Abstract:

Academic Professional Development (APD) is defined as the training and development opportunities in place that aim to foster excellence in academic practice, in terms of teaching, research, leadership and academic skills. APD is an essential aspect for the continual enhancement of teaching quality in higher education, and research shows it is also important for staff wellbeing, community and belonging. However, APD typically takes place through in-person training and events, and there is a lack of literature evaluating digital APD programmes in online and dispersed higher education environments.

This study evaluates the efficacy of a digital APD program in a distance and blended learning institution with a distributed campus model. The programme was designed to enhance teaching competencies, research capabilities, leadership skills, academic identity and academic community among university staff. Utilising a baseline and counterfactual survey approach, this paper assesses the impact on participants’ attitudes, capabilities and perceptions of academic professional development over a three-year period. Data was collected from a diverse cohort of faculty members who completed the survey annually between 2021 and 2023. Quantitative findings indicate significant improvements in participants’ capabilities and in their perceptions of APD, while open comments in the survey revealed that the programme also fostered a supportive community of practice, contributing to sustained professional growth. Implications for future program enhancements and broader institutional implementation are discussed, emphasizing the critical role of digital academic professional development in higher education.

Keywords:

Academic development, digital learning, community, belonging, teaching enhancement.