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Communities of Practice

The Office of Curriculum, Assessment and Teaching Transformation hosts Communities of Practice where you can share your best practices, tips and tricks to help create new knowledge to advance your teaching pedagogy and create inclusive learning environments for all. We encourage all members of the UB Community to share common concerns, problems and interests surrounding your teaching and research experience. 

On this page:

What is a Community of Practice?

A Community of Practice (CoP) is a social phenomenon in which individuals, through their membership in a particular community or group, participate in an ongoing social practice of mastering skills and formulating personal identities to become a sustained member of such community (Lave & Wenger-Trayner,
1991).

There are three pillars of CoP (Lave & Wenger-Trayner, 2015):

  • Domain: A Cop is typically formed by shared dedication and concern. CoPs emphasize a shared commitment and agreement of the shared understanding and abilities of others in the community. 
  • Community: Those a part of a CoP create a community to share various approaches, interventions, and practices to improve conditions for their shared topic/area of concern.
  • Practice: Members of a CoP create and share resources.
  • Engagement: Communities of Practice allow for members to engage in activities and informal discussions on personal experiences and learned knowledge from other members. 
  • Sharing of Knowledge: Through the sharing of information, members gain inspiration, support, heighten engagement in their practice and ultimately mastery of skills, CoPs also allows for members to support future efforts by generating new knowledge, strategies, and community norms.
  • Network of Peers: Becoming a member of a CoP grants members access to other knowledgeable members who participate in the same activity or profession. 
  • Collaboration: The community allows for powerful learning and collaboration as it situates learning in real and lived experiences of individuals in the community. 
  • Growth: Additionally, CoPs allows for rich interpersonal fulfillment as members are able to work through shared challenges, build connections with colleagues, and further the formation of professional identity.

Join a Community of Practice

Teaching and Learning Community of Knowledge (UB TaLCK)

UB Teaching and Learning Community of Knowledge, is a Community of Practice aimed to assist faculty with best pedagogical practices and classroom strategies.

Our Community of Practice meets via Zoom once per week to address teaching concerns, discuss classroom strategies and share resources along with best classroom strategies and practices suggested by you, for you. What better way to improve your teaching skills than by learning from fellow educators who have the same experiences as you. Utilizing resources found at UB always proves helpful, therefore our group invites and welcomes collaboration throughout UB.

Learn more about UB TaLCK

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (UB SoTL)

The scholarship of teaching and learning (SOTL) is the systematic inquiry into student learning and teaching practices in higher education (Hutchings, P., & Shulman, L. S., 1999). UB SoTL is a Community of Practice for UB instructors to discuss current and future SOTL projects. 

Our Community of Practice meets monthly to address SOTL projects, strategies, and practices. 

Learn more about UB SoTL

Teaching Assistant Community of Practice

The TA Discovery Community is a Community of Practice (CoP) aimed at supporting and developing UB’s teaching assistants, equipping them with best pedagogical practices and classroom strategies.

Learn more about the TA Discovery Community

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