Abstract
The University of Worcester (UW) supports a diverse student body, including high proportions of mature, first generation, and neurodiverse learners. In 2023, recognising fragmented approaches to study skills, Library Services established the Study Skills Community of Practice (CoP) to create a more consistent, collaborative, and pedagogically grounded model for embedding information literacy and academic skills across the student journey.
The CoP was intentionally designed as a cross-institutional network, bringing together 20 academic and professional services colleagues. Guided by Wenger’s (1998) dimensions of practice, the group developed sustained engagement, shared accountability and institutional alignment. The CoP’s shared leadership model, co led by the Head of Library Academic Engagement and a Senior Lecturer from Education, drew on transformational leadership principles (Bass & Bass, 2008) to empower members, distribute ownership, and cultivate a supportive environment for experimentation and innovation.
This collaborative structure enables staff to break down silos and create a coordinated approach to study skills. Regular reflective discussions, peer observation, and resource sharing sessions help members explore common challenges, align priorities, and develop a collective understanding of students’ needs, particularly those relating to transition, digital confidence, academic writing, and information literacy. The CoP has also become a professional learning space, supporting staff development around Universal Design for Learning (CAST, 2024), inclusive pedagogies, and scaffolded skills development.
One of the CoP’s major impacts has been its role in catalysing institutional change. Its outputs - including resource development, workshops, curriculum embedded materials, and recommendations for course teams - are now influencing key governance structures. For example, the CoP’s work feeds directly into the Retention Strategy Steering Group and the Access and Participation Steering Group, ensuring that information literacy and study skills are recognised as essential components of student success. Engagement from course leaders has been strong, with 83% reporting that they signpost students to CoP developed study skills materials.
A significant output of the CoP is the interactive Study Skills Portal, which illustrates how the CoP operates in practice: through co creation, shared expertise, and responsiveness to student feedback. Insights from a “Students as Academic Partners” project, positioning students as leaders (Cook Sather & Matthews, 2023) and including feedback from over 700 learners, informed both the design and direction of CoP activities. The portal’s success, along with high levels of student engagement in the CoP-led “Study Skills Live” sessions, highlights the value of staff–student partnership within the community’.
Beyond its practical outputs, the CoP has become a strategic driver for embedding information literacy as an institutional priority. It has prompted wider adoption of the Library’s Learner Journey Toolkit, integrated in course approval processes to ensure long term sustainability. The CoP’s collaborative model and institution wide influence have been recognised through a UW Team Teaching Award in 2026 and we have received UW’s AdvanceHE CATE nomination for collaborative teaching excellence.
This presentation will explore the development of the Study Skills CoP, its role in leading cross-institutional collaboration, and practical strategies for leveraging CoPs to embed information literacy and study skills across the curriculum.
References
Bass, B. and Bass, R. (2008) The Bass handbook of leadership: Theory, research, and managerial applications (4th ed.) New York: Free Press.
CAST (2024) UDL Guidelines. https://udlguidelines.cast.org/
Cook-Sather, A. and Matthews, K.E. (2023) ‘Practising Student Voice in University Teaching and Learning: Three Anchoring Principles’. Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 20(6), pp. 1-11. Available at: https://open-publishing.org/journals/index.php/jutlp/article/view/686/686
Wenger, E. (1998) Communities of practice: Learning, meaning and identity. Cambridge University Press.
