Inhabiting the “Third Space” in Higher Education:
A case study on how educational technologists navigate this space in an Irish University
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22554/ijtel.v8i1.156Keywords:
Third-Space, Higher education, Educational Technologists , Learning Technologists , Professional IdentityAbstract
This institutional-level case study seeks to explore the experiences of a subset of educational technology practitioners working in an Irish university. The concept of the “third space” in the context of higher education is utilised to understand the space that crosses pedagogical, technological, and academic fields in which educational technologists find themselves operating in. Drawing on Celia Whitchurch’s typologies of “third-space” higher educational professionalism the paper reflects on the true experiences and insights of educational technology practitioners who inhabit this space. It reveals their actual job realities as they seek to carve out their role and legitimise their identities within existing university structures. The discussion draws upon the themes emerging in the context of the scholarly field in which the research is situated. The author advocates that universities need to enable more supportive structures which are conducive to educational technologists working effectively in the third space and developing professionally in a responsive manner to the changing higher education landscape. To conclude, the practical implications of the study, the limitations and further research opportunities are highlighted.
Keywords: third space, higher education, educational technologists or learning technologists, professional identity
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Copyright (c) 2024 Leone Gately
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