Association for Dental Education in Europe

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COP FAQs

A Community of Practice is a group of individuals with a common interest who would like to share and develop new knowledge and expertise for the benefit of individuals and organisations across the ADEE membership. A steering group of 3-5 motivated members will co-lead the COP who have appropriate expertise and will engage with the broader membership both at the AGM and during the year. This will be guided by their agreed aim, objectives and outcomes.

A minimum of 2 online meetings per year will be held to exchange ideas in relation to education practice, research or policy etc. It is anticipated that COPs will be able to deliver possible publication through ADEE website/conferences and Journal however a main goal is the professional development of the COP membership.

The aim is to provide new avenues for members to interact both at the AGM and across the year through online and face to face “meetings” facilitated by agreed aim, objectives and outcomes. The COP will allow horizontal and vertical engagement from members to support knowledge sharing and professional development in key areas of dental health care education, research or policy.

Any member of ADEE institutional member with an interest and demonstrating a proven expertise in the chosen area can make an application to start a COP.

The following information needs to be included:

  • the name of the COP and a short CV of experience and expertise;
  • topic for COP and draft aim and objectives:
  • outline of potential benefits and how it impacts local or regional ADEE member.

Please send your email to administrator@adee.org

A COP chair will draft the initial aim and objectives for submission to the COP guidance group (members from ADEE executive and established COP chairs) for feedback and approval. They will chair and present the ideas to the COP steering group for possible revision. The COP chair will co-lead the COP along with the COP steering group members. For more details see the terms of reference document.

Invitations to join a COP steering group will be sent out to members via newsletter or emails with the draft aim and objectives from the COP chair. Applicants will need to submit a letter of interest outlining their experience and how they can contribute to the COP along with a short CV. Members of the COP steering group will co-lead the COP and ideally will have representation from different regions or languages. Applications will be presented by the COP chair to the COP guidance group overseeing all the COPs and in turn applicants will be notified if successful.

The COP steering group will comprise of 3-5 members that are ideally from different regional/language backgrounds and be actively involved with the COP. Members will revise the COP aim and objectives and draft the outcomes with the COP chair. They would be required to attend meetings, co-lead the COP with the chair or contribute to sub-themes in the COP over the year and at the AGM. For more details see the terms of reference document.

A notice to join a COP will be sent out by the steering group and you can contact them to join and be notified of their activities. At the first meeting you will have the opportunity to discuss and revise the aims, objectives and outcomes.

You may give comments, feedback on the proposed aim, objectives and outcomes and be actively involved with the COP and its sub-themes. You may be able to be a co-chair of a sub-theme of the COP and chair one in your own language if you have sufficient interest.

You may could covert a SIG to a COP given sufficient numbers/interests. You would need to identify a COP chair and make the application as outlined above.

Communities of Practice

Special Interest Group

Year-round engagement – formally minimum of 2 meetings a year (online or AGM). Use of online platform to support engagement.

Usually during AGM meetings only.

Defines aims, objectives and outcomes that may be publishable.

Focused goