Case studies and perspectives on the collaboration of interdisciplinary education-focused academics to foster shared practice, skill development, and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)

In Australia, the number of education-focused academics is growing in higher education (Godbold et al 2023). At Flinders University, currently, 32.2% of the workforce has education-focused (Teaching Specialist -TS) roles. The upskilling of teaching academics is critical to achieving quality learning and teaching outcomes (Godbold et al, 2023). This presentation focuses on three case studies, including colleagues’ perspectives, where teaching academics from diverse disciplines have been supported to collaborate, share best practice, develop their scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) and stretch to the next level of excellence in learning and teaching.

Case study 1 – Best practice sharing
Teaching academics share practice in learning and teaching with academics across disciplines. Inspired by Wegner’s work on the importance of communities of practice (CoP) in cultivating a TS-CoP as a collaborative environment where educators can share best practices, engage in continuous learning, and refine their teaching strategies (Wenger, 1998). They are critical in the development of support and mentorship, allowing peers to develop skills in SoTL and reducing isolation, creating a sense of belonging and community amongst teaching academics.

Academics also share best practice through an informal workshop with time scheduled for discussion and collaboration. Stakeholders from outside the university are invited to share their expertise within the workshop. An annual Celebration of Learning and Teaching event is an opportunity to share SoTL delivered at conferences throughout the year.

Case study 2 – Mentoring to support scholarship
Exploration of a mentoring model utilised to support teaching academics to develop scholarship goals and engage in collaborative SoTL. The model is underpinned by Bandura’s self-efficacy theory for an academic context (Artino, 2012). Teaching academic perspectives in relation to experiences of designing, implementing and disseminating targeted projects in a health professional discipline, will be discussed.

Case study 3 – Stretching to excellence through Accountability Groups
This case study discusses experiences and perspectives of colleagues from different disciplines supporting each other in stretching to excellence through developing senior fellowship submissions for Advance HE through institutionally sponsored Accountability Groups. This commitment not only drives our own growth but also significantly enhances educational outcomes for our students, through reflection on our scholarly approaches.

Key learnings from these four case studies and perspectives from colleagues demonstrate how interdisciplinary SoTL can foster a culture of best practice sharing, collaboration, upskilling and mentoring.