Modelling effective teaching and learning strategies with our teaching teams in first-year university

This paper describes some ways in which the authors have attempted to encourage all members of their teaching teams develop skills to help improve the learning environment for the students at first-year university level. The motivation has been the view that the teaching teams deserve more support and respect than merely being expected to 'pick it up along the way', 'read about it in the library' or 'teach the way they were taught'. The authors have modelled for their teaching teams the attitudes and strategies they have developed; listened to each other during discussions of complex concepts, thus encouraging collegiate sharing of information; and empowered members of their teaching team to use their own imagination, and to be comfortable trying out novel and innovative teaching strategies. The authors describe team meetings used as a model situation in which members share experiences, observations, ideas and opinions so that, with opportunities for reflection, pedagogical practices and knowledge that have been developed are used to create a 'learning community' in the teaching laboratory. These outcomes have been supported by observations of behavioural changes in laboratory sessions and tutorials and reflection on a range of evaluations over several years.