Informal academic conversations constitute a valuable addition to the repertoire of academic development initiatives. This article proposes that a Change Laboratory methodology may enhance the productivity of such conversations. Support for this proposal comes from a detailed analysis of participants' transformation of conversations on individual…

This study attempts to explore changes in teaching conceptions after a transnational project to introduce new pedagogical methods in Indonesia. The project involved a consortium of European universities as mentors and Indonesian universities as mentees, piloting methods based on a student-centred learning approach. We analysed vignettes from the…

This paper investigates the impact of institution-wide curriculum reform on a multi-disciplinary group of teaching-focused academics. Using the participatory action research method of co-operative inquiry, the study contributes several insights for supporting academic development during curriculum change. It highlights that teaching-focused…

Educational leaders are responsible for educational change, and many scholars have argued that academic developers (ADs) have expertise with the potential to influence educational change. We argue, however, that ADs' influence depends on how educational leaders perceive educational change and position ADs' roles and responsibilities in relation to…

This text discusses the professional development of academic developers. It is based on the authors' reflections and observations in the context of a semi-formal programme, "Strategic Academic Development," held for academic developers in different regions of the world. Most recently the programme participants were academic developers in…

Institutional approaches to curriculum development often privilege outcome over process. This paper explores the use of an adapted Change Academy approach, originally developed for teams from different institutions, to supporting teams from different disciplines within the same institution. The approach was evaluated through analysis of the…

This paper is a narrative across 28 years in academic development. Four phases are described, showing how initially naïve conceptions about academic development have been addressed, enabling a growth towards a more holistic understanding of how diversity, quality assurance, and community networks can productively interface. This narrative will,…

Increasing instructional quality in higher education is a key goal of educational development (ED) work, yet demonstrating complex outcomes remains challenging and lacks practical guidance. Evaluating ED services often relies on a reductionist approach characterized by linear assumptions of causal pathways to measure the extent to which…

This reflection centres on how existing tensions in academic development work were magnified and challenged as competing imperatives sought to (re)define the roles of academic developers at a UK university during the pandemic in 2020. In a situation of heightened anxiety amongst all stakeholders, issues relating to professional agency, expertise,…

This paper presents the findings of a four-year research project studying change practice and agency in higher education. The main findings of five empirical studies are presented. These findings lay bare how academic staff perceive opportunities to change their practice, identify leaders' strategies when trying to bring about change, illustrate…

A growing number of practitioners are re-envisioning higher education through student--staff partnership. Such a culture shift toward partnership can only be achieved through collaborative efforts among academic developers, other faculty/staff, and students. Using evidence from literature and my own reflections, I map the ways this partnership…

When stable and reliable practices were disrupted due to the global pandemic, university teachers were forced to promptly adapt. Through Q sorting and deliberative dialogues, this study reports how university teachers shifted their normative values concerning successful future learning environments during the first year of the pandemic. Results…

Reflecting on more than five years' work in a project to support faculty in redesigning large enrollment, high failure rate courses through an equity lens at multiple U.S. institutions, hope emerged as a crucial component of the academic development process. We consider the necessity of hope in the midst of a global pandemic, and also in long-term…

Modern universities are increasingly fragmented due to increased professionalization and specialisation, which add to the complexity of academic development work. This situation warrants initiatives and actions that can facilitate a more collective, collaborative orientation among staff and students. Consequently, this article reflects on the…

This article describes the development of an evaluation and impact framework to assess the effectiveness of educational innovations. It can be utilized within a single program, as well as at institutional and national levels. While it is contextualized in a Chilean university, it is argued that it is widely applicable as it is informed by…