The network of Communities of Practice (CoPs) was formed following a University wide conversation to discuss how best to promote and develop the university’s learning and teaching strategy.
Our university strongly believes in a vibrant culture of learning and teaching (L and T) collaboration to foster creativity, innovation for enhanced learner experience and to be an important contribution to staff professional development. We have successfully achieved “excellence” through embedding a network of Communities of Practice to enable our academics to engage in inter-subject, school and cross-institutional learning and teaching conversation.
These Communities were formed for staff to collaborate in ten key areas. Please see the Communities of Practice Diagram which illustrates the ten areas and the CoPs which sit under them.
The L and T office is responsible for scheduling CoP, managing the CoP calendar, processing new applications through a formal procedure, and capturing outcomes and disseminating good practice.
Please see the CoP schedule for the upcoming academic year. Please note this is updated regularly as sessions are organised. Further information and Zoom details can be found linked to each session title.
2023/24 Schedule:
Physical Activity for Learning, Health and Wellbeing CoP
Tuesday 23rd April 2024
2pm - 3pm (FML209)
The final session of this CoP will consist of a set of micro-presentations, where previous CoP attendees share their experiences when implementing 'physically active learning' and 'movement breaks' into their teaching to benefit student learning. We highly encourage colleagues who have not attended previous sessions of this CoP to attend, and develop ideas for making their own teaching more physically active.
Teaching Socially Relevant Topics in Different Disciplines CoP
Wednesday 24th April 2024
10am - 12pm (HCA105 & Zoom)
In this multi-disciplinary panel event in February, colleagues from Drama and Performance Studies, Computer Science and Mathematics, and History of Education will be sharing their approach to one teaching session they each deliver to students, and that touches on an area of social relevance. We will also be deconstructing what ‘social relevance’ might mean in different disciplinary contexts.
Hope Ecumenical Network CoP
Wednesday 1st May 2024
9:30am - 10:30am (Zoom)
Theme: Christian Higher Education in taught subject specific contexts
International Student Experience CoP
Thursday 2nd May 2023
1pm - 2pm (EDEN006)
Title: Supporting international students: sharing good practice
The University is working to increase international student numbers considerably, diversifying the countries they come from and the subjects they study. There is already a lot of good practice in supporting international students, academically, socially and culturally. This CoP is a chance to identify possible areas for development and share good practice and other ideas to ensure that we offer a great international student experience, from foundation year to PhD.
Women in Academic CoP
Tuesday 7th May 2024
12pm - 1pm (Zoom)
Title: Family Friendly working practices (II)
In this second of two sessions on family-friendly working practices, building on the previous session, we will continue to explore what family-friendly policies and practices look like and how these might be achieved or implemented.
Sustainable and Environmentally Aware Approaches to Learning and Teaching in the Creative Arts CoP
Wednesday 15th May 2024
1pm - 2pm (COR008)
This new CoP aims to foreground emerging concepts and practices connected to the environment and sustainability and how these may be retooled for creative arts education. We aim to reexamine existing learning and teaching approaches with a view to integrating more environmentally conscious practices into our work, and to facilitate further awareness of how we as a school may adapt our practice to reflect the concerns of the climate crisis. This fourth session will continue the discussion by developing a school-wide Learning & Teaching action plan regarding sustainability and environmental awareness within our curriculum.
Students as Partners CoP
Thursday 16th May 2024
1pm - 2pm (SWL122 / Zoom)
Title: Involvement in curriculum development and employability activities
How can we ensure that the student voice is heard in the design and development of curriculum and employability activities to ensure that their needs and interests are being addressed both when we plan new provision and as an on-going process?
How do we measure and reflect on the impact of co-designed curriculum and activities?