Dreaming forward

Tifflin, R; Littschwager, S; Dave, K; Dickson-Deane, C

Dreaming forward

Tifflin, R Littschwager, S Dave, K Dickson-Deane, C

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Publisher:: Open Access Publishing Association
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: ASCILITE Publications, pp. 199-209

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Tifflin, R
dc.contributor.author	Littschwager, S
dc.contributor.author	Dave, K
dc.contributor.author	Dickson-Deane, C https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5504-7856
dc.date.accessioned	2026-04-13T05:07:56Z
dc.date.available	2026-04-13T05:07:56Z
dc.identifier.citation	ASCILITE Publications, pp. 199-209
dc.identifier.issn	2653-665X
dc.identifier.issn	2653-665X
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/194680
dc.description.abstract	In this paper, we reflect as third space professionals, two academic staff and two professional staff, working in higher education across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Using collaborative autoethnography, we draw on Marty Neumeier’s concept of “applied imagination” to explore how we envision the future of our work. Our dreaming is grounded in lived experience and shaped by the complex psychosocial landscape of navigating contemporary institutions. Through collective reflection, we interrogate not only our own identities but also the wider possibilities and tensions inherent in third space roles. Thematic analysis of our narratives revealed three central themes: agency, autonomy, and authority. We share a desire to be recognised as initiators and leaders who are trusted to shape the future of teaching and learning, not merely to implement the visions of others. For us, autonomy means intellectual and creative freedom; authority is about earned legitimacy and influence rather than formal power. While we acknowledge the tensions and dissonance that arise within this psychosocial landscape, we also find it a generative space for curiosity, collective sense-making, and new possibilities for third space professionals in universities.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Open Access Publishing Association
dc.relation.ispartof	ASCILITE Publications
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.65106/apubs.2025.2640
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.title	Dreaming forward
dc.type	Journal Article
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Professional Practice and Leadership
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups/Visualisation Institute (VI)
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups/Centre for Research on Education in a Digital Society (CREDS)
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups/Centre for Research on Education in a Digital Society (CREDS)/Centre for Research on Education in a Digital Society (CREDS) Associate Members
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups/The Trustworthy Digital Society
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.rights.license	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.date.updated	2026-04-13T05:07:55Z
pubs.publication-status	Published online

Abstract:

In this paper, we reflect as third space professionals, two academic staff and two professional staff, working in higher education across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Using collaborative autoethnography, we draw on Marty Neumeier’s concept of “applied imagination” to explore how we envision the future of our work. Our dreaming is grounded in lived experience and shaped by the complex psychosocial landscape of navigating contemporary institutions. Through collective reflection, we interrogate not only our own identities but also the wider possibilities and tensions inherent in third space roles. Thematic analysis of our narratives revealed three central themes: agency, autonomy, and authority. We share a desire to be recognised as initiators and leaders who are trusted to shape the future of teaching and learning, not merely to implement the visions of others. For us, autonomy means intellectual and creative freedom; authority is about earned legitimacy and influence rather than formal power. While we acknowledge the tensions and dissonance that arise within this psychosocial landscape, we also find it a generative space for curiosity, collective sense-making, and new possibilities for third space professionals in universities.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/194680