Crossing Divides: Professional Development for Third Space Professionals

Abstract

The position of academic language and learning (ALL) staff varies widely throughout the higher education sector, with some working within academic areas and others working in the professional space. As a result of this variation, the role of ALL staff is often confused and misunderstood within universities, which leads to devaluation of the role’s legitimacy. As third space professionals, it is imperative for ALL staff to work with research-led best practice in order to effectively communicate their role to the sector. Professional development can play a key part in this process. However, ALL staff frequently face a dilemma of how to resource professional development in a sector where the fiscal environment is restrictive. This chapter presents a series of case studies on professional development options and strategies for ALL staff at an Australian university. These include participation in the university’s Educational Fellowship Scheme (accredited by the Higher Education Academy) and an internal peer observation project that serves the joint purpose of training and mentoring new staff as well as providing ongoing professional development for experienced staff. Within the institution, we collaborate with professional and academic units to facilitate ours and others’ professional development. Further, our collaboration and engagement with external professional bodies and the broader ALL community enable us to communicate our role both within our institution and externally. This chapter assesses the scope of these programs and activities to enable dialogue between third space professionals and academic staff. It provides recommendations for maintaining and utilizing sustainable professional development for ALL staff, with lessons for other professional learning support staff, in a resource-limited context.