Communities of Practice (CoPs) are naturally forming groups who come together through a shared passion or goal to learn by reciprocating knowledge, experiences and ways of addressing problems (Lave & Wenger, 1991). Academic Affairs supports a range of CoPs where staff and interested stakeholders can meet to share their practice, solve problems collaboratively, and create new knowledge.
Underpinned by social theory of learning (Bandura 1969), CoPs can provide a sustainable model of staff directed professional development based on the exchange of innovative practices that can foster the rapid adoption of teaching and learning innovations as well as cross institutional capacity building opportunities (Maistry, M. (2008), Mak, B., & Pun, S. H. (2015)).
Three main purposes for establishing CoPs are:
- Developing capability: aligned to specific institutional roles and responsibilities. These CoPs provide safe spaces to support staff taking up new roles.
- Building capacity: aligned to the sharing of effective practices, embedding of core skills, practices aligned to emergent needs
- Supporting/sustaining Innovation/innovative practices: aligned to priorities identified through the strategic plan CoPs support and encourage the sharing and development of innovative practices, development of resources and where relevant inform policy development by bringing together different stakeholder groups.
New and Existing Communities of Practice can apply for support for the Academic Years 2024/25 and 2025/26 prior to the 5th June 2024. Click here for Community of Practice Support Call Details May 2024 and Community of Practice Application Form May 2024 .
Details of the Communities of Practice that were supported in 2023 / 2024 please see below. If you wish to get involved in any of these CoPs, please complete the CoP Expression of Interest in Membership: https://forms.office.com/e/qb2bCCXJ6t and your details will be forwarded to the lead facilitator.
Purpose
This CoP brings together staff, from across TU Dublin, with a shared interest in innovating and transforming their assessment practices based on the principles of ‘authentic assessment’, a term used to refer to a diverse range of alternative approaches to assessment which focus on the application of knowledge, performance of exemplary tasks, or the measurement of students’ abilities in scenarios that replicate ‘real-world’ challenges. The main purpose of the CoP is to exchange ideas and practices, create shared resources, and contribute towards the development of a set of institutional guidelines and best-practice recommendations for authentic assessment.
Lead Facilitator
Derek Dodd, Academic Developer, Learning, Teaching & Assessment Team (LTA)
Co-Facilitators
Farrah Higgins, Lecturer, Faculty of Business
Dolores McManus, Academic Developer, LTA
Edel Gallagher, Academic Developer, LTA
Target Membership
Academics and other staff members from across all faculties with an interest in developing their assessment practices
Planned Communication and Activities
The CoP is currently engaged in a road-mapping exercise for the year ahead, but planned activities include:
- Periodic authentic assessment practice exchange events and workshops, in partnership with the Prof-ASSESS project
- The development of 'version two' of our Authentic Assessment Framework for TU Dublin (Internal SharePoint Site) with input from academic staff, students, Prof-ASSESS participants, and professional, statutory and regulatory bodies (PSRBs)
Purpose
The aim is of this CoP is develop expertise so as to collectively create, share and maintain high-quality dataset of open access online quiz assessments for STEM related disciplines. This will involve both the creation of assessments and the peer review of the resources created. To meet this aim these quiz assessments must be:
- Created and audited by experts. (The resource must be credible, subject to scrutiny, academics must have confidence that they are accurate and useful).
- Coherently organised, easily accessible and searchable.
- Cater for audiences from diverse backgrounds (Incorporate UDL best practice and be cognisant of accessibility issues).
- Designed for use on multiple devices (phone, laptop, etc).
- Available to integrate into various Virtual Learning Environments (VLE’s)
- Allow for feedback
Lead Facilitator
David Dorran (Lead), Senior Lecturer Electrical and Electronic Engineering, David.dorran@tudublin.ie
Co-Facilitators
Blathnaid Sheridan, Mathematics
Kevin Chubb, Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Control Systems)
Damien Gordon, Computer Science
Pádraig McEvoy, Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Communications Engineering)
Jane Courtney, Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Power Systems)
Malabika Basu, Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Power Systems)
Emma Robinson, Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Control Systems)
Target Membership
All lecturing staff with expertise in STEM related disciplines. Anyone who would like help with creating online quiz assessments or has resources or ideas they would like to share.
TU Dublin Staff Resources of Online Quiz Assessments.xlsx
Purpose
The main purpose of this proposed Community of Practice is to develop and build capacity and capability across TU Dublin to support the implementation of its Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Policy and to create RPL implementation champions who have knowledge and expertise and can act as points of contact for staff and RPL candidates. It will share practices and learnings from experience, from which it will consider and develop resources and tools that will support the consistent application of RPL procedures in the university. This will assist in ensuring a consistent experience for candidates who access and progress in TU Dublin academic and training programmes through the RPL route. As capacity and confidence grows, it will explore the full potential of RPL within TU Dublin to support lifelong learning, and the increase in student numbers through access and progression via the RPL route. TU Dublin is a contributor to the National RPL Project https://www.priorlearning.ie/, which is a collaborative initiative that is working to embed and expand RPL across 14 partner higher education institutions. The project is funded by the Human Capital Initiative (HCI) Pillar 3 (Innovation and Agility) and co-sponsored by the Technological Higher Education Association (THEA) and the Irish Universities Association (IUA).
