ABSTRACT
As Ling discusses in Chapter 1, in the past decade the changes that have taken place in higher education have had a significant impact on teaching across the higher education sector. Helping to drive these changes are increasing student numbers and student diversity, an increasing emphasis on student-centred teaching and flexible learning, and the use of educational media, in particular online environments. Education development units are positioned to build on some of these changes through award-bearing university programmes that focus on teaching in higher education. These programmes can be used to introduce staff to what is already known about the facilitation of student learning through good teaching and to encourage staff to take a scholarly approach to their teaching. Programmes of this nature are also one way to begin the professionalisation of university teaching.
