Sessional Staff Traversing Diverse Learning Spaces: A Review

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Prue Gonzalez,* School of Environmental Sciences, and Phillip Ebbs, School of Biomedical Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Australia

Abstract

Sessional academic staff are employed in a number of academic roles, from lecturing to field trips to course improvement. What distinguishes them from other academic staff is that they are employed on a short-term, contract basis, much like adjunct faculty in the United States. Today they are a dominant feature of the global higher education workforce whose contributions over the past 20 years have been significant.
It is conservatively estimated that sessional academics deliver more than 40% of university teaching in Australia, where the authors live and teach. While the higher education sector’s reliance upon these staff is expected to increase, our knowledge and understanding of these staff is poor. This compromises the development of policies, strategies and programs designed to engage, support and improve the high quality contributions of the sessional academic workforce over a sustained period. A more informed approach to sessional academic engagement, support and quality improvement is an essential component to operating effectively in a modern higher education sector. This paper reviews the challenges associated with the effective and sustainable engagement of the Australian sessional academic workforce.

Keywords:

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Changing Learning Spaces for Changing Learning Needs in Higher Education

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Bob Fox,* Mark King, and Dinesh Paikeday, Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education), University of New South Wales, Australia

Abstract

The University of New South Wales (UNSW) 2025 strategy supports new designs to facilitate better learning experiences for its students. This includes (re)developing many large first-year courses using more open and blended learning methods. This in turn has led to a re-examination of the University’s physical learning spaces.
This paper explores local and international case studies of different learning spaces and how new digital technologies and more student-centred learning approaches are leading to demands for new learning environments to suit changing needs in learning and teaching. The paper outlines what UNSW is doing to meet the challenges it faces for new physical learning spaces.

Keywords: Learning spaces, online-blended teaching, student learning

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