Lead Facilitator
Jan Cairns, Academic Quality Advisor, jan.cairns@tudublin.ie
Target Membership
- Academic Staff, who co-ordinate programmes with RPL Pathways or who are responsible for admissions to programmes.
- Academic Staff who are interested in designing programmes and/or modules to attract RPL candidates.
- Professional Services staff with a remit in relation to RPL, including Recruitment, Admission & Participation, Academic Affairs, Student Services and Wellbeing (Exams).
Communication and Activities
Interactive forum for sharing practice/ideas/issues and concerns
Purpose
This CoP aims to primarily support new lecturers, who have recently started in TU Dublin to meet, learn and share teaching, learning and assessment experiences and practice. Through the CoP, new lecturers can discuss and find out more about teaching and learning practices and experience positive peer collaboration.
The CoP will provide a useful platform to help new lecturers, who are experts in their field, embrace their new academic culture and trigger reflection on their new role as educators and professional identity.
Lead Developer
Youcef Sai, Academic Developer, youcef.sai@tudublin.ie
Target Members
All new or early career lecturers who have not yet completed the mandatory Postgraduate Certificate in University Teaching and Learning.
Communications and Events
A dedicated MS Team has been established for this CoP. https://teams.microsoft.com/l/team/19%3avGRBSFv99q-pTWeaQVpHLHh-HCn4BEnTSpX6heXi0uA1%40thread.tacv2/conversations?groupId=13a4700f-333d-4eff-96aa-3faefe2ade66&tenantId=766317cb-e948-4e5f-8cec-dabc8e2fd5da (Internal Access Only on Request)
Purpose
The Race Equity Community of Practice enables:
- Deepening of knowledge of dimensions of racism, taking an intersectional approach to addressing inequalities and how to implement structural change
- Robust understanding of intersectional dimensions of discrimination and harm
- Acknowledgement of harm and what healing from harm involves
- Transference of knowledge to practice, with the goal of continually working to become anti racist educators and practitioners.
- TU Dublin educators, practitioners and students as leaders in this field, contributing to the sectoral and national move away from primarily individualized understandings of racism – related to ‘good’ or ‘bad’ people – and toward understandings of racism, and other forms of harm and discrimination, as structural and requiring personal and societal transformation.
Lead Facilitators
Brid Ni Chonaill, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, brid.nichonaill@tudublin.ie
Melody Chinenyanga, Equality Diveristy and Inclusion, melody.chinenyanga@tudublin.ie
Target Membership
All Academic and Professional, Management and Support Staff
Communications and Events
Resources
Embedding Anti-Racism | TU Dublin
Purpose
Purpose
The Accredited Talent Development Community of Practice (CoP)—supported by the TU Dublin Enterprise Academy (CONVENE Human Capital Initiative) facilitates a platform for faculty, professional services and enterprise to co-develop shared capabilities in University-Enterprise Engagement (UEE) activities. This CoP will explore and highlight key UEE drivers and known challenges in order to further support, mitigate and promote UEE best practices. It will focus primarily on:
1. Talent Development: Enterprise Leaders, Enterprise-Facing Faculty and Professional Services will engage in short, curated sessions to share, explore and propose related practices
2. Learning Design: The Enterprise Voice will be amplified and examined in the context of work-integrated learning and learning design for the future L/Earner.
3. Go-to-Market Strategies: Shared learning will be synthesised to guide members and the UEE stakeholders on best and next practices to serve L/Earners with the right programmes, through the right channels with the right experience at every touch point (Friedman, 2002)
Lead Facilitator Contact
Sorcha Hyland: sorcha.hyland@tudublin.ie
Target Members
Academics and Industry Professionals in IT and Gaming, Food & Beverages, Hospitality & Tourism, and Cultural & Creative Industries.
Communications and Events
T.B.C.
Purpose
The purpose of the COP is to support the community of interested academics and practitioners to improve learning & teaching, research and next practice in the Entrepreneurship and Innovation domains in the University. The COP is essentially interested in helping to bring ‘best and next’ practice entrepreneurship and Innovation education to all Faculties in TU Dublin. This will be done in a research- informed manner and will be guided by the EU Commissions EntreComp competences framework and supported by the HCI funded initiative Growth Hub (https://www.tudublin.ie/research/innovation-and-enterprise/studententerprise/growthhub/)
By constantly improving standards of Entrepreneurship and Innovation educational practice in TU Dublin, graduates will be better equipped to deal with the increasingly VUCAH (Volatile, Uncertain, complex, ambiguous and Hyperconnected) environment that they will encounter in their future careers.
