The idea of a scholarship of teaching and learning in HE is relatively new and less mature, in some respects, than scholarship in some other disciplines. The first title, The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, is a keystone for the 'Helping Students to Learn' series in the sense that it binds it together, introducing the idea of scholarship in HE teaching and learning: what does scholarship mean in this context, what is its purpose and value, how is it achieved, and what purposes might it serve for individuals and institutions? The series combines practical and theoretical material to support new lecturers.

. This book defines the field of HE teaching and learning, with an international frame of reference, including strategies for continuing professional development.

. The key objectives of the book are:

. . To explore the meaning and nature of the scholarship of teaching and learning in HE from a range of perspectives;

. . To analyse the forms and characteristics of this scholarship in practice;

. . To introduce the theoretical underpinnings of a scholarly approach, pointing to a range of literature, directing readers to a range of perspectives in the literature;

. . To discuss the purpose and value of scholarship in this area;

. . To define and demonstrate scholarly approaches in this context;

. To define the field of HE teaching and learning, with an international frame of reference, including key debates;

. . To propose strategies for continuing professional development in this discipline;

. . To prompt readers to adopt a strategic approach to their development as teachers;

. . To encourage and enable contributions to the scholarship ofHE teaching and learning from across the disciplines..

This book is designed for lecturers on a wide range of professional courses. It directly addresses questions that come up again and again in seminar discussions; questions that are fundamental to the values and perspectives of academics across the disciplines: What is meant by the scholarship of teaching and learning in higher education? What is the purpose of higher education? Are lecturers really 'students' on these courses? How do you do 'reflective' writing? What do we do with all this theory and jargon? What does CPD in this area involve? How do you do 'research' on teaching and learning?This book does not treat each element of the curriculum separately - course design, assessment, evaluation of teaching etc. - since that approach has been well handled by others. Instead, like other books in the series, it addresses elements of the curriculum in an integrated way, thereby educating the reader in how to approach a range of higher education related issues.

This book provides a scholarly introduction to the literature on these questions. Like other books in the series, it offers a concise treatment of complex questions. It also provides directions for future study.

"Contributors: Matthew Alexander, Glynis Cousin, Helen Fallon, Ian Finlay, Diana Kelly, Ruth Lowry, Marion McCarthy, Rowena Murray, Jacqueline Potter, Christine Sinclair, Sarah Skerratt and Barry Stierer.