Communities Of Practice Research Articles

Driving value and impact through a community of practice: a case study from Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand University libraries

PurposeThis study addresses a recognised need in workforce development, a committee of the Council of Australian University Librarians (CAUL) facilitated the establishment of the Value and Impact community of practice (the community) between 2016 and 2017. The aim of this study is to create a structure that allows staff in Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand university libraries to promote best practice and build common capability in planning, performance, evaluation and measurement across a range of activities.Design/methodology/approachMembership is extended to those with roles focusing on quality, standards, analytics, communications or marketing and those with an interest in developing their understanding of these topics. A core group of members play a guardianship role to oversee the operations and liaise with CAUL. In walking the talk, an annual survey gathers performance measures that are reported to CAUL with examples of benefits and shared initiatives. Feedback is used to improve the operations of the community and determine meeting topics. The data and manaakitanga (support and care for each other) have driven these librarians to meet regularly as a community.FindingsMeetings offer a chance for a “round robin” to share practice and trouble shoot or cover a special topic with members or visiting experts presenting and facilitating discussion. At least 75% of the membership consistently report contact with other members outside of the meetings and that the community contributes to building their capability.Originality/valueThe community’s operating template and lessons learnt will be of value to those seeking to build community beyond a one-off professional development engagement.

Extremely virtual and incredibly physical

Abstract Digital mediation strategies are key soft skills to develop amongst students as they prepare to interact in increasingly collaborative settings, socially and professionally. Defined as a set of communication strategies deployed to reach mutual agreement over a dispute, mediation enables students’ cooperation in task-based language teaching settings. However, there is an absence of research investigating learning practices in digital social spaces that allow students to develop mediation strategies while using foreign languages to achieve group task goals. In this article, we will outline and compare the results of two case studies exploring the interaction potential of digital educational activities: Digital Storytelling and Digital Social Reading. The analysis of students’ multimodal conversations during the activities shows that while there are intrinsic interactional affordances related to the technologies (StoryMaps, izi.Travel, ThingLink, Immerse and Glose for Education) used in educational contexts, fostering students’ mediation strategies has only been feasible through a sound instructional methodology. Starting from the data analysis, pedagogical implications are drawn to help language teachers implement virtual technologies to boost students’ digital mediation strategies to act successfully in their professional and social lives. Considerations include pre-activity tech and strategy training and the integration of asynchronous and synchronous moments of reflection. Further discussion pertains to creating a community of practice collaborating to understand tool usability for attaining activity goals.

Meaningful Patient Participation in Health Care Education: A Theoretically Informed Study Exploring Boundaries and Identities

Abstract Purpose After recent policy and practice changes, health care schools are expected to involve patients as partners in the management, design, and delivery of professional curricula. However, what these partnerships mean for academic communities and the processes needed to support them are not yet understood. This study examines what involving patients as partners within an academic community means for key stakeholders. Method A qualitative case study design with a social constructivist philosophical stance was used. Communities of practice served as the theoretical framework. Semistructured interviews were conducted with patients and educators from the University of Leicester between November 2021 and May 2022. Focus groups were held with penultimate-year students. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis informed by communities of practice. Results The sample comprised 40 participants. Ten patients and 10 educators participated in 40- to 60-minute interviews. Twenty students participated in 1 of 5 focus group discussions lasting 30 to 50 minutes. Two overarching themes were reported: “boundaries as (permeable) barriers to participation” and “identity as an interpretive lens.” Boundaries among patients, educators, and students can hinder patients’ meaningful involvement in health care education. Boundaries are marked through differences in knowledge, a lack of shared vision, and a lack of trust in patients. Patients, educators, and students have separate distinct identities. They experience tensions of identity when they meet across boundaries. These tensions reveal insights into the construction of the typical patient identity in health care education. Conclusions Applying communities of practice illuminated boundary and identity issues that patients, educators, and students experience when patients are involved in health care education. Health care schools should develop comprehensive training for patients, provide faculty development regarding patient involvement, support students to trust in patient teachers, and embed a distinctive strand of patient involvement across health care curricula.

