About Us

The Academy was initiated on June 1st 2006 with the appointment of Director, Professor Allison Littlejohn. Crucial to its success is the integration of learning and teaching research, practice and professional development. This approach requires staff from the Academy to collaborate with academics and senior management from the schools to realise learning innovation contextualised to their professional environment.

Vision

The Caledonian Academy is pioneering learning innovation in Higher Education, combining contemporary thinking in learning innovation with transformational change in teaching and learning. The vision of the Academy is to improve the student experience at Glasgow Caledonian University by shaping and implementing cutting edge learning, teaching and assessment practices. Its mission is twofold: to lead the University in the development and implementation of new and innovative forms of learning and to extend its international reputation as a centre of first-rate, applied research in education.

Basis

Contemporary thinking in Professional Development has moved from a model of piecemeal development, support and 'awareness raising' training towards integrated, strategic change grounded in advanced scholarship and underpinned by practical support at point of need. The Academy is modelled on inspired professional leadership within Universities across the world alongside advanced research in organisational change. The Caledonian Academy takes a leap forward from existing successful models by providing professional development inspired by a creative synergy between research, practice and advanced scholarship.

Communities

A critical step in implementing transformational change lies in pinpointing key issues associated with learning and teaching practice. Those best placed to identify issues and to map them against institutional strategy are individuals responsible for teaching and learning: Deans, Associate Deans and Academics located within the schools. Academic from the Academy, who through their own research are advancing learning innovation, are working in partnership with localised staff to plan, develop, support and evaluate strategic interventions.

Structure

The Academy has two strands: 'learning development' and 'research and scholarship'. The research and scholarship strand is carrying out applied research in learning and teaching with organisations in a range of countries. The leading development strand supports the university in embedding outputs from research into practice.

Updated: 04 June, 2008 | Site editor | Legal