Impact of an educational development programme on teaching practice of academics at a research‐intensive university

Evidence of the impact of educational development (ED) programmes on faculty is often not gathered beyond ascertaining the immediate reactions of participants. This paper reports the results of a study to determine what level of impact an ED programme at a university has had on academics' teaching practice over time. Kirkpatrick's framework provided a useful approach to conceptualise how to examine critically the impact of ED efforts. A series of semi-structured interviews with 14 programme participants and a subsequent questionnaire survey of 248 participants were undertaken. The programme resulted in high-level impact when rated according to Kirkpatrick's framework, including changes to individual behaviour and organisational practice, benefits to academics and perceived benefits to their students. Change was reported up to seven years after participation. These results emphasise the role that a well-designed ED programme can play in enhancing the quality of teaching and assessment practice at a research-intensive university. © 2010 Taylor & Francis.