Full stack teacher

I love analogies that help me think differently about learning, teaching, and assessment, and this is a great one from Brendyn Hadfield.

In computing, a software stack is a set of software subsystems or components needed to create a complete platform that applications can run on top of. And a full stack developer works in all the layers of software development, in both the front and back end of the platform.

You can see how an education stack might be the set of subsystems or components needed to provide a platform that supports the development of students. The education stack might include students’ backgrounds, programme learning outcomes, assessment tasks, module content, administrative processes, regulatory body requirements, learning theory and teaching frameworks, and so on.

From here, we can think of a full stack teacher as someone who is aware of how all those components relate to each other, informing and and influencing the learning pathways taken by individuals through the curriculum. A full stack teacher might be someone who can consider the implications of changing an assessment task, and how that might affect teaching strategies, or student motivations. Or, who uses learning theory to inform decisions about which institutional technology platforms to integrate into their teaching. Or, who can consider their module or programme in the broader context of institutional, professional, and national priorities, and contextualise their teaching accordingly.

I’m not suggesting that one person should take on all the roles within a higher education institution. However, it’s an interesting exercise to think about what the ‘full stack’ of components in an education system are, and how changes in one area of the stack are likely to influence other areas. A full stack teacher is someone who can see the likely second and third order implications of decisions made today, because of a deep understanding of all the components in the platform.

I can imagine using this idea as a framework to think about faculty development, career progression, and programme design. There’s a lot more to reflect on here.