Fostering a Culture of Innovation through a Faculty Learning Community

Workshop at the Spring Workshop of the Educational Technology Users Group, Vancouver, CanadaOver the past two years, faculty from different academic areas at Capilano University have participated in two separate year-long faculty learning communities (FLCs). Led by an experienced facilitator, each group of 8-10 participants meets about every 3-4 weeks to discuss pedagogical challenges, strategies, and goals while reading literature from the scholarship of teaching and learning. Along the way, the groups have developed a strong sense of trust and community (e.g., as evidenced by high levels of personal disclosure and the extension of these groups beyond their 1 year mandate). The strengths of this cross-disciplinary approach to addressing teaching and learning challenges as well as fostering a culture of reflective teaching and pedagogical innovation at the university will be discussed