(Im)politeness as a Strategy in the Discursive Construction of In-Group Solidarity in Discussions about Love, Sex and Relationships on Incels.is

As a discourse community that is formed and maintained mostly online, involuntary celibates (who are typically heterosexual men) have been known to be one of the most obvious groups presenting misogynistic attitudes (Bates 2020). There are various forums where such online users meet to discuss subjects of relevance to them, including Reddit and subreddit threads (r/incels) and websites specifically targeted at the community (such as Incels.is). Although the subject of incel discourses has been addressed from several linguistic perspectives, including the representation of social actors (Heritage & Koller 2020), toxic language in the community (Pelzer et al. 2021), metaphor (Heritage et al. 2023) and the extreme language of misogyny (Bogetić 2022), still relatively little has been written specifically about how the community of practice is formed on the basis of the discursive expression of solidarity. The present paper is an analysis of discussions on the forum Incels.is on the subject of sex and relationships, specifically investigating how both manifestations of misogynist attitudes and discursive strategies of politeness are used to form solidarity between users. The analysis considers that through the employment of positive and negative politeness strategies in an online community, group bonds are made stronger and in-group solidarity is expressed both directly and indirectly. The analysis of politeness strategies showed that positive politeness and negative politeness were both present as face-saving acts and to construct solidarity through the use of sarcasm, kinship claiming, informal language and the negative evaluation of female actors.

The role of collaborative governance in translating national cancer programs into network-based practices: A longitudinal case study in Canada.

Networks (multiple organizations or actors coordinating their activities towards a common goal) have been promoted in the cancer programs of a number of countries. But there is little empirical evidence on whether and how they overcome the siloed functioning endemic in specialized domains. This study examines how collaborative governance takes shape to support integrated network-based practices within a prescribed national cancer program. A longitudinal qualitative single-case study was conducted of the Quebec cancer network in Canada. Data were collected in 2018-2020 through semi-structured interviews with stakeholders (n = 37) involved in regional and/or national cancer network structures and a review of documents (n = 45) generated at national and regional level. Abductive thematic analysis during and post-field work was based on Emerson's collaborative governance framework. It aimed to identify how collaborative governance mechanisms (principled engagement, shared motivation and capacity for joint action) were activated in the network, and their contribution to translating a national cancer program into network-based practices at the point of care. Principled engagement was driven through interdisciplinary committees at national and regional level, communities of practice and trajectory-development efforts. These mandated structures supported knowledge exchange and contributed to the recognition of interdependencies, distribution of leadership and development of mutual understanding and trust. Shared motivation benefitted from a vision of patient-centred care but was hindered by top-down communication vehicles that did not allow regional priorities to filter upwards to central level. Between care providers in different settings, trust and candidacy were identified as mechanisms important to shared motivation, though network actions did not sufficiently support trust across care settings, or even between members of the same profession. Candidacy issues hindered family physician participation in cancer network structures that mirrored ongoing difficulties to including them in cancer care practice. Institutional arrangements were important drivers of capacity for joint action in the network. Common indicators were recognized as important to generating efforts towards common goals; however, questions around their validity reduced their contribution to capacities for joint action. Despite favorable starting conditions from the national cancer program and its central leadership promoting collaborative governance, tensions that emerge through the pursuit of network integration limit the transition to a more collaborative practice. Taking the time to work out these tensions as integration proceeds in waves appears essential to arrive at a governance model that is appropriate and acceptable for all network members.

