CoP launch toolkit

A joint meeting of the Faculty of Arts and Business Communities of Practice (CoP) recently celebrated the launch of First Year Course Leaders' Toolkit. The toolkit was developed by members to share resources that address common issues faced by first year teaching staff, and provide a range of practical exemplars from current CoP members.

Co-convenor of the Faculty of Business CoP, Dr Jacquie McDonald (LTSU), said first year teachers and students face a unique set of challenges, and CoPs provide a regular mechanism for course leaders to share and grow good practice and improve the experience of first year students. The toolkit provides a ready access to examples of good teaching practice.

'We would like fellow educators to draw on the practical examples in the kit to address first year learning and teaching issues. It will also be valuable for staff in different areas to share ideas about tackling common teaching challenges,' Dr McDonald said.

'We're particularly pleased at the steps the LTSU will take to include the toolkit in sessions for new academic staff. Early career academics often feel overwhelmed in their first semester of teaching, so the kit will be a valuable resource for them.'

Each topic in the toolkit provides snapshot overview of the key ideas and issues, and exemplars of practical application in USQ courses. Topics range from referencing and intercultural/ international teaching to suggestions on first assessment pieces and graduate qualities and skills. The toolkit can be assessed here.

‘Sharing pedagogy in a collegial environment has the effect of building skills essential to the development of both lecturers and students and for the on-going improvement of teaching. Open communication of ideas, of what works and what doesn't is important and a Community of Practice provides a forum where innovation in teaching and learning is fostered,' Shalene Werth Co-convernor FoB Core Course Community of Practice said.

'Lecturers of first year courses have a mammoth responsibility in terms of developing in their students, both content and process related skills, implementation of retention strategies, while providing an effective learning environment for students new to tertiary study – an onerous task for any academic. However, excellence in teaching is well supported within the CoP by fellow academics who so willingly share their practice,' Kim Southey Co-convenor of the FoB Core Course Community of Practice said.

For more information please visit Communities of Practice

Media Contact:  Connie-Louise Rego, USQ Media, +61 7 4631 2977