture Conflict. New York: Russell & Russell. 1961.

Take a walk on the wild side …

… at the CAD Carnaval, Wednesday @ 3.05