Professional development of teachers: Perceptions and challenges of foundation phase teachers

Background: South Africa’s teacher retention crisis calls for policy makers, school leaders and teachers to explore ways for professional growth. This study examined six novice teachers’ experiences and views on continuous professional development (CPD) and how it benefits teachers as they transition from mentees to mentors.Aim: The study aimed to explore novice teachers’ engagement with CPD within the context of foundation phase (FP) teaching. It specifically investigated their understanding of CPD in communities of practice and how they preferred to be inducted, mentored and coached.Setting: This qualitative case study was conducted in six inner-city public primary schools in urban Johannesburg, South Africa.Methods: The research followed a case study design, using semi-structured interviews with six novice teachers to gather data.Results: The findings revealed the significance of informal mentorship, offering support despite the absence of formal structures in FP settings. This highlights the need for educational institutions to establish formal mentorship opportunities to promote professional development and well-being of teachers.Conclusion: CPD goes beyond fulfilling professional requirements – it empowers teachers. By upskilling and reskilling, CPD prepares teachers to meet modern teaching challenges.Contributions: This research adds to the limited literature on novice teachers’ experiences with CPD in FP. It highlights CPD’s crucial role in enhancing pedagogical strategies, supporting diverse learners, improving teacher wellness, and informing educational policy and leadership decisions.

Utilizing virtual communities of practice in the national campaign of wheat in Egypt: action research

Abstract Background Virtual Community of Practices (VCoP) simply is a method to use social media in extension, yet its roots depend on a combination of four concepts: community of practice, social media, social learning theory, and pluralistic extension. The technical action research design was followed to put the VCoP into action and explore its profile. This study aimed to introduce a community of practice using social network applications to policy makers in the agricultural sector. Methodology Action research was conducted to validate the use of a VCoP in the National Campaign of Wheat in Egypt. A baseline survey, a content analysis of VCoP conversations, and an assessment study were used to collect the data. The frequency, range, percentage, mean, and average score were used for statistical analysis. Results The VCoP reached 22.22% and 10.40% of the wheat farmers in the two target villages, respectively. A high degree of knowledge exchange was detected among members, while messages crossed the VCoP borders as friends were invited to join the group. The VCoP helped its members establish new relationships with other stakeholders, and they expressed their need to expand membership to include other stakeholders. The media used in the VCoP was satisfactory; however, the need for more video messages and internet links was expressed. Extension agents believe that the VCoP complements other extension methods. Farmers see greater potential for cooperation than conflict, while bias is minimal among research, extension, traders, and company agents. Conclusions Farmers and other service providers in a village can be aggregated in a VCoP. This approach has proven to be valid as an extension community method for generating and sharing information with high “reach”. Coordination and training are essential for running and managing groups. Yearly programs, rather than seasonal programs, are more suitable for sustainability.

Growing our own: enabling PGR teachers to flourish in authentic ecosystems

Postgraduate researchers who teach (PGR teachers), or Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) play a valuable role in global Higher Education, being a central part of the teaching workforce. PGR teachers are noted, amongst other things, for their ability to relate closely to students, bringing research-informed perspectives and providing effective and nuanced support to students in a massified HE sector. However, in spite of their longstanding presence, they are ubiquitously described as being in a ‘liminal space’ in the literature, and as early career colleagues, often have less professional experience and reduced agency to make pedagogical decisions, all whilst experiencing precarity and other challenges relating to occupying an impermanent role. Professional development opportunities for PGR teachers are reasonably widespread but do they enable the best way for PGR teachers to grow and thrive in their teaching work? This Afterword, drawing on the contributions of authors in Issue 4 of the JPPP, considers how PGR teachers are deploying the outcomes of professional learning, and where the ‘best space’ might be for them to develop and evolve as practitioners. It reflects on the structure and rationale established in the Warwick Postgraduate Teaching Community and argues for the support and initiation of similar PGR communities of practice across the sector, as being optimal spaces for PGR teachers to thrive, learn and grow with peers.

Enabling Impacts: Building a Broader Impacts Community of Practice at a Land-Grant University

