Understanding Educational Developers

Leslie D. Cramblet Alvarez is Assistant Vice Provost of Teaching and Learning and directs the Office of Teaching and Learning at the University of Denver, USA. She oversees the office’s portfolio of faculty development programs and leads campus-wide initiatives related to teaching excellence.Christopher M. Hakala is Center Director and Professor of Psychology at Springfield College, USA. In his 30-year career, he has taught hundreds of courses and delivered many faculty development presentations on teaching and learning.

"Who supports faculty members in higher education so they can perform at their best? Astonishingly, this critical question has long lacked a clear answer. In Understanding Educational Developers, you'll find answers, suggestions, and thought-provoking questions. Experts in this ill-defined field, Cramblet Alvarez and Hakala take us on a brief journey into the world of academic development, gathering insights from those actively engaged in doing the work. If you are curious about THE field dedicated to supporting higher education faculty, it is crucial you use this book as your guide."Todd Zakrajsek, Associate Research Professor and Associate Director of the Faculty Development Fellowship in the Department of Family Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA"I’m excited to read Cramblet Alvarez and Hakala’s forthcoming book on centers of teaching and learning. It’s going to fill an important gap in the literature by providing exceptional detail regarding not only what CTLs do but also how they do it. This book will be essential reading for anyone interested in how CTLs do their work when it is done well and furthers the instructional mission of its institution."C. Edward Watson, American Association of Colleges and Universities, Vice President for Digital Innovation"For seasoned faculty developers, reading Understanding Educational Developers will feel like hanging out with colleagues, comparing notes, and reflecting on who we are, how we came to do what we do, and who is not yet represented among us. For those who don’t know that the field exists or are new to the work, this book helps to demystify the people within centers via the stories of actual faculty developers, whose candid perspectives describe not just what they do and how they got to their roles, but also what it takes to be effective (including lesser-known competencies like managing institutional politics). Drs. Cramblet Alvarez and Hakala’s thoughtful research and analysis, enriched by their own personal reflections, result in an invaluable resource for the educational development researchers and developers of today. Yet perhaps the greatest contribution of their tales is helping us move past serendipity as the typical pathway to our work, such that a more diverse set of individuals can thrive as the developers of tomorrow."Isis Artze-Vega, College Provost and Vice President, Academic Affairs, Valencia College, USA"Understanding Educational Developers provides a valuable addition to the growing body of research on educational developers and the individuals leading centers and change initiatives enhancing college teaching and learning. Through qualitative research and a thorough scan of the scholarship, Chris Hakala and Leslie Cramblet Alvarez provide insight into who developers are and the skills and knowledge they bring to and develop in the role from a wide range of fields and experiences. The excerpts from interviews with developers embedded in each chapter both substantiate the findings and give voice to the backgrounds and motivations behind them, showing us not just who is in the field or what they are doing, but also how they got here and why."Deandra Little, Associate Provost of Faculty Affairs and Professor of English, Elon University, USA

• 1. Introduction: setting the stage for an examination of educational developers 2. Who are we? 3. What are our pathways? 4. What do we do? 5. What skills or competencies do we need? 6. Conclusions and what should we take away?