Use of Narratives to Communicate Value in Educational Development

Abstract

In the postsecondary educational context, the value of educational development can be challenging to convey. Currently used and widely touted performance metrics often prove inadequate for the scope and wisdom of this type of work and fail to reflect its value. Despite these limitations, there are rich, interdependent, and compelling experiences and informative lessons that do convey value and satisfy the drive to quantify impact. In this article, we draw on existing models and approaches to make meaning from evaluation and put forward a framework for eliciting narratives of experience to communicate value. Through this process, educational developers and leaders working in centres for teaching and learning can reflect on their activities, identify lessons, incorporate affective experiences, readjust goals, and celebrate achievements. They can do this in ways that evidence and communicate to academic stakeholders the value of their contributions and collective efforts.

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