Developing a pan-university professional learning community

Professional learning communities (PLCs) support students’ learning in pre-tertiary education, but have not been sufficiently explored at the tertiary level. Drawing on the literature on PLCs across broader educational contexts, we explore the development of a PLC within our University using analysis of survey responses and through document analyses. Key themes from our data collectively reveal the core features of our evolving PLC – Building community; Ground-up design; Creating a safe space – and demonstrate both the broader impacts of the community and the on-going challenges faced as we seek to develop a sustainable PLC. Recommendations for academic developers interested in the development of PLCs within their contexts are offered.