Mentoring and coaching are primarily intended to develop "mentees," net of any benefits for mentors. This paper details the construction of a mentor-coaching model to develop leadership capability in Higher Education Academy Fellowship program mentors at an Australian university. We elaborate developmental benefits for mentors of an…

Professional learning communities (PLCs) have been used among educators in higher education as a way to address areas of concern, such as reform. One such area in higher education concerns inequities in education because they impact student learning and achievement. Faculty-driven PLCs in higher education have also been focused on ensuring that…

We present a transformative professional development project with a focus on equity, diversity and social justice (EDSJ) to raise cultural awareness among faculty, increase agency, and promote positive change through transformative projects. Twenty-three faculty members from nine different colleges located at a Research I university were provided…

Mitchell (2008) asks faculty to adopt "a 'critical' approach to community service learning" (p. 50), one that focuses on social change, redistribution of power, and the development of authentic relationships. However, the path of transformation from "traditional" to "critical" service-learning practices remains…

This paper presents analysis of evidence on the ways in which the connection between technology and scholarship supported a Community of Practice (CoP) for instructors in a Faculty of Education in Canada. The goal is to reflect on different types of pedagogical practices of CoP members. We discuss the ways in which both social learning and online…

Teacher education is a field that is often under scrutiny as a field whose professionals are underqualified or being staffed by individuals who do not care. This work explores the experiences of three teacher educators, how they came to their profession, and how they found both their communities of practice and their professional identities. Their…

To engage not only with what one thinks but also how one thinks, is to think philosophically. A student's capacity to think philosophically strengthens their ability to learn and the depth of her or his understanding. This praxis research project was aimed at developing students' capacities to 'think philosophically'. The Community of Inquiry is a…

In the spirit of exploration, this paper discusses the what, why and how of unconferencing and explores its implications as a transformative approach to faculty development in higher education. The authors define an unconference faculty development experience as: a less-structured opportunity for participants to learn and grow by sharing…

The 45th annual conference of the Adult and Higher Education Alliance (AHEA) was held virtually in March 2021. Papers in these proceedings include the following: (1) An Analysis of the Role of Communities of Practice in Transformational Learning during a Pandemic (Nighet Ahmed and Ava Tabb); (2) Using Children's Literature to Create a Culturally…

The growing ubiquity of smartphones and tablet devices integrated into personal, social and professional life, facilitated by expansive communication networks globally, has the potential to disrupt higher education. Academics and students are considering the future possibilities of exploiting these tools and utilising networks to consolidate and…

Effective communication is essential in every organization, including educational institutions. Often, members of the online community work in isolation. Collaboration across varying disciplines and departments can promote unique professional development activities and create a stronger connection to the entire online community. "Enriching…

This qualitative study examined the identity of doctoral students in their quest to become scholars. The research question asked: What impact did a Community of Practice have on the doctoral students? The findings illustrated that on the journey the participants struggled to integrate multiple identities and roles. They also refined their…

As educators and lifelong learners, we were drawn together by the question: How have we fostered our own capacity for agency, self-efficacy and risk-taking in the research practices we utilize? This paper reveals a connectivity and enabling thread that has enriched our experiences within and across our disciplinary areas. In particular this paper…

Communities of practice are emerging as an innovative approach to faculty development. While collaborative learning is becoming popular in the classroom, autonomy and individualism continue to dominate the culture of higher education for faculty. However, as we begin to recognize that old solutions to new problems are no longer effective, there is…

In this paper, I discuss the process of redesigning and teaching a mandatory, academic skill building course for students on academic probation at Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU) in Atlantic Canada. The rationale for redesigning the course was to offer an alternative curricular framework, including instructional approaches, to course…