What is the expertise of a learning designer in higher education?
This is the topic of a new paper led by Steven Kickbusch (with Nick Kelly and Henk Huijser).
I am biased… but I really like the approach of defining expertise through a set of strong concepts that can connect theory to practice (Kickbusch et al., 2025):
I want to quote from the conclusion here as it’s useful for anyone theorising the value of learning designers and thinking about what designers need to learn and how they should be managed within a university:
The establishment of a clear set of core competencies has significant implications for the profession. Firstly, it empowers learning designers to articulate and advocate for their value as design professionals, distinguishing their roles from those of mere technicians. This recognition is crucial for ensuring that learning designers are seen as integral to the educational process, capable of making substantial contributions to the design and implementation of learning experiences. Secondly, it provides a foundation for developing educational pathways and qualifications for learning designers, ensuring that these programs accurately reflect the profession’s true nature. By aligning professional preparation and qualifications with the core competencies of learning design, we can better prepare future professionals for the demands of the field. (Kickbusch et al., 2025)
The work follows on from the PhD of Steven Kickbusch which is valuable reading for anyone who has an interest in this work and wants to go deeper: https://eprints.qut.edu.au/235922/
References
Kickbusch, Steven (2022) How learning designers work with teachers. PhD by Publication, Queensland University of Technology.
Kickbusch, S., Kelly, N., & Huijser, H. (2025). Framing the core expertise of learning designers through strong concepts. Higher Education, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-025-01514-z