Table of Contents

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

Information for specific audiences:

Current CoPs

A Community of Practice (CoP) is a group of faculty members who have a common interest or challenge and who collaborate over an extended period to share ideas, find solutions, and explore innovations. Typically, a CoP will meet for one hour several times a semester. Meeting topics are selected by the participants with the guidance of a facilitator. Each CoP is a cohort program, so participants should plan to meet 5 times during the semester to engage in focused, critical discussions.

To join a Community of Practice or to start a new one, please call or email the CTE at cte@sc.edu or 777-8322.

CoP for Using an iPad to Enhance Teaching

Faculty who are currently using an iPad to support their teaching are invited to join this Community of Practice.

Participants in this particular CoP will share iPad apps and strategies that they find helpful to their teaching, discuss workload management strategies associated with an iPad, and more. Faculty will learn from each other what works and what doesn’t, and will be encouraged to work together to define uses for iPad technology in and out of the classroom.

Participants will meet two or three times during the semester to exchange ideas and address common challenges. Meetings will be facilitated by an experienced iPad user. However, please know that these are not workshops or seminars; they are facilitated discussion sessions with peers. Joining this CoP indicates an intent to participate in all sessions.

CoP for the Opportunity Scholars Program

In partnership with the TRIO Opportunity Scholars Program (OSP), this CoP supports faculty who teach undergraduates who are low income, first generation college students. This CoP is focused on how to best meet the needs of these students. The CoP encourages discussion between faculty who have worked with these students currently, in the past, and in the future. TRIO administrators and senior faculty in various departments that offer OSP courses develop meeting topics to provide insight into the needs of these students and that also identify effective instructional practices associated with particularly disciplines. Local faculty, TRIO professionals, and consultants facilitate CoP sessions. Shared strategies can provide insight to greatly improve the effectiveness of approaches for teaching these students.

Past CoPs

CoP for Teaching On-line
2008-2009

Faculty who are new to or consider teaching online, or who want to improve their skills, are invited to join this CoP. Participants will learn workload management strategies, investigate institutional support for online learning, design effective learning modules, and develop skills to create community and active engagement in e-learning.

Service Learning
2007-2009

The Service Learning CoP addresses the topic of service learning as a teaching strategy into academic courses. Some members have experience integrating service learning into courses. Others may be just getting started or finding out more. Community members will plan to meet five times during the Spring 2009 semester to share ideas.

Past topics can be viewed below:

SoTL CoP
2007-2009

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) involves systematic study of teaching and/or learning and the public sharing and review of such work through presentations or publications. This CoP was intended to help faculty interested in SoTL to improve their ability to do it. Click here for more information.

Teaching Students with Disabilities
2008-2009

Faculty who teach students who are blind were invited to join in a discussion about how to best meet the needs of these students. The CoP encouraged discussion between faculty who had worked with students who are blind in the past and faculty with similar students in current and future-term classes. Shared strategies provided insight to greatly improve the effectiveness of approach with these students.

Other important links:

Columbia, SC 29208 • 803-777-8322 • cte@sc.edu