Best practice' and 'challenges' in university teaching and learning : an editorial introduction and a contextual framework

This paper presents an editorial introduction to the refereed and edited papers arising from the Central Queensland University 2nd annual Teaching and Learning Showcase in February 2004. In doing so, the paper depicts some of the principal landmarks in the national and institutional policy landscapes that influence the contributing authors’ several engagements with ‘best practice’ in university teaching and learning, as well as with the ‘challenges’ to that ‘best practice’. The guest editors trace the multiple elements of those engagements, and link them to the national and international significance of the papers appearing in this special theme issue of Studies in Learning, Evaluation, Innovation and Development.