Academic Development focuses on good practice and enhancing practice for all the dimensions of teaching, learning and scholarship. Academic development aims to develop teaching, curriculum, and leadership of teaching to in turn support high-quality student learning. Higher education staff who support academic development may be referred to as academic, educational, or professional developers. [Mårtensson, K., 2014]

The Advancing Academic Development project aims to establish how we might effectively support Academic Developers (ADs) to build capabilities, establish national networks, and share good practices. Alongside research into the needs and views of ADs, and what senior university leaders may support, in 2018 a national professional development event was convened to test and evaluate a new facilitated model. Proving to be highly successful, a second event was held in 2019.

The 2019 Advancing Academic Development Event  featured keynote speakers Jade Kennedy, University of Wollongong,  speaking on Jindaola: An Aboriginal approach for academic and curriculum development and 

Dr Allan Goody, President International Consortium for Educational Development speaking on: An international perspective: roles, issues and challenges of Academic Development.

Professional development workshops on defining a mission for Academic Development and evidencing impact, were complemented by and presentations on innovative academic development practice across Australasian institutions and the presentation of the 2019 Australasian Academic Development Good Practice Awards. 

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