History and Overview

The International Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association (HETL) is an independent, nonpartisan, nonsectarian, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit non-governmental organization (NGO). HETL is open to all educators from all nationalities, all institutional types, and all functions, levels, and disciplines within the global educational community. HETL advances the scholarship and practice of teaching and learning in higher education by focusing on four focus areas: 1) global networking and interdisciplinary collaboration, 2) research, innovation, and academic publishing, 3) higher education development and capacity building, and 4) human rights and social justice. HETL is an association of educators, by educators, for educators. HETL maintains NGO Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and is a member of the Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations and HETL has strategic partnerships and affiliations with several like-minded organizations.

A chief aim of HETL is to make higher education work for all by transforming and democratizing higher education around the world and by improving teaching and learning for all in every aspect of life (e.g., lifelong and lifewide education, formal, informal, non-formal learning). To this end, HETL conducts and publishes basic and applied research in order to develop new research methods, theories, models, frameworks, and concepts related to higher education and teaching and learning. HETL works at the nexus of theory, policy, and practice to help achieve this aim. Continuous professional development for faculty, administrators, and staff is a key outcome that flows from all HETL activities.

DEMOCRATIZING HIGHER EDUCATION

HETL began as a global grassroots effort in January of 2010 when Dr. Patrick Blessinger (US Department of State Fulbright Senior Scholar – Denmark; State of Georgia Governor’s Teaching Fellow – Institute of Higher Education, University of Georgia, USA; Doctor of Education – St. John’s University, New York City, and SSN Scholar) envisioned the idea for the higher education teaching and learning association with the aim of transforming and democratizing higher education worldwide by bringing together education professionals and academic leaders from all education types, levels, functions, and disciplines from around the world to dialogue, network, and collaborate on effective, sustainable, and meaningful ways to transform teaching and learning for a brighter future for all people. Blessinger is a scholar and leader in the democratization of higher education (e.g., open educational resources, democratization of knowledge) and in the use of internet-based professional social networking platforms to develop global online communities of practice for academic professional development.

The vision of HETL focuses on teaching and learning because the teaching-learning process is the most fundamental underlying mechanism and unifying process that lies at the core of any education system, regardless of institutional type or level or mission or discipline, and because lifelong and lifewide learning lies at the heart of political, social, economic, and personal empowerment for all people. The teaching-learning process is the main common denominator shared by all educational systems and institutions. The vision of HETL is therefore focused on teaching-learning and aligned with and supports the democratic principles of institutional diversification, pedagogical pluralism, learning diversity, and freedom of inquiry. Thus, HETL represents the emerging transformations taking place in higher education around the world.

In January of 2010, to begin bringing this vision to reality, Blessinger conducted extensive analysis on the strengths, challenges, and opportunities for transformative action within the global higher education community and, based on this analysis, he developed an initial set of ontologically oriented macro and micro conceptual-theoretical models and frameworks (e.g., global higher education change model, global higher education engagement model, formal learning cycle model, general organizational value model, educational research methodology framework, HETL organizational model) to provide a more meaningful understanding of the fundamental underlying mechanisms driving change in higher education globally, nationally, and institutionally. Blessinger is an expert on the topics of research, leadership, innovation, teaching, learning, student engagement, faculty development, and international education, and their intersections.

Blessinger, P. 2010. Global Higher Education Change Model

INCLUSIVE GLOBAL ONLINE COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE

In February of 2010, to begin the work of operationalizing these models, Blessinger conducted extensive analysis on the strengths and characteristics of the major internet-based communication platforms to determine which platform(s) would be most suitable for developing and managing a global online community of practice and academic discussion forum. Based on the results of this analysis, on February 17, 2010, Blessinger created an academic discussion forum on the professional social networking site