AEFIS Academy encompasses the components of Communities of Practice (CoP), and enables educational leaders to learn, teach, collaborate and innovate together, despite the distance, using the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the community to address challenges, engage in research projects, share stories and try out new strategies of pedagogy, assessment, and authentic lifelong learning.
“Recent studies of teachers’ learning suggest that when teachers study and reflect on their work and connect it to research and theory, they are better able to identify areas needing improvement, consider alternative strategies for the future, and solve problems of practice” (Darling-Hammond, 2006, p. 103). Developed and put into practice by Etienne Wenger (1998) “A community of practice is a group of people—either formally or informally bound—who engage in and identify themselves with a common practice,” (Dennen, V. P. & Burner, K. J., 2007, p. 428).
AEFIS Academy takes on the life of a community of practice for educational leaders through its opportunities to connect, share out ideas, align in best practices, discuss concerns and identify strategies for solving today’s problems facing higher education. We engage in communities of practice through four main practice areas, all accessible through the “Practice” tab on the home page:
LEARN. Participate in learning activities, on-demand webinars, self-guided curricula, best practice guides, and more.
TEACH. Teach what you love! Share your knowledge and experience with your community, and help others.
COLLABORATE. Engage in communities of practice events, activities, and discussions with colleagues and friends.
INNOVATE. Harness the power of innovation by working with other academic leaders who bring different perspectives from their various roles in higher education.
AEFIS Academy engages all types of learners at any point in their career; thought leaders in assessment, administration, curriculum, student affairs, registrar, life design, and instructional technology, and bring a unique perspective to the community of practice. Through events intentionally designed to enlist leaders as presenters, storytellers, and champions at their institutions, the community contributes expertise, enabling leaders to support leaders and faculty to support faculty.
Let’s do awesome things together.
