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Hi, Interesting discussion and one other point may be that influence often comes from knowing how others think. Educators need models, they need reliable sources etc. but they also need to understand how their thinking relates to others in the department. Professionals often work in silos with little knowledge or awareness of how others interpret aspects of policy and practice. Making that thinking 'public' helps change become communal. Best Wishes, Nick -------------------------------------- Dr. Nicholas Bowskill, SFHEA, Lecturer in Education (UDOL) University of Derby, Kedleston Road, Derby Workshop: Student-Generated Induction and Belonging, Tues. 14th February, Woburn House, Bloomsbury, London. Details at http://bit.ly/2jlcfVS Nicholas Bowskill is a former Kelvin-Smith Scholar at University of Glasgow. Nicholas is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He is lead tutor for SEDA online workshop on Introduction to Educational Change and Lecturer in Education (UDOL) at University of Derby. SharedThinking is an independent consultancy. On 31 January 2017 at 12:02, Derek.Rowntree <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > I'd say you are absolutely right, Peter, that the secret of improving > teaching/assessment practice lies in influencing individuals -- preferably > individuals who are well-respected by their colleagues and > therefore themselves influential. That was certainly my own experience at > the Open University (starting 1970) in helping academic colleagues learn > how to teach students they were unlikely to ever meet face to face. Once I > had worked one-to-one with two or three respected professors to develop > their teaching materials in tutorial rather than lecture mode, their > example encouraged other members of their faculty to do likewise and > clarified both what was needed and what its benefits might be. Some of the > 'converts' became, in effect, part-time educational developers in their own > right. > > > To be modest though, I doubt I could have persuaded those 'early adapters' > to spend time with me and let me critique and transform their initial > efforts had I not had an academic title myself and evidence that I was a > successful writer and teacher. I would not encourage any institution hoping > to improve teaching and assessment to try doing so through people who > cannot be regarded as peers by the people they are supposed to be > influencing. > > > Professor Derek Rowntree > > (Author of *Developing Course for Students* and *Assessing Students: How > Shall we Know Them?*) > > ------------------------------ > *From:* learning development in higher education network < > [log in to unmask]> on behalf of Peter John Lumsden < > [log in to unmask]> > *Sent:* 31 January 2017 04:54 > *To:* [log in to unmask] > *Subject:* change: successful persuasion > > > Dear network, > > > > I feel as though all of my previous experience has come down to one sharp > point, and I am looking to you as a L&T community for some thoughts / > ideas. My institution is undergoing a significant programme of enhancing > practice around assessment and feedback, with input from the HEA. Strong > push towards less assessment, more assessment for learning, and more > formative assessment, so good news there! There have been a series of > workshops from Phil Race and Chris Rust; senior managers have had a session > – and it’s encouraging to see some awarenesss there of pedagogical > principles; now there are college-level sessions; and to be followed by > course teams doing some practical assessment re-working. That’s the > context. Being long in the tooth, I have seen this before, and have been > disappointed when such initiatives do not bring about embedded change. > > > > I’ve come to the conclusion that ‘success’ here is largely down to > persuading individuals of the value of changing practice, and that the role > of the educational developer is to work over a period of time with a few > key people, essentially in a coaching capacity. I’d value thoughts from > this community, and any specific examples of success in changing/ > persuading individual staff > > > > Thanks > > > > Peter L > > > > Peter J. Lumsden > > > > BSc, DPhil, SFHEA (senior fellow) > > > > “Explain; Engage; Enthuse” > > > > Pastoral Tutor – School of Medicine > > Teaching and learning lead – College of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences > > > > University of Central Lancashire > > 01772 893270 > > > > Twitter: https://twitter.com/PLumsden > <https://twitter.com/PLumsden> > Peter Lumsden (@PLumsden) | Twitter <https://twitter.com/PLumsden> > twitter.com > The latest Tweets from Peter Lumsden (@PLumsden). PhD in plant sci, now > educational developer in Med school. A community 'activist' and a > Methodist, see no tension ... > > Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peter.j.lumsden?ref=tn_tnmn > > LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/ > profile/view?id=100728902&trk=hb_tab_pro_top > > Academia.edu: https://uclan.academia.edu/PeterLumsden > Peter Lumsden | University of Central Lancashire - Academia.edu > <https://uclan.academia.edu/PeterLumsden> > uclan.academia.edu > Peter Lumsden, University of Central Lancashire, Learning Development > Unit, Faculty Member. Studies Personal Development, Assessment and > feedback, and Learning Development. > > Skype: Peter.Lumsden98 > > > > >