Introduction

Every day, thousands of students across institutions of higher education find themselves immersed in a conversation about some seemingly impenetrable aspect of their learning, be it writing an essay, understanding an assignment, sitting an exam, or articulating ideas in a presentation. Learning Development is a unique field of practice. Student-centred and driven by the desire to make higher education more inclusive and less mystifying, it has grown from a loose collection of dedicated, like-minded practitioners, to an expansive territory that has been relatively successfully charted but not yet fully defined and settled. In spite of the fluid and emergent nature of the contents of this book, careful thought went into its structure. They are followed by two parts that invite practitioners to engage more critically with their work and to explore ways in which they can become active contributors to the field through research and publication.