The Broader Impacts (BI) activities required of researchers funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) often involve public engagement, including K-12 outreach, informal science education, public exhibits and performances, advocacy and policy change, and business and entrepreneurship. The ARIS Broader Impacts Toolkit (Advancing Research Impacts in Society, 2024) is an online resource designed to help researchers develop BI plans for their NSF proposals. Several elements of the Toolkit address critical aspects of public engagement, making the Toolkit a valuable resource for researchers new to BI or public engagement, especially when integrated into wider BI communities of practice. We discuss how the national-level BI Community of Practice (BI-CoP) developed and sustained by the NSF-funded Center for Advancing Research Impacts in Society (ARIS) contributed to the development and continuing evolution of an institutional-level BI CoP at a large land-grant public university. The personal narratives of members of the institutional-level BI-CoP reveal how the ARIS BI-CoP has supported their learning, fostered collaboration around BI at their institution, supported the development of an institutional BI-CoP, and increased their capacity to assist researchers with developing and implementing BI plans. The experiences of consultants and researchers demonstrate that supportive and well-resourced BI-CoPs at the national and institutional level are essential for making effective use of the Toolkit and developing BI plans that are innovative, inclusive, and impactful.

Creating a Broader Impacts Culture

Minority-serving institutions (MSIs), historically Black colleges and universities, and Tribal colleges and universities play a pivotal role in championing inclusivity and diversity within higher education systems across the nation. As catalysts for social change, they regularly engage in Broader Impacts (BI) work. However, these institutions often face challenges in resource allocation and a dearth of human capital to sustain vital operations, which hinders their capacity building efforts. This article explores how MSIs, exemplified by the City College of the City University of New York (CUNY), can empower faculty, staff, and trainees engaged in BI work to extend their influence beyond their institutions by adopting a community of practice and engagement (COPE) approach. By leveraging collective strengths of knowledge, expertise, and diversity, CUNY’s MSI campuses endeavor to foster a transformative ripple effect, shaping a more inclusive and equitable future through research and innovation. Beginning in Spring 2023, the City College of New York, in partnership with the Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS) National Science Foundation–funded center, embarked on initiatives to understand the existing BI culture, knowledge, and challenges to enhance BI and research development capacity across the CUNY system. This article discusses the pilot efforts and lessons learned from these endeavors.

Leadership capacity development in the Australian early childhood sector. Re-energising through mentoring

Mentoring is a leadership capacity development strategy for experienced early childhood teachers (ECTs). Being a well-trained mentor, who is supported to undertake the role can contribute to re-energising experienced ECTs and enhance the early childhood sector workforce. However, little is known about the benefits of outsourcing mentoring as most research refers to in-house mentoring. This paper reports on the mentors’ experience of a two-phase on-line mentoring program in Australia supporting new early childhood teachers. The study design was framed by the theory of Community of Practice involving academic mentors, experienced teacher mentors and novice teachers as mentees. Mentors’ reflections indicated that knowledge and skills accumulated during this program shifted their understanding of mentoring and contributed towards creating short and long-term service-level changes. This paper offers a provocation for new possibilities in mentoring in the early childhood sector.

Imagining just futures through interdisciplinary pedagogies: cultivating communities of practice across the sciences and humanities

Abstract This case study describes an experimental initiative at James Madison University funded by a National Science Foundation grant in Fall 2021 that aimed to support interdisciplinary collaborative pedagogical development related to Science, Technology, and Society (STS) with a particular focus on ethics and justice. The case study argues that creating infrastructure to cultivate and sustain small teaching communities of practice that include faculty from humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields, can support the challenging and necessary work of developing integrated STS-informed pedagogies across the curriculum. A flexible framework is examined through multiple lenses, including perspectives from each faculty participant, representing teaching departments of Biology, World Languages & Cultures, Integrated Science and Technology/Biotechnology, Justice Studies/Disability Studies, and Integrated Science and Technology/Public Interest Technology and Science. Authors provide key insights about what enables and sustains an interdisciplinary community of practice.

Organic Metalogue Across Spaces and Places to Rethink Species Relationships in a Community of Practice

AbstractHow can we work with diverse cultures and diverse ways of knowing whilst enabling space for diversity? Metalogues can help to avoid (or remedy) misunderstanding, leaving ideas out, speaking for or over others. It provides breathing space between the stimulus of engagement and the process of coming up with an agreed upon output or outcome. This postcolonial and non-anthropocentric approach is rooted in collegiality and a recognition of our hybridity and interconnectedness with many species; as such it celebrates ‘entangled life’ (Sheldrake 2021) with Indigenous and non Indigenous academics, leaders and community practitioners, including farmers. The paper discusses the dynamic process. Could this process be considered multispecies neuroscience in action?

