Developing effective student-led ‘Communities of Practice’ within, across and beyond Higher Education Institutions.

Being part of a ‘community of practice’ can increase sense of belonging and provide opportunities for personal development. Undergraduate students are often taught in very large cohorts with students from diverse backgrounds with different academic interests. My research to date in this area has involved conducting semi-structured interviews and focus groups with undergraduate and postgraduate students at different stages of their journey through academia. The themes emerging from these qualitative data sets are currently being used to guide and empower students to set up their own effective and sustainable ‘communities of practice’ (e.g. student mentoring schemes and/or discipline specific groups) within their own university, with students from other universities and with communities outside of Higher Education (e.g. schools, patients, public). This work has been funded by a David Jordan Teaching Award from the Physiological Society.

Having the ability to communicate with a group of people with shared interests can increase sense of belonging and provide opportunities for personal development. Undergraduate students are often taught in very large cohorts with students from diverse backgrounds with different academic interests. My research to date in this area has involved conducting interviews and focus groups with undergraduate and postgraduate students at different stages of their journey through academia. The similar and recurring themes are currently being used to enable students to set up their own social learning groups. This work has been funded by a David Jordan Teaching Award from the Physiological Society.