What is the role of the learning designer in higher education?

When you look within Deakin’s organisational charts, you’ll see a range of roles with the learning designer title. Do they all do the same work? And is it different if the learning designer is in an academic role or a professional one? The Deakin Learning Futures Lunchtime Series sought to illuminate the contemporary roles of the learning designer within Deakin in their event: Re-imagined: what is the role of the learning designer? 

Guest presenters Dr Sharon Pittaway, Dr Puva Arumugam and Dr Mahen Jayawardena spoke of their particular university pathways and current work to demonstrate that learning designers carry out varied roles within Deakin (and across the university sector), and are likely to be doing very diverse work.  

At a time when higher education is in a state of high disruption, the presenters spoke of the critical work of learning designers in digital learning spaces. They suggested it is time to illuminate the contemporary roles of the learning designer within Deakin. This may lead to a clearer understanding of what a learning designer is and,  does and help support current and future learning designers. 

The presentation provoked thoughtful discussion, including how we can help people become learning designers, and the question of formal qualification pathways for would-be learning designers. The presentation was insightful and timely, shining light on both the uncertainties and opportunities of the learning designer role in higher education.