3. WIHEA and Communities of Practice: Building Networks That Last

In this episode of Inside WIHEA, Dr Tom Ritchie⁠ speaks to Professor Caroline Elliott, Professor of Economics and Academic Director for the Social Science Connect project at the University of Warwick. Caroline is a WIHEA alumna, having been a fellow from 2021 to 2024, during which time she co-chaired learning circles on teaching award and recognition and on digital education and technologies for teaching and assessment.Caroline shares the story of the Economics Network - a subject-specific community of academics now over 25 years old - and how her time in WIHEA deepened her confidence in bottom-up, community-led approaches to educational development. She reflects on how WIHEA's ethos of trusting individuals to bring ideas forward influenced her approach to the Economics Network, from the growth of regional networks to the long-term nurturing of early career academics from GTA workshops through to executive membership.The conversation explores research Caroline has been involved in on the careers of teaching-focused economists across the UK, US, and Canada, including the challenges of navigating promotion criteria, job security, and what scholarship of teaching and learning actually means in practice. Caroline also reflects on the parallels between disciplinary communities and institutional ones, and what it means to find people who share your passion for student learning.Caroline finishes with an open invitation to anyone thinking about building their own subject-specific network or community of practice, and the encouragement that pushing on this door is very rarely pushing alone.Inside WIHEAExploring educational excellence through genuine collaboration between staff and students.A University of Warwick WIHEA PodcastThis podcast series was developed by Dr Tom Ritchie in partnership with the ⁠⁠Warwick International Higher Education Academy (WIHEA)⁠⁠. WIHEA is the UK's first institutional academy dedicated to advancing learning and teaching excellence through meaningful partnerships between educators and students, all united by their commitment to 'Learning Beyond Boundaries.'This podcast is designed to take listeners behind the scenes of WIHEA's transformative work, sharing the stories, strategies, and successes that are reshaping higher education. We want to showcase the collaborative innovation happening at the University of Warwick to inspire educators, students, and institutions worldwide.Join each month for in-depth conversations with WIHEA Fellows, alumni, and partners as we explore:Learning Beyond Boundaries: How cross-disciplinary collaboration enhances student opportunities. Innovative Pedagogies: From compassionate teaching to AI-enhanced education. Partnership in Practice: Real stories of staff-student collaboration and co-creation. Global Connections: How WIHEA's work influences higher education internationally.If you want to join the podcast as a guest or learn more about WIHEA, contact ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠.