Talking with colleagues

Of course much discussion about teaching takes place informally within schools in the corridors and coffee bars. More formalised opportunities to discuss teaching practice are also made available within the University and across the sector. 

University-based

• Teaching and Learning Network (login required): open to all staff for discussion of teaching-related policy in the University.
• Senior Tutors' Network (login required): for Senior Tutors in each school to discuss issues of common interest.
• E-Learning seminars: regular meetings to discuss examples of using e-learning in schools. Contact the Learning Technology section in IS to find out more.
• Central Short Courses: Learning and Teaching events offering a chance to compare practice and test out new ideas with colleagues

Sector wide

• HE Academy: runs an annual conference, generic and discipline-specific events
• JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee): for events covering any aspect of the use of IT in higher education
• ALT (Association for Learning Technology): for elearning-oriented events, including online seminars (webinars)
• JISC mail lists: email groups for discipline-specific and generic issues
• discipline-specific institutions and bodies?

Online forums and social media allow professionals to reach out to like-minded people within and beyond the institution and having such a network accessible online via a forum, a blog network or on Twitter is a huge advantage and saves time. Professional social networks such as the Open University's Cloudworks provide the opportunity to gather information on and discuss niche topics in teaching and learning.

The shared experience of my peers in online communities is an invaluable source that feeds into my work. The ELESIG [Evaluation of Learners' Experiences of Elearning community of practice] webinars have been a particularly good place to hear the ideas and opinions from both speakers and participants, providing information I can build on and adapt in my own work, and ultimately feedback into the community.