Chris Powis

Chris Powis is Learning Support Co-ordinator at the University of Northampton, UK, wherre he has strategic responsibility for teaching and learning within the Department of Information Resources and Services. He is well known in the UK as a speaker and trainer on many aspects of the work of the information professional in learning and teaching, and has also written a number of articles and book chapters on the subject. He co-authored with Jo Webb (see below), 'Teaching information skills: theory and practice" published by Facet. In 2004 he was one of the first two librarians to be awarded a £50,000 National Teaching Fellowship by the Higher Education Academy in recognition of his contribution to the enhancement of the student learning experience. Chris is a Charterered Librarian, and also has a BA and MA in History as well as a Master's degree in librarianship and a teaching qualification for university staff.

Jo Webb

Jo Webb is Academic Services Manager at De Montfort University in Leicester, UK. Like her collaborator, Chris Powis, she has strategic responsibility for subject and learning support services across the university library service. She is also a university Teacher Fellow, with a role as a change champion for best practice in teaching and learning support across the institution. Jo is Vice Chair of University, College and Research Group of CILIP: the Chartered Insitute of Library and Information Professionals. She has written on academic library management and staff development, as well as co-authoring 'Teaching information skills' with Chris Powis. Jo read Modern History at Oxford and holds an MBA and MLib as well as being a Chartered Librarian. Jo is also a National Teaching Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy. Her current professional interests include research support (she is working on a book in this area) and reading engagement in university education., which she is researching as part of her national teaching fellowship work.

Building a Teaching Team

Chris Powis, University of Northampton (UK) and Jo Webb, De Montfort University (UK)

workshop 3 / Wednesday, May 10 / 1:00 - 4:00

Conventionally, the focus for much of our personal training and development as teachers relates directly to the processes of design, delivery and evaluation of teaching. Yet, we suggest, even greater strides in quality enhancement and learning effectiveness can be achieved by developing a mindset, or arguably a culture, that enables the development of reflective, action-centred practice and the establishment of a true 'teaching team'.

This workshop will explore strategies to enhance skills development, foster collaboration with stakeholders in the learning process and build a shared teaching culture. The session will start by exploring the opportunities and constraints facing us: including our own biases and misconceptions. By emphasizing the experiences of members of the group, individual perspectives and organisational differences will be highlighted and discussed constructively.

Skills development, including induction, mentoring, peer support and CPD, will be examined in the context of developing individual and group knowledge, skills and competences. Strategies for collaboration and engagement across libraries, organizations, sectors and outside of the library and information world will be explored, as will the value of developing local and international communities of practice. A key objective of the workshop will be to develop a strong sense of 'professionalism' in practice as learning and teaching professionals, helping to cement information literacy within our institutions.

The workshop facilitators are academic librarians working in UK universities. As well as their library roles, they are both identified as institutional change agents in learning and teaching and are active in professional organizations. They are also both National Teaching Fellows, a £50,000 award for excellence open all staff teaching or supporting learning awarded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England. They are the authors of Teaching Information Skills: theory and practice (Facet, 2004).