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Third-space practitioners support and enhance learning and teaching in higher education in roles including academic developer, educational technologist and learning designer, collectively described here at EdAdvisors (Educator Advisors). EdAdvisors are employed in academic and professional positions and in both central and faculty-based teams. Titles and position descriptions for EdAdvisor roles are often used inconsistently in institutions, which may reduce the meaningfulness of their work and their productivity. This article uses findings from a mixed-methods study comprising 16 semi-structured interviews and surveys of 183 EdAdvisors working in 41 Australian higher education institutions to examine causes of poor role clarity, its impact on sustainable careers and some potential ways forward. Results show that consistent use of role titles can enhance identification with roles and that the academic or professional classification of an EdAdvisor may influence career sustainability. It proposes more consistent and flexible titles and role descriptions and exploration of accreditation.
C.J.S.M. Simpson (Sat,) studied this question.