Meaning and scope of educational development: a conceptual framework grounded in practice

Prof. Mariane FrenayUniversité catholique de Louvain

UNESCO Chair of University Teaching and Learning

Understanding educational/academic development

Building communities of practice and scholarship

Developing initial and continuing education for developers

Evaluating and enhancing development practice and organizational structures

A Framework for …

Conceptual framework:meaning and scope of

educational development

Guiding principles, values and ethics of practice

Educational development units

Expertise of educational developers

Evaluation of impact of educational development

The Core Dimensions

Educational development context and mission

Context driven by

National and political priorities in higher education Disciplines Institutional policies

Dual mission

To enhance teaching and learning capacity in academic communities

To advocate for the quality of teaching and learning

Educational Development Context & Mission

Working in our local contexts

Using and generating evidence-based knowledge

Maintaining a focus on learning

Respecting collegiality

Guiding Principles, Values and Ethics of Practice

A commitment to . . .

Articulating clear roles

Critically examining the knowledge we apply

Respecting the perspectives of colleagues

Maintaining confidentiality

Contributing to development of practice and scholarship

Guiding Principles, Values and Ethics of Practice

Ethics of educational development imply

Organisational structure Institutional mandate : research & service Institutional positioning

Role of educational developers Strategies for educational development Target audiences

Units that vary in terms of

Educational Development Units

Understanding teaching and learning Understanding academic culture Knowledge about leadership

Change agent Vision for the teaching mission of the university

Project management and support

Expertise of Educational Developers

It is crucial to develop this expertise and to network at local, national and international level.

Provide evidence of the impact on learning and teaching capacity

Expanding educational development scholarship

Implementing external reviews of educational

development units and programs

Three challenges

Evaluation of Educational Development Impact

© Taylor, K.L., & Rege-Colet, N .(2010). Making the shift from faculty development to educational development: A conceptual framework grounded in practice. In A. Saroyan & M. Frenay (Eds.), Building Teaching Capacities in Higher Education: A Comprehensive International Model (pp. 139-167). Sterling, VA : Stylus.

A common International Trend:Change of Focus

From a unique set of strategies (training and individual support) to a wide range of strategies (mentoring, consultations, observations)

From individual to collective From answering individual needs to collective ones (e.g.

supporting curricula)

From course design to curriculum/programmes and policies

From a field of practice to research and scholarship of educational development

Explanations for this actual trend?

Contextual influences Quality and cost effectiveness: doing more with

less Accountability and accreditation Curriculum reform (e.g. European Higher

Education Area, Bologna process) Press for change (ICT, more students, more

diverse, more mobile)

Shift from teaching to learning Focus on students and on active learning Alignment of curriculum and course design (e.g.

competencies, outcomes-based assessment)

Key Issues for Educational Development Units

Positioning The institutional positioning (articulation between

central and local) The institutional mandate (service and research)

Thinking integratively and acting distributively To be close to academic and disciplinary cultures, but

keeping also an common/institutional vision on teaching and learning

Role of educational developers Articulating

To articulate strategies for educational development for different target audiences at different stages of their careers

To articulate developmental and summative funtions Aligning policies, procedures and practices

Key Issues forEducational Developers

Deepening and enlarging expertise Teaching and learning processes Understanding academic cultures and identities Knowledge about leadership and change

Enacting research-based practice On university teaching and learning On educational development

Networking Community of practices (educational developers, within

an institution, and between institutions, nationally and internationally)

Justifying the impact of their actions Towards university policy-makers (accountability) Towards teachers (learning)

Valuing and advocating quality teaching

Challenges for Educational Development

Credibility Rooted in strong theoretical and

research foundations Strong scholarly communities To ascertain relevance and efficacy

Sustainability Mid-term and long-term structures to

answer long term needs and changes

Building Teaching Capacity in Universities

CONTEXTS

FOUNDATIONS

National - Political - Institutional - Disciplinary

Theories - Principles

MIS

SIO

N

MIS

SIO

N

EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Practice Evaluation

With Appreciation

To the sponsors of our Mobility Project:

European Commission DG Education and Culture

Human Resources and Social Development Canada

To our Mobility Project colleagues:

Alenoush Saroyan

Denis Bédard,

David Kirby

Mieke Clement

Anette Kolmos

Jean-Jacques Paul

Nicole Rege-Colet

Lynn K. Taylor