Is This the End of Anthropology as We Know It? Some Implication of FAIR Principles on Tales in Ethnological and Anthropological Qualitative Research

Open science, accessibility and knowledge sharing, especially of articles and monographs stemming from publicly funded research, seem to be moving in quite a positive direction toward scientific development and have received almost unanimous approval from the scientific community. However, when it comes to data sharing, the existing practice reveals a different picture, and not exclusively a discipline-dependent one. FAIR principles are developed and promoted as guiding tools for creating contextualized standards. The fact that data obtained by a qualitative methodology deserve special attention and treatment regarding the accessibility principle is recognized. Although FAIR principles provide ways to anonymize the data and interlocutors, individuals coming from smaller communities or even communities of practice can sometimes be easily recognized by members of the same community if data are openly accessed. Sometimes the interlocutors might agree with these terms, but sometimes they do not. According to the disciplinary code of ethics, a researcher is obliged to thoroughly describe the ways of the raw data management and usage, and in the case of mandatory raw data sharing (e.g., for receiving funding), it can inevitably impact the narratives collected. The prerogative to make all data open inevitably leads to autocensorship among interlocutors, i.e., resulting in a kind of FAIRy tale being collected. The article discusses the results obtained from the survey carried out among Croatian ethnologists and cultural anthropologists about the currently practiced data sharing, their attitudes about data sharing and their perceived behavior in hypothetical situations connected with data sharing. The results show mixed opinions about data sharing and a desire to follow the disciplinary code of ethics first, i.e., to follow the interlocutors’ wishes in the case of data management and usage.

Virtual communities of practice: nurturing teacher-coordinators’ well-being amidst stress and crisis

PurposeThis longitudinal study investigated the ways in which virtual communities of practice (VCoPs) can support the well-being of teachers in managerial roles during stressful changes and crises. Specifically, it examined the experiences of these educators to better understand how VCoPs contribute to sustaining well-being in the face of challenges.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative study methodology was utilized, consisting of three rounds of interviews with seven teacher-coordinators, coupled with content analysis to discern patterns and insights. A multidimensional model was then applied to pinpoint the associations between the community’s characteristics and the different approaches implemented by these teacher-coordinators to address stress and crises.FindingsThe analysis revealed a range of coping strategies within the VCoPs for handling stress and crises. Participation in virtual spaces was shown to foster in-depth, rich discussions. The multidimensional model captures how social, emotional and cognitive factors can help teacher coordinators navigate challenges.Originality/valueThis study contributes to a broader understanding of the well-being of educational staff, especially in managerial roles, by exploring the subtle dynamics of a VCoP. The findings highlight the impact of the community on teacher-coordinators' well-being in routine, stressful and crisis situations. These insights can provide valuable guidance for educational practitioners and policymakers to enhance the resilience of the education system to diverse challenges.

