Why can’t higher education agree on terminology for third-space professionals?

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi33.1268

Keywords:

third space professional, learning designer, educational technologist, academic developer

Abstract

Poorly defined roles and inconsistently used titles present a significant barrier to understanding and valuing the work of third-space professionals (Bird, 2004; Caldwell, 2022; Veles et al., 2023). People in these roles make a significant contribution to learning and teaching in higher education, bringing pedagogical and technological expertise to an increasingly complex domain. A lack of understanding of these roles makes it hard to build trust and foster effective collaboration. This brief communication considers factors in higher education, from the cultural to the pragmatic, which contribute to this confusion.

Author Biography

Colin Simpson, University of Sydney

Colin Simpson is a senior learning designer and PhD student at the University of Sydney, Australia. He is a senior fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a founder and convenor of the ASCILITE TELedvisors Network, a community of practitioners for people working in the tertiary education third space across learning design, educational technology and academic development. He researches third-space practitioner roles and purpose, as well as the factors which serve as inhibitors and enablers of their work.

References

Bird, J. (2004) ‘Professional navel gazing: flexible learning professionals into the future’, in R. Atkinson, C. McBeath, D. Jonas-Dwyer, and R. Phillips (eds) Beyond the Comfort Zone: Proceedings of the 21st ASCILITE Conference. Perth, 5-8 December, pp.123-133. Available at: https://www.ascilite.org/conferences/perth04/procs/pdf/bird.pdf (Accessed: 24 December 2017).

Caldwell, J. (2022) ‘Professional identity and professional services staff: understanding and impact’, Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, 26(4), pp.140-147. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13603108.2022.2073288

Geis, G. and Klaassen, J. (1972) ‘It’s a Word, It’s a Name, It’s ... an Educational Technologist’, Educational Technology, 12(12), pp.20-22.

Graham, C. (2012) ‘Transforming spaces and identities: the contributions of professional staff to learning spaces in higher education’, Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 34(4), pp.437-452. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2012.696326

Mitchell, K., Simpson, C. and Adachi, C. (2017) ‘What’s in a name: the ambiguity and complexity of technology enhanced learning roles’, in H. Partridge, K. Davis, and J. Thomas (eds) Me, Us, IT! Proceedings ASCILITE2017: 34th International Conference on Innovation, Practice and Research in the Use of Educational Technologies in Tertiary Education. University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia 4-6 December. Available at: https://2017conference.ascilite.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Concise-MITCHELL.pdf (Accessed: 24 December 2017).

Szekeres, J. (2004) ‘The invisible workers’, Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 26(1), pp.7-22. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080042000182500

Veles, N., Graham, C. and Ovaska, C. (2023) ‘University professional staff roles, identities, and spaces of interaction: systematic review of literature published in 2000–2020’, Policy Reviews in Higher Education, 7(2), pp.127-168. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/23322969.2023.2193826

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Published

30-01-2025

How to Cite

Simpson, C. (2025) “Why can’t higher education agree on terminology for third-space professionals?”, Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (33). doi: 10.47408/jldhe.vi33.1268.

Issue

No. 33 (2025): Special Edition, Third Space In HE

Section

Identity and positioning

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Copyright (c) 2025 Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education

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