This is my first video blog, adapted from a presentation on technical teaching in higher education delivered to the Technician Commitment community in June 2026 . In it, I speak about my new book, why I wrote it, and reflect upon how technician pedagogies have become increasingly central to the student learning experience, particularly in creative arts higher education, and why institutions need to move beyond outdated distinctions and stereotypes and replace them with inclusive, integrated, and collaborative systems, staffing, and cultures.
For institutions seeking to improve the student experience, teaching excellence, resource efficiency, and curriculum delivery, my argument is that technical teaching is often understated yet critically important. The task now is to recognise it, understand it, quality assure it, and develop it. My book helps explain how.
In the video, I draw on a number of references that can be accessed below:
References
Advance HE (2018) Recognising the contribution technicians make to teaching and supporting students through HEA Fellowships. At: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/news-and-views/recognising-contribution-technicians-make-teaching-and-supporting-students-through
Barnett, R. (2026) The skills revolution: the time has come for a counter-revolution. At: https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2026/01/19/the-skills-revolution-the-time-has-come-for-a-counter-revolution
Department for Education (DfE) (2025) Skills England: Sector skills needs assessments Creative Industries. At: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6863f1e5b466cce1bb121aed/Skills_England_-_sector_skills_needs_assessments_-_creative_industries.pdf
Higgs, J., Barnett, R., Billett, S., Hutchings, M., and Franiska, T. (2012) Practice based education, perspectives and strategies. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
ITSS (2021) The role of technicians in knowledge exchange. At: https://itss.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/The-Role-of-Technicians-in-Knowledge-Exchange.pdf
Macfarlane, B. (2011) ‘The morphing of academic practice: unbundling and the rise of the para-academic’ In: Higher Education Quarterly 65 (1) pp.59–73. At: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2273.2010.00467.x
Orr, S and Shreeve, A. (2017) Art and Design Pedagogy in Higher Education. Knowledge, Values and Ambiguity in the Creative Curriculum. Abingdon: Routledge.
Research England. (2022) The TALENT commission: technical skills, roles and careers in UK higher education and research. At: https://itss.org.uk/talent-legacy/talent-commission-report/
Savage, T. (2018) ‘Creative arts technicians in academia: To transition or not to transition?’ In: Journal of Art, Design and Communication in Higher Education. 17 (2) pp.237–253.
Savage, T. (2019) Savage, T. (2019) ‘Challenging HEA Fellowship: Why should technicians in creative arts HE be drawn into teaching?’ In: Journal of Art, Design and Communication in Higher Education 18 (2) pp.201–218. At: https://intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/10.1386/adch_00007_1
Savage, T (2024) ‘Technicians as Educators’ In: Vere, K (ed.). Technicians in Higher Education and Research. London: Routledge
Savage, T. (2026) Technical teaching in higher education: Insights from the creative arts. London: Routledge.
Savage, T. and Vere, K. (2025) ‘Why is it problematic for technicians to say they are teaching in higher education’ In: Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education (33). At: https://journal.aldinhe.ac.uk/index.php/jldhe/article/view/1191
Wragg, F. P. H., Harris, C., Noyes, A. and Vere, K. (2023) ‘Technicians as teachers: the emerging role of technical staff within higher education teaching and learning environments’ In: The Journal of Further and Higher Education 47 (9) pp.1196-1210. At: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0309877X.2023.2231380
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