A recent call for papers for Monsters and the Monstrous - from Inter-disciplinary.net, a network for the exploration, development and publication of work that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries - got me thinking about connections, convergences and lines of flight in the scholarship of learning and teaching.  By that I mean the way that learning and teaching research encompasses all manner of theories and methodologies and seems to invite experimentation.

What relevance do monsters have for higher education?  Well, there are the zombies from Rock the Academy, role-playing werewolves in a graduate seminar, and McDermott and Daspit (2005) talking about vampires on campus (you might have met them if you have felt a bit drained lately) in Imagining the Academy.

On a less esoteric note, Inter-disciplinary.net have a dedicated Education hub (which I only found by following the trail of the monsters):

The Education Hub is a dynamic and creative space which aims to provide a vigorous inter- and multi-disciplinary set of forums for the examination and evaluation of education and the contexts where education is delivered. The projects within the Hub are committed to the tradition of liberal education, the inherent value of the pursuit of learning and the principle that knowledge must be an end in itself.

In particular, some projects examine the nature, purpose and changing landscapes of Higher Education, whilst also exploring the society, culture and places where higher education takes place. They seek to understand the aims of higher education, its guiding principles, its practical functions, and its role in a multicultural society. They also engage with the emerging technologies within education, the impact they have on educational practices and philosophies, and explore the future for education in a globalised world.

We’ll keep an eye on the Education Hub, with a blog starting up there in March 2009, and the launch of email discussion groups and e-Forums during the year.

Filed under: Calls for Papers, Social Networks by Agnes Bosanquet