Transformative Learning Support Models for Higher Education: Educating the Whole Student

Citation

Hallam, G. (2010), "Transformative Learning Support Models for Higher Education: Educating the Whole Student", Library Management, Vol. 31 No. 4/5, pp. 375-376. https://doi.org/10.1108/01435121011046489

Contemporary education has seen a significant shift away from the didactic “talk and chalk” approaches to teaching, to encourage more “student centred” learning. There is also a clearer realisation that the student journey is no longer linear, i.e. transition from secondary education to tertiary education to employment. Learners may now take a more circuitous route to academic qualifications, with various sequences of learning experiences in school, vocational education, higher education and the workplace. The student experience has expanded beyond the immediate classroom context, with teaching staff moving to consider the multiple dimensions of learning activities and the potential of formal and informal development processes. This places challenges on academic institutions to consider new integrative forms of student support that encourage educators, information technology services, learning technologists, student advisers and librarians to work together to achieve the best possible learning outcomes. Importantly, the design of appropriate learning spaces, both physical and virtual, can contribute to the development of innovative models for service delivery.

The book covers this whole territory, drawing together the diverse stakeholder perspectives to highlight the importance of the “purposeful delivery of increasingly integrated learning support services” (p. xiii). The 13 chapters address the issues associated with both policy and practice, presented in three thematic parts that are dedicated to government and academic policy and strategy, to the design and support of learning support services, and to the integrative practice achieved through multidisciplinary teams. The book closes with discussion about the imperative for evidence‐based practice, to ensure that relevant pedagogic research can inform ongoing development in order “to create practices in learning support which can sustainably transform students' ability to succeed in HE [higher education]” (p. 196).

A high‐level examination of the issues that are central to the key themes at an international level is found early in the book. Readers will find that the discussion on policy matters in both the United Kingdom and New Zealand resonates with the current situation in Australia as we see the push for widened participation in higher education, the escalation of student fees, and increased scrutiny on quality assurance and accountability. These external factors are counterbalanced by a growing sense of organisational responsibility for ensuring successful study outcomes, which acknowledge the need for a “holistic” view of the student as a “whole person” – socially, physically and academically. It is argued that holistic student support requires a strategic response, through the establishment of seamless support services which require shared responsibilities between the different stakeholder groups, integration into teaching and learning, and the embedding of inclusive practice into academic departments.

The initial chapters essentially form the political and philosophical backdrop to the chapters that follow, which present a series of case studies. The reader is able to relate theory to practice through the real‐life examples of institutional initiatives that portray the opportunities and the challenges that accompany the new models of converged services. While the profiled institutions are diverse, ranging from metropolitan to regional universities and include face‐to‐face, virtual and hybrid programs, common topics emerge: pedagogy (changing approaches to learning and teaching), place (new learning spaces) and people (multi‐professional collaboration).

Margaret Weaver, as editor, has successfully brought together a range of views and expertise that are refreshing to explore. The authors are representative of the multidisciplinary perspectives that are promoted in the book, with extensive experience in the areas of library services, academic support, eLearning, student affairs, student learning support and learning spaces. As many Australian universities have already introduced, or are in the process of establishing, new models of integrated services and innovative learning spaces, it is hoped that this book will encourage the stakeholders to consider the opportunities for evidence‐based practice in order to examine the educational value of learning support partnerships in greater depth. For readers new to the field, the book may help encourage dialogue amongst members of the support professions, stimulate ideas for collaboration and create the confidence to embark on new initiatives. While the book is not aimed specifically at a library audience, there is a strong argument for librarians being directly involved at both the strategic and operational levels of integrative learning support and this book can guide both thinking and practice. In the editor's words – “once read, there's no going back” (p. xvii).