Festival of Learning 2018

Educational developers are often agents of change, supporting faculty development and program enhancement in a variety of ways, across a variety of programs (Beach, A., Henderson C., Finkelstein, N., 2012). Supporting and facilitating change in this context can be challenging and requires the development and demonstration of a variety of skills that go beyond curriculum expertise and engagement in the classroom. Supporting change, especially in large-scale initiatives, often requires educational developers use a variety of skills including tactful communication and a keen ability to listen. Furthermore, these changes need to demonstrate a degree a relational care, including empathy as well as an ability to build trust and relationships. These skills are important in all educational development contexts, but most necessary when barriers and resistance to change are present.

In this presentation, three educational developers share their stories of how they planned, supported and facilitated change in a large-scale program enhancement program within the Faculty of Trades and Applied Technology at their institution. They will each discuss their positionality in the project, each coming from a slightly different context (mid-career educational developer; seconded faculty member; emerging educational development consultant). The team’s diversity ensured that a broader range of skills, opinions and perspectives would come into play as they consulted with faculty and shaped the project plan (Sibley, J., Ostafichuk, P., Roberson, B., Franchini, Kubitzv, B., Michaelsen, L., 2014).

From these places they will discuss both the content expertise they brought to the project, but also how they come to their work from a place of empathy and care. Discussing both the barriers to change and the successes they have experienced in this project, the presenters intend to create a larger narrative around change management in program and faculty enhancement. This session also intends to engage the audience in a discussion, eliciting from participants their own experiences with change management—their challenges, successes and relevant strategies. In this way, we hope participants leave with a greater understanding of the “soft” side of faculty development, as well as some strategies to use moving forward.