This paper will challenge readers to consider their approach to supporting academics who are writing a teaching portfolio. What comes first? The literature, collecting evidence or something else? In this reflection on practice, I offer an approach that centralises practice as the core focus for starting this process. Grounded in theoretical…

The complex and ever-changing nature of the field of educational development has led to a scholarship of educational development (SoED) that is rich but also enigmatic. The authors outline four lenses through which SoED might be viewed, ultimately proposing a framework for SoED that empowers scholars to engage in a sophisticated negotiation…

This paper explores the nature of integrated networks of practice, and in particular, the important role of "hubs" within networks. Hubs are individuals or groups that energize cross-connections, improve knowledge flow, enhance learning across small clusters of expertise, and play critical roles in building and sustaining robust…

Recent research has explored the role of gender in educational development. International and national studies have shown that women predominate the field. In 2017, Bernhagen and Gravett analyzed the gendered nature of educational development in the U.S. specifically. What went unaddressed were the identities of the faculty served. Despite recent…

Universities are facing challenges not seen before. Academic development is expected to address many of these challenges, creating conditions supportive of teaching and learning. However, increasing managerialism, measurement, and risk-aversion make this difficult as the emphasis shifts from supporting individuals towards delivering institutional…

In this paper, we propose a model for cultivating trust through academic development programming involving Universal Design for Learning (UDL). A scaffolded design called 5R (Relevance, Reposition, Relationships, Reciprocity, and Reallocate) of academic development is described as it relates to the role of starting conversations and the eventual…

As is the case with many Centres for Teaching and Learning, prior to the global health crisis in 2020 our Centre primarily obtained feedback to inform its programming based on participation and satisfaction. As a result of the crisis, we could not rely on previous sources of information and needed to implement new strategies for evidencing the…

Having collaborated closely on a project we dubbed the 'peer review of teaching marathon,' we reflect on the role of care in opening up conversations about teaching and learning. We posit that care, through collaboration, lays a foundation for trust in higher education. Trust, in turn, invites us to be open to new ideas, to be kind and have…

This paper describes how various initiatives to develop SoTL culture can be inspired by the eight steps of Kotter's model of organizational change. The purpose of each step is to provide a set of probing questions for institutional leaders, academic developers, and faculty leaders on their roles to support this enculturation. Mapping Kotter's…

I discuss my engagement with three professional recognition and development opportunities for academic developers: Senior Fellowship of HEA, HERDSA Fellowship, and SEDA Fellowship. I found that the portfolios for these fellowships complement one another well, and together present a valuable reflection on all aspects of the academic development…

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…

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,…

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 article uses a narrative retelling of my journey to academic development to offer a new insight into induction initiatives: alongside a critical commitment to student learning, new academic developers need to build an informed and scholarly 'idea of the university'. As universities renew focus on teaching and learning, student retention, and…

As social media platforms become increasingly entangled in how academia gets performed, there is growing pressure on individuals to cultivate a digital presence or risk becoming invisible. While some adopt new and emerging online communicative tools with gusto and élan, there are others who resent and resist their creeping territorialisation of…