Abstract
This case study details the development of a national network for mathematicians teaching undergraduate mathematics in Australian universities and the subsequent emergence of a community of practice. The network was intentionally established to build and support the leadership capacity of mathematicians who coordinate first-year mathematics subjects. To achieve this, events were held that focused on sharing knowledge, experiences, high quality resources and establishing supportive connections with colleagues. In the course of these activities, it became apparent that a fledgling community of practice existed with the development of a strong sense of identity and recognition of common challenges across institutional boundaries. The community leadership evolved over time, taking on roles from facilitation to advocacy on behalf of the network’s members, forming a group identity and sense of purpose. This case study illustrates the potential for a discipline-based, cross-institutional community of practice to support individuals in their development as change agents and to provide a platform from which national issues in higher education can be tackled.
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Notes
- 1.
The project was led by The University of Melbourne and included members from Curtin University, The University of Sydney and The University of Adelaide.
- 2.
Chemnet, VIBEnet, CUBEnet, AMSLaTNeT.
- 3.
The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers, the Office of Chief Scientist, Australian Council of Deans of Science, and the Institute of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education.
- 4.
Articles reporting on and publicising FYiMaths events appeared in HERDSA news, the AustMS Gazette and Inspiring Australia website.
- 5.
Leaders of networks need to fulfill roles as a; visionary, shepherd, governor, team leader and communicator.
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Acknowledgments
We would like to acknowledge the mathematics educators across Australia and New Zealand who generously supported the FYiMaths project and network. We would also like to acknowledge the invaluable contributions made to the network by Professor John Rice (Executive Director of the Australian Council of Deans of Science), Associate Professor Manjula Sharma (Director of the Institute of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education) and Professor Carmel McNaught (Emeritus Professor of Learning Enhancement, Chinese University of Hong Kong). We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching for funding the FYiMaths project.
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King, D., Cattlin, J. (2017). Building a Network and Finding a Community of Practice for Undergraduate Mathematics Lecturers. In: McDonald, J., Cater-Steel, A. (eds) Implementing Communities of Practice in Higher Education. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2866-3_3
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