Transnational Higher Education Networks for Learning and Teaching (TNLTs) in geography

Wakefield, Kelly (2012) Transnational Higher Education Networks for Learning and Teaching (TNLTs) in geography. Loughborough University, Department of Geography, Doctoral Thesis, 306pp.

Record type: Thesis (Doctoral)

Abstract

Transnational Higher Education Networks for Learning and Teaching (TNLTs) in Geography are networks of academic geographers that facilitate a common interest in exchanging knowledge about higher education learning and teaching. Participation within these learning and teaching networks arguably provides benefits of information sharing but is often compromised by barriers such as finance and time. The aim of this study is to contribute to geographies of higher education by exploring academic networking practices for learning and teaching through geographers motivations, experiences and outcomes of participation alongside the role that technology plays in facilitating these. The subject of learning and teaching is an increasingly important area of study. The complex relationship between the practices of learning and teaching alongside research and administration duties within higher education has been previously explored yet little discussion is offered on academics who focus on learning and teaching practice. However, within the context of human geography research TNLTs as defined within this thesis have only received cursory treatment. This study situates TNLTs under the umbrella of geographies of higher education that are increasingly being studied with focuses on transnational academic mobility, international student mobility and international collaborations in higher education. This study sketches a conceptual framework for engaging in academic networking by bringing research together on TNLTs, Continuing Professional Development (CPD), higher education on a global scale, Communities of Practice (CoP) and the technology driven-network society that comprise five bodies of literature that have not been considered collectively before. Due to a lack of literature and previous work on TNLTs, this thesis applies grounded theorising that generated findings out of the data rather than testing a hypothesis. Such inductive methodology develops and constructs theory and is a useful approach to researching TNLTs because it also allows for a combination of different research methods. In this thesis, various ways to access TNLTs are blended to effectively study them, including both face-to-face and online surveys and interviews

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