CQUniversity academics are being coached to 'share their passion' through Communities of Practice, known as CoPs.

Rather than relying on web blogs or online wikis alone, the CoPs concept is to get people together for food and fellowship to share a 'creative space', sometimes with an invited speaker.

ALTC Teaching Fellow Dr Jacquie McDonald (centre) is welcomed by Associate Professor Peter Reaburn and Di Merrick from the Office of Learning and Teaching

Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) Teaching Fellow Dr Jacquie McDonald recently visited to pass on the University of Southern Queensland's good practice with CoPs, which has been commended by the Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA).

"The meetings can be informal and sometimes more structured but by building their CoP, they're building their community, they're sharing their practice and they're growing their knowledge," Dr McDonald said.

"CoPs create a social fabric for learning - to share practice and build capacity, use each other as sounding boards and build on each other's ideas."

Dr McDonald was hosted by CQUniversity's Office of Learning and Teaching.

More details on Communities of Practice developing at CQUniversity are available from Associate Professor Peter Reaburn via p.reaburn@cqu.edu.au or 07 4923 2621.