The HEA Centre for Biosciences ran a session on pedagogic research at University of Leicester on 24 March 2009. Our twittering fraternity were out in force (@cjrw, @ajcann, @cwells1, @jon_scott) were all there and I am sure there will be other blog entries from some of them on the meeting. Unfortunately you will only get half the story here, as I had to leave just as it was getting interesting to collect the kids.

We had presentations on a wide range of topics, from the mysteries of social science research methodologies by Bonnie Green, with surely some made up terms in there (bemtology anyone?!) to case studies of practitioners looking at their own work in pedr in the biosciences. We tagged the meeting (#cfbres on delicious and twitter) and Alan invited the other participants to join our community of practice online.

As with most face to face events, the main benefit was in the networking and talking with people at the meeting. One of the feelings I was left with, was how can we harness this community of practice to greater effect? And what effect do we want to have? Is it solely to improve the teaching and learning for our students, or is part of it to improve the status of teaching and learning for ourselves?

There were two other home truths that beginning to dawn on me. Firstly, we need to stop moaning about educational research being impenetrable and just get on and get to grips with it (Paul Orsmond thought that we could do it if his second year undergraduates could!) and secondly, we need to write some grants and get in some money.  Unfortunately end-of-term-itis has hit and I need to make a calendar note to come back and read this post and put these into action when vim and vigor return!