Lead Facilitator
Anthony Buckley, Head of Discipline for Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Sales, anthony.buckley@tudublin.ie
Co-Facilitators
- Paul O'Reilly, Growth Hub
- Etain Kidney, Head of School of Marketing and Entrepreneurship
- Tom Cooney, Professor in Entrepreneurship
Target Membership
Lecturers from across TU Dublin with an interest in Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Events and Communications
XXX
Resources
XXX
Purpose
SDG Literacy was established in 2020 with a common interestto empower faculty and students to co-create learning opportunities that would enhance knowledge and skills related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and build meaningful connections between the SDGs and disciplines of study.
For 2023/24 supported by the VP for Sustainability, the CoP will focus on building a broad-based capacity within the academic community for integrating ESD across the university’s programme portfolio specifically Fundamental 7 of the UET Fundamentals. The Lead and Supporting Facilitators will aim to engage a critical mass of academic staff in an SDG Literacy workshop in 2023-2024. This workshop will focus on an overview of the UN SDGs, key components of ESD derived from the evidence-based UNESCO Education for SDGs, Greencomp: European Sustainability Competence framework and TU Dublin’s Sustainability Education Framework and Toolkit. In line with Ireland’s National Strategy for ESD, staff members will also have an opportunity to build self-awareness around their own sustainability literacy through completion of the Sulitest. After completing the SDG Literacy workshop, academic staff will gain a key awareness of the SDGs and ESD and practical tools that they can implement to successfully embed sustainability into their TLA practice. They will also have the opportunity to join the SDG Literacy CoP to share LTA practices in ESD, avail of CPD opportunities and collaborate on academic scholarship. SDG Literacy will enhance its role in networking and connecting the various functional units that intersect ESD across TU Dublin, such as LTA in Academic Affairs, the Faculties, the VP for Sustainability Office, UEM and the research clusters.
Lead Facilitator
Olivia Freeman, School of Marketing and Entrepreneurship, olivia.freeman@tudublin.ie
Supporting Facilitators
Patrice Behan, Head of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Health
Shaun Ferns, Education Model Project Team Leader, Academic Affairs
Sheona Foley, School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology, Faculty of Arts and Humanities
Brian Gormley, Head of Sustainability Education, VP for Sustainability Office
Joseph Little, Head of Discipline, School of Architecture, Building and Environment, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment
Alacoque McAlpine, School of Business Technology, Retail & Supply Chain, Faculty of Business
Lucia Walsh, Sustainability Education Lead, VP for Sustainability Office
Target Membership
- Academic staff from all faculties
- Postgraduate research community
- Student Sustainability Champions
Communications and Events
MS Teams channel.
Guest Event Schedule
‘Festival of Learning’ styled event in May of 2024
Resources
- Open Education Resources (OERs), bit-sized videos, podcasts, such as lessons and workshop templates.
- Significant ESD research output including a comprehensive and diverse dissemination of knowledge through pedagogical scholarship.
Purpose
Supported by the Directorate for Sustainability, this proposed Community of Practice (CoP) aims to actively and proactively engage in discussions that reflect on the need for a new educational model that informs citizens in transforming our relationships to enable us to achieve a more inclusive and environmentally friendly society in alignment with the United Nations 2030 Agenda (Prime, 2021; UNESCO, 2018; UN, 2015; The CoP) seeks to establish a Research Living Lab dedicated to Student-Centre Learning Experiences framed on our novel concept of Circular pedagogy for EUt+.
The CoP team is supported by a strong network of academics from different disciplines to develop a learning, teaching and research environment driven by a Transdisciplinary learning, research and teaching model.
Facilitators
Lucia Morales, Faculty of Business, lucia.morales@tudublin.ie
Patrick Flynn, Head of Learning Development, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, patrick.flynn@tudublin.ie
Ciaran O'Leary, Head of Learning Development, Faculty of Digital and Data, ciaran.oleary@tudublin.ie
Geraldine Gray, Head of Discipline of IT and Infrastructure, geraldine.gray@tudublin.ie
Target Membership
All University colleagues
Events and Communications
Workshops, research events, discussion forums and research activity aiming to bring a student-centre approach to our work will be promoted here when confirmed.
Resources
TBC
Purpose
The TU Dublin definition of HyFlex delivery is: "A HyFlex module is offered in-person on-campus; synchronously online; and asynchronously online, at the same time. The students are usually* free to choose their modality from week to week or topic to topic, therefore a student can choose to be an in-person on-campus learner only, a synchronous remote learner only, an asynchronous remote learner only, or a flexible learner who exercises a degree of choice of modality each week or topic. All teaching, learning and assessment experiences are designed and delivered in an equitable manner. *There may be individual module requirements to attend mandated practical sessions as appropriate."
