2019-08-19 15.00.15

| August 19, 2019

Claire McAvinia (learning and teaching in the digital age)

It’s been a positive challenge to study my Open University H880 module this year, at times very challenging when work has been especially busy. However, juggling and sometimes struggling have led to exciting and energising outcomes in recent weeks. We were asked to read the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and consider the connections between them and our course. Contextualising my learning, and then my work, in terms of the SDGs has given me a new focus. Academic development has the purpose of enhancing learning and teaching in higher education. SD Goal 4 is Quality Education: to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. This refers to all levels of education, and to learning across our lives. Access to technology is addressed as part of gender equality in Goal 5. Our work as teachers/educators, academic developers, educational technologists, and indeed open practitioners, links directly with the SDGs. We seek to improve the educational experiences of all students, and help our institutions to achieve their access and retention missions. This has been valuable in helping kick-start work ahead of the new academic year, but has also started me thinking again about how we frame academic development in relation to open education.