There are quite a few words I don’t like when talking about educational development. ‘Training’ is among these words. Why do lecturers ‘teach’, but educational developers ‘train’? Why is somebody who teaches students a lecturer or a teacher, but anyone who teaches lecturers is deemed to be training rather than teaching?
The difference may seem insignificant to some but I passionately believe that higher education is a valid and legitimate field of study and there is no difference between those who teach and research about higher education and the things that go on in universities and those who teach and research about sociology, physics and nursing. This is why I like to see educational developers have job titles which indicate this (Lecturer/ Senior Lecturer. Professor etc.)
I agree. "Training" in the context of HE makes me cringe. I was interested about your comment of educational developers being Professors etc. I think part of the problem may lie in many universities who employ educational developers, not as academics, but as academic-related or academic-support staff. This delineation sends out a clear message. There's also a bit of muddying of the waters when HR get involved in "training" academics, when really,the appropriate course of action is to develop a community of learning. The issues, of course, are complex, and many come out of the employability agenda, and graduate readiness for "the world of work". My question is, if our universities are producing employees, who is producing the employers?