The pivot to online teaching during the pandemic brought new challenges for instructors teaching large classes. In response to instructors' need for additional support with engaging students online, two educational development units collaboratively designed the Teaching Exchange. The Teaching Exchange was a virtual series of sessions on different…

The Teaching and Learning Network (TLN) at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, represents an effective network model for faculty and educational leadership development. Grounded in the principles of communities of practice (Wenger, 1998), the TLN is a collaborative network that fosters interdisciplinary dialogue, relationship building,…

Reform efforts in different parts of the world call for the adoption of integrated approaches to STEM education. However, little is known about how teachers work, as members of learning communities, to design STEM teaching material such as lesson plans. To address this gap in the literature, we examined the design of STEM lesson plans by…

Faculty development is essential to promote pedagogical innovation and the transformation of teaching practices. The faculty development model presented in this study was guided by three research questions about how scholars engage in institutionally held training opportunities for professional development; how scholars engage with and collaborate…

The emergence of digital communication channels has transformed faculty development, offering new opportunities for networking and collaboration. This paper explores successful practices for promoting connection and belonging among faculty members through platforms like Slack and Discord. Key strategies include creating dedicated channels for…

A significant majority of faculty at U.S. colleges and universities believe that character is an important aim of university education, but many do not know how to support students in developing their character. This article presents a mixed-methods study that examined the effectiveness of two cross-disciplinary communities of practice (CoPs) in…

Lower reading and literacy skills are endemic in almost all secondary schools. Reasons for decreased literacy skills are numerous and varied, from changes in elementary literacy instructional focuses (whole language versus phonics), the foundational misunderstanding between reading and literacy, and the emergence and overreliance on social media…

Lesson study has been recognised as one of the most effective teacher professional development programmes. In China, technology-supported online lesson study (OLS) switches the traditional face-to-face LS to a virtual format. This paper seeks to explore the ways in which Chinese OLS promotes professional development among teachers and contributes…

The numerical ability of Irish students in international and national assessments is weaker than for literacy, particularly among higher-performing students. The aim of this study was to design a national teacher professional development programme to encourage teachers at post-primary level to develop numeracy competency across the post-primary…

In this pilot study, eight faculty members participated in at least one online Open Space Technology participatory meeting and provided feedback. Each meeting had a predetermined central theme. Participants chose one or more sub-topics to discuss in a small group followed by a whole group recap. Results indicated that faculty members reported the…

Despite the transformative possibilities associated with the inclusion of technologies in instruction, relatively little is known about the regular use and perception of these technologies in higher education. Framed by existing challenges and opportunities around instructional technology use nationwide, this research offers a case of one…

Universities invest in teaching academies to reward outstanding teachers. Few studies have been published about the impact of teaching academies on teaching communities. The aim of this study was to see who excellent academic teachers spoke to when they discussed teaching and learning, and what kind of community a Teachers' Academy established in…

This article is about the multidisciplinary Community of Practice (CoP) initiative that was implemented in the summer of 2020- summer of the pivot- at a Canadian post-secondary institution to prepare faculty, staff, and students for remote teaching and learning while navigating pandemic conditions created by COVID-19. The CoP as a case study using…

The importance of teacher collaboration and professional growth are highlighted by their inclusion in the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). In ESSA, it is recommended that teachers are provided with opportunities to collaborate and participate in learning communities. The purpose of this action research study was to address the problem of…

Immune literacy--the ability to hear, learn, read, write, explain, and discuss immunological content with varied audiences--has become critically important in recent years. Yet, with its complex terminology and discipline-specific concepts, educating individuals about the immune system and its role in health and disease may seem daunting. Here, we…