Back to the future – Challenging traditional positions and hierarchies in academic development

Abstract

With the emphasis on evidence in academic development, it is important to consider how research on higher education is conducted, who influences its direction and what questions are being raised. In this work, I will take a closer look at students’ research projects in the “Environments for learning in higher education” course and, based on experiences from that course, explore how to involve students as researchers in higher education and how to provide opportunities for students to influence academic development through research. In the discussion, I argue that challenging traditional positions and knowledge hierarchies at higher education institutions are central for the future direction of academic development.