The HyFlex Community of Practice acts as a valuable support for staff who are interested in, or already engaging with, the HyFlex mode of delivery. Through scheduled meetings, and the use of collaborative channels in a dedicated MS Team, CoP members meet like-minded peers to discuss different pedagogical and technological approaches being taken in HyFlex classrooms across the university and beyond. It is also through the CoP that members engage in continuing professional development activites such as targeted workshops on topics of their choice and invited guest speaker webinars.
Lead Facilitator
Dr Frances Boylan, Digital Education Manager, Academic Affairs
Co-Facilitators
Dr Claire McAvinia, LTA, Academic Affairs
Dr Adrienne Fleming, School of Chemical and Biopharmaceutical Sciences
Gerard Stockil, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Target Membership
All academic and professional services staff with an interest in HyFlex delivery.
Communications and Events
The CoP has a dedicated MS Team through which all communication and discussion will be channelled. Regular topic specific workshops, practitioner exchange sessions, and guest speaker webinars are organised throughout the academic year. The guest speaker webinars are open to non-CoP members and are advertised by email to all staff.
Next event will be Sept 28th 12.30pm-1.30pm.
Resources
Purpose
The creation of a Community of Practice (CoP) for Educators of Healthcare Practitioners, supported by the Faculty of Sciences and Health, will connect all staff teaching on health-related programmes – the first of its kind within TU Dublin. This CoP will provide an interactive forum for sharing knowledge and best practice; identifying synergies and collaborative opportunities and building a shared resource for clinical practice, leveraging on the depth and breadth of expertise and experience that currently resides within distinct disciplines across Schools.
At the centre of this CoP will be the development of healthcare professionals, from student to practitioner, on our health-related programmes. The CoP will identify opportunities for interprofessional learning within our professional formation modules to enable students from first to final year to build their identity as healthcare professionals and to understand the interconnectivity of their roles within healthcare delivery for patients. This will be embedded in the first-year experience for students from all health-related programmes with themed activities focused on my identity as a healthcare professional, from student to practitioner, and understanding how their role interacts with the roles of practitioners from other health-related programmes within this CoP. Their identity and the interconnectivity of their roles will be fostered and developed through the student’s education pathway in their formation as healthcare practitioners through multi-disciplinary professional practice sessions.
Bringing all staff teaching on health-related programmes together will be central to the establishment and rollout of this CoP which will bring great opportunities for building collaboration and exchange of best practice and resources across our programmes and Schools.
Lead Facilitators
Jan Guerin, Head of Discipline of Biological Sciences, jan.guerin@tudublin.ie
Declan Hovenden, Head of Discipline of Optometry, declan.hovenden@tudublin.ie
Target Members
All staff teaching on health-care related programmes
Communications and Events
• Facilitate a ‘meet and greet’ event for healthcare practitioner educators
• Develop an MS Teams platform to share resources for healthcare practitioner education across TU Dublin
• Organise a Practice Education Workshop event (external facilitator) for all healthcare educators
• Embed the National HSCP Technology Enabled Practice Education Toolkit into our professional formation modules where appropriate
• Ensure all newly recruited healthcare educators are aligned to the CoP
Purpose
Practice-based research is any original investigation seeking to gain new knowledge from ongoing professional practice, with particular emphasis upon the current practical challenges and opportunities that it highlights. Contributions to knowledge deriving from the research may be demonstrated by outputs from the practice including artefacts such as images, music, designs, models, and digital media or other by outcomes such as performances and exhibitions (Candy, 2006).
Supported by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, this CoP will explore key issues in supporting and fostering undergraduate practice-based research and consider potential opportunities and strategies to support student engagement in research at undergraduate level. This CoP will provide opportunities for UG students to disseminate research in real-world contexts (for example via conferences, exhibitions, publications, performances, screenings, festivals, and online settings).
Lead Faciliators
Muireann O'Keefe, Head of Learning Development, Faculty of Arts and Humanities muireann.okeefe@tudublin.ie
Conor McGarrigle, Head of Research, Faculty of Research, conor.mcgarrigle@tudublin.ie
Target Members
Lecturers who teach and support practice-based based research (PBR) the schools of Art & Design, Social Sciences Law & Education, Media, Tourism and Hospitality Management, Culinary Arts and Food Technology in addition to the Conservatoire and Language Studies and architecture. Students, Alumni, Industry / Community partners and library services are also welcome to join.
Communications and Events
TBC
Resources
Future Makers Collective (www.futuremakerscollective.ie )
Click here, or on the image below to access our previous Communities of Practice SharePoint site (requires TU Dublin login).
