ABSTRACT
There is a huge difference between learning as a ‘regular’ student and learning on the job while attending a professional development training program, module or workshop. ‘Regular’ students are learning for their ‘future career,’ and what they learn will be important after they graduate. They often have only a vague idea of where and how they will apply their new knowledge and skills. For lecturers who are professionalizing their teaching and learning skills to be applied immediately in their teaching practice, the situation is completely different. The design of a professional development program needs to take this into account. Whether the learner will make time for the learning process depends on how relevant the knowledge is for their practice: will they finish the course or will they drop out because of other, more pressing duties? Success in research is an extremely important career factor for lecturers at most research universities. On the other hand, lecturers are obliged to attend professional development programs, modules or workshops about teaching and learning at many institutions of higher education. Increasingly, they are required to have a teaching certificate before they can teach.
