Il TLC dell’Università di Palermo: finalità e azioni

Abstract

The issue of professional development for university lecturers is currently at the heart of a wide-ranging and complex debate, both nationally and internationally, as the growing focus on the quality of teaching, learning outcomes and accreditation processes has made it clear that academic professionalism cannot be reduced solely to scientific expertise or institutional role. This paper aims to present the experience of the University of Palermo as an example of this evolution, as through the Teaching and Learning Centre-CIMDU it has embarked on a process which, starting from an initial situation characterised by challenges common to many universities – inconsistent practices, a limited culture of teaching design, low visibility of innovations, and weak links between scientific, teaching and administrative levels – has progressively built a systemic approach. This approach is not limited to offering training opportunities or forums for discussion, but aims to create an institutional environment capable of supporting lecturers in rethinking their own practices, promoting the dissemination of innovative teaching methodologies, consolidating a culture of assessment, and introducing forms of recognition consistent with the value attributed to teaching.