Bridging Cultures, Advancing AI

In an era where generative AI (AI) is reshaping education at breakneck speed, how can institutions keep pace while also ensuring authentic learning? Our international Community of Practice (CoP) offers a compelling answer. Spanning Australia and Vietnam, this unique collaboration has not only navigated cultural differences but leveraged them to create a rich tapestry of AI integration strategies in HE. From unexpected synergies to challenging assumptions, our journey offers crucial insights for educators worldwide grappling with AI's transformative power. Established in April 2023, our CoP has grown to approximately 500 members drawn from multiple campuses across Australia and Vietnam. This cross-cultural collaboration aligns with Wenger's (1999) Communities of Practice theory and demonstrates a novel approach to harnessing global collective intelligence in HE. Our CoP has critically examined the impact of AI on HE, exploring its transformative potential and challenges in teaching methodologies, learning experiences, and assessment practices. Our discussions have extended to the ethical and environmental considerations of increased AI adoption in education, aligning with the growing need for sustainable technological integration in academia. Key outcomes of the CoP include: Development of AI-integrated curriculum frameworks and co-creation of staff training materials, enhancing institutional readiness for AI integration; Design and implementation of innovative learning tools, such as AI-generated interactive personas, enhancing student engagement and outcomes; Facilitation of research collaborations, resulting in both publications and multiple conference presentations; Exploration of AI-enabled learning analytics for personalised learning, with initial implementation across different cultural contexts; and Amplification of public awareness about AI in Southeast Asian education, as evidenced by extensive media coverage in Vietnam. Our CoP's activities, including monthly expert-led meetings and weekly newsletters, have catalysed significant advancements in Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) research and practice. The initiative's success aligns with the TPACK framework (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) and social learning theory (Bandura, 1977), supporting contextualised AI integration in pedagogy and andragogy across diverse educational settings. Our CoP has overcome significant challenges, including sustaining engagement across time zones and sourcing diverse expert speakers, through dedicated leadership and strong institutional support. The CoP's impact led to its official recognition and the formation of a cross-school steering committee, further amplifying its influence and demonstrating its strategic importance to the institution. This presentation will share key insights from our journey, including strategies for fostering engagement in a remote, cross-cultural CoP focused on rapidly evolving technology. We will discuss successful AI-enabled pedagogies implemented by CoP members, how challenges were addressed, and the impact of diverse cultural perspectives on AI adoption. A key lesson learned is the importance of balancing AI integration with maintaining academic integrity and authentic assessment in the rapidly evolving landscape of educational technology. By sharing our experiences, we aim to provide a model for other institutions seeking to harness collective intelligence in shaping the future of AI in HE, while addressing critical issues such as appropriate AI use, systemic approaches to programmatic assessment, and the process of learning and teaching in an AI-enhanced environment.

MAVR in the Metaverse

Extended reality (XR) technologies, which include virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR), are gaining significant attention from educators for their potential to transform teaching and learning in higher education. According to recent research, XR offers immersive and interactive experiences that enhance student engagement and provide unique opportunities for experiential learning (Merchant et al., 2014; Radianti et al., 2020). In response to this growing interest, various professional organizations have developed virtual communities of practice (Wenger, 1998) to support educators in integrating XR into their curricula. One notable example is the Mixed, Augmented, and Virtual Realities in Learning Special Interest Group (MAVR SIG) of the Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT). Founded in 2017, the MAVR SIG was created to support language educators interested in adopting XR technologies for language learning (Hawkinson, Mehran, & Alizadeh, 2017). The SIG provides a platform for educators to share their experiences, exchange ideas, and collaborate on research focused on XR in education. This community of practice is instrumental in advancing the integration of immersive technologies in language education, aligning with the broader global trends in educational technology (Ferdig et al., 2020). The MAVR SIG facilitates knowledge sharing and professional development through a variety of events, including research presentations, workshops, symposia, and webinars. Recent workshops have highlighted the pedagogical applications of XR, such as immersive language learning environments, AR-enhanced vocabulary instruction, and the use of VR for cultural immersion. These events not only promote the use of XR in education but also encourage educators to critically assess the affordances and challenges of these technologies in teaching. The positive impact of this community of practice has been evidenced by a growing number of members outside of Japan including the Philippines and Turkiye . Based on interviews from international members, the lack of local groups that support research and collaboration related to immersive technologies for teaching and learning encouraged them to join the Japan-based group. A particularly noteworthy initiative by the SIG is its regular series of events hosted on the Metaverse platform, Frame (https://framevr.io/). Frame offers an immersive and customizable virtual environment where members can meet, interact, and collaborate in real time. The platform’s features, such as virtual rooms, collaboration tools, and generative AI functions, enable educators to experiment with new teaching approaches and test platform capabilities. By leveraging these tools, educators can enhance their teaching practices, receive feedback, and refine their approaches to using XR in language learning. Looking ahead, the MAVR SIG is poised to expand its impact by increasing the number of events, deepening collaborations with educational institutions and professional organizations in Japan and globally and exploring novel applications of XR in both language and interdisciplinary education. As the community continues to support educators and drive innovation, the MAVR SIG is well-positioned to lead the integration of XR technologies into teaching and learning practices worldwide.

