We have established a community of practice (CoP) focused on improving student learning in first-year science. It is recognised that transition, whether from school to university or other possible transitions, is an issue of concern for the entire higher education sector - this has been acknowledged at Faculty and University level within University of Technology, Sydney (UTS). A group of both permanent and casual academic staff with significant membership from the wider university community such as student services staff and the central learning and teaching group of the university have met on a regular basis. The members all recognise that making the first-year experience as rewarding as possible is critical to student retention and student success. It is this common understanding that is probably the most important element in the success of the CoP. The typical format of a session is that two or three members make a short presentation, with each presentation being actively discussed by the group – the engagement of the members and the energy in the discussions are remarkable. Other factors to which we attribute the success of this CoP include: that we are working within the context of a well-established set of transition pedagogues which have been strongly promoted and supported within UTS; that the CoP is the creation of its membership and has not been commissioned from on-high; that there is institutional support for the CoP; that there is leadership and active engagement of a senior staff member; that the recently appointed academic developer in the Faculty of Science has contributed significantly to the life of this CoP.

Good CoP: A successful community of practice in a faculty of science

249th National Meeting (2015)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.