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School of Education

Prof Ray Land

Director of Centre for Academic Practice in the School of Education

Contact Prof Ray Land (email at ray.land@durham.ac.uk)

Biography

Ray Land is Professor of Higher Education at Durham University and Director of Durham’s Centre for Learning Teaching and Research in Higher Education.  He previously held similar positions at the Universities of Strathclyde,  Coventry and Edinburgh. Earlier in his career he worked at the University of Greenwich in London, and Napier University in Edinburgh. He has been a higher education consultant for the OECD and the European Commission and is currently involved in two EC higher education projects.  He has published widely in the field of educational research, and is particularly known for his research into ‘threshold concepts’ and ‘troublesome knowledge’ on which he has published a series of books, and organized four international conferences.  He is also known for his studies of  academic development, and  learning technology.  He has given keynote presentations in over twenty countries. 

The Threshold Concept

http://www.ee.ucl.ac.uk/~mflanaga/thresholds.html

Research Groups

Research Projects

Publications

Journal papers: academic

Books: edited

  • Land, R. & Bayne, S. (2011). Digital Difference: Perspectives on Online Learning. Sense Publishers.
  • Meyer, J.H.F., Land, R. & Baillie, C. (2010). Threshold Concepts and Transformational Learning. Sense Publishers.
  • Land, R., Meyer, J.H.F. & Smith, J. (2008). Threshold Concepts within the Disciplines. Educational futures rethinking theory and practice; 16. Rotterdam and Taipei: Sense Publishers.

Books: sections

  • Land, R. (2012). Crossing tribal boundaries: Interdisciplinarity as a threshold concept. In Tribes and territiories in the 21st century: Rethinking the significance of disciplines in higher education. Trowler, P., Saunders, M. & Bamber, V. Routledge: London.
  • Land, R. (2011). Speed and the Unsettling of Knowledge in the digital University. In Digital Difference: Perspectives on Online Learning. Land, Ray & Bayne, Siân Springer. 50: 61-70.
  • Land, R. & Meyer, J.H.F. (2011). The Scalpel and the 'Mask': Threshold concepts and Surgical Education. In Surgical Education. Theorising an emerging domain. Fry, H. & Kneebone, R. Springer. 2: 91-106.
  • Land, R. (2010). Educational Developers: Identity in paradox? In Creating a Profession - Building Careers in Educational Development. Boon, S., Matthew, B. & Sheward, L. SEDA, London.
  • Land, R & Meyer, JHF (2010). Threshold Concepts and Troublesome Knowledge (5): Dynamics of Assessment. In Threshold Concepts and Transformational Learning. Meyer, JHF, Land, R & Baillie, C Sense Publishers. 42: 61-80.
  • Land, R. (2008). Academic Development: Identity and Paradox. In Changing Identities in Higher Education: Voicing Perspectives. Barnett, R. & DiNapoli, R. Routledge.
  • Meyer, J.H.F., Land, R. & Davies, P. (2008). Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge (4): Issues of variation and variability. In Threshold concepts within the disciplines. Land, R., Meyer, J.H.F. & Smith, J. Rotterdam and Taipei: Sense Publishers. 59-74.