Affinity spaces

This poster (Padlet ‘Collaborative reflection on AI’) showcases a professional development approach that uses Padlet as an affinity space (Gee, 2004; Honeychurch, 2023) for educators to collaboratively explore and reflect on their experiences with Generative AI (GenAI) in education. Following Vallor’s distinction between ease of creation (a key affordance of AI) and challenges of creative expression (a solely human capacity), we found that Padlet was an accessible tool for creating virtual affinity spaces, and that the Padlet format offers a visual representation of a collaborative method of co-creating that ASCILITE attendees can interact with, using a range of multimodal creation tools, including AI-based features available in Padlet (image creator, text-to-speech, and a poll creator). This poster may function as a catalyst for conference attendees to reflect on their own position in this rapidly developing space, and as a model of practice that educators can adapt to their own contexts to design GenAI-integrated learning experiences. Educators need novel ways to make sense of the changing nature of education with GenAI (Vallis et al., 2023) and advance both research and practice in technology-enabled learning. Drawing on a paradigm for academic development that is centred on the notions of construction and co-construction as a process of learning (Pimmer et al., 2016, p. 495), this inquiry used Padlet to provide an affinity space for this sense-making. Affinity spaces differ from communities of practice in having a flat hierarchy instead of a periphery of less experienced practitioners around a core of experts; people enter an affinity space as interactants (“affines”), rather than members (Gee, 2005). In this inquiry, a Padlet provides a “portal” (Calder et al., 2021, p. 448) to an affinity space, a space where contributors who have varying levels of (GenAI) expertise can bond around a shared endeavour (for a comparable use of Padlet to house a ‘thinktank’ for a scholarly project in teaching and learning, see Coleman, 2023). The Padlet serves as both an interactive platform for educators to engage with various perspectives on generative AI in higher education and a model for future learning activities. The aim is to facilitate knowledge sharing and community building around GenAI in education: as Timperley (2008, p.19) states, “participation in a professional community with one’s colleagues is an integral part of professional learning that impacts positively on students”. The collaborative aspect of this inquiry sparked conversations, introduced collaborators to new tools, and stimulated reflection. It encouraged a patchwork of contributions in a variety of formats to provoke more perspectives. It allowed expression of sociotechnical imaginaries about GenAI (Costello, 2024; Dishon, 2024), including themes of “overwhelm to excitement”; “creative potential to concerns of control”; and perceptions of GenAI from “uncanny to real”, and demonstrated that sharing creative practices in a virtual space allows educators to develop new knowledge about their experiences, concerns, and insights about integrating AI into their educational practices.

Constancy Amidst Change

Using a scholarly personal narrative, I share about my first year pretending to be a deputy director, responsible for ‘faculty training’ under the Center of Open and Digital Teaching and Learning in an open university. My reflections over time in storied form as part of teaching and learning with colleagues (Ingersoll, 2018) aim to illuminate what constitutes our ongoing and best practices within the institution’s so called Open and Distance eLearning programs or ODeL (Alfonso, 2014). I branded a series of faculty learning activities as “T&L Convoes” to bring to the fore topics worth talking about, like an online version of stories we would normally share over ‘merienda’ or breaktime. Focused group discussions were undertaken to interrogate how faculty members learn best, and their current practices which seemed to work as examined through the lens of teaching presence, an element of the Community of Inquiry framework by Garrison et al. (2000). I also inquired about what else they would like to learn, hence topics for the T&L Convoes tackled assessment for student success, managing large-sized classes, doing synchronous live classes and faculty-tutor dynamics. As I reexamined recorded sessions (stored data) of our T&L Convoes, I found myself taking a critical stance, asking whether we as an open university and champions of ODeL are in fact contributing innovative teaching practices or do we simply come across as such because of the technologies we choose to enhance our practice. Findings which constitute our best practices boiled down to engagement of active and independent learning through course site features, use of direct or explicit instructions, facilitation of critical discourse, timely feedback on submissions, and intentional learning community-building efforts (Villanueva & Eacersall, 2024). I also highlighted shared issues among faculty members which to my mind were seemingly a blast from my past as a newbie higher education faculty, fifteen years back. These concerns were related to a sense of disconnectedness, grading/marking assignments, finding time for research and publication as well as work life balance. I resolved to no longer pretend but sustain these worthwhile engagements with fellow faculty members by banking on social presence and cognitive presence. These “T&L Convoes” may be optimized to trigger curiosity and exploration alongside other peer-learning activities which should comprise a wholistic approach to faculty development experiences. Grounded on constancy of purpose (Dye, 1991), I choose to persevere in order to drive this reflexivity further on to ascertain whether there will be integration and resolution to all we say and do as faculty members within our ODeL programs. The importance of a personal and reflexive approach to determine peer-learning sessions with colleagues is affirmed as an optimal way to make a needs-based, just-in-time learning happen, versus the so-called ‘in-service teacher training’ residential universities are accustomed to undertaking. Effective use of technology enabled us to operate as colleagues learning from each other’s practices, equally reinforcing the communities of practice (Wenger, 2000) as a supreme pedagogy we shall continue to own up to amid the ever-changing landscape of open universities.

Exploring the relevance of Universal Design for Learning implementation in the post-secondary landscape from the perspective of sustainability

This presentation showcases findings from a Canadian study which was carried out through 2023-24. This project explores an innovative facet of the momentum around sustainability within higher education, one that goes beyond the focus on environmental and operational preoccupations and concentrates on social and pedagogical sustainability. It examines the way the introduction of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to a campus, through the creation of a cross-discipline community of practice, can (i) empower faculty to develop sustainable accessible practices within their own classroom, (ii) significantly reduce the reliance of the campus on accessibility services and reduce the pressure felt by these services, (iii) successfully integrate accessibility and inclusion within institutional strategic thinking around sustainability. The presentation synthesizes findings from a qualitative action-research project which examined perceptions and experiences of 14 stakeholders with different status and toles across the campus. The study adopted a phenomenological approach to data collection and analysis (Holland, 2014) and explored the participants’ own constructs in relation to the overlap between UDL and sustainability. Accessibility in the higher education has thus far been addressed through a medical model approach focused on retrofitting. In a nutshell, teaching and learning is designed for the ‘traditional learner’ and support services take on the task of supporting students who experience barriers in this design, with remedial, targeted services outside the classroom. The demographics of higher education, however, have changed widely over the last two decades, and retrofitting approaches are no longer sustainable. The volume of demand is growing exponentially, wait times increase, and the cost of Accessibility Services increases in a way that becomes unmanageable within most post-secondary campuses (NEADS, 2018). Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can address many of these strains on resources. Indeed, UDL is an emerging model for the management of diversity in the classroom which equips instructors to remove the majority of barriers to access to learning and support the needs of most diverse learners within the classroom itself (Al-Azawei et al., 2016). The literature highlights that most of the needs of diverse learners can be addressed with ease within the classroom itself once inclusive design and UDL are adopted and integrated as a mindset, across institutions (Baumann & Melle, 2019; Dalton et al., 2019). UDL can therefore address some of the concerns over the sustainability of current disability service provision models. The need for a sustainable lens in this area is therefore tangible and pressing. Accessibility services, student services personnel, and faculty are all painfully feeling first-hand the inability of the current structure to meet the needs of diverse learners and to address the volume of service requests. UDL has the potential to address this strain on support services and to re-empower faculty to create inclusive provisions within the classroom space. A practical example of this would be the considerable pressure placed on accessibility services to digitalize printed material or to seek alternate versions of PDFs that are shared in class but are not accessible with reading software. This is an example of costly, repetitive use of resources that can be solved sustainably by empowering instructors to use the UDL principles in their class design and not rely on print only or on non-accessible digital documents. This has immediate resource and funding implications. UDL integration represents a clear example of sustainable transformation: an initial focus on professional development with faculty leads to a reduction in spending and resources that are non-renewable (Fovet, 2017). The presentation showcases the wider implications for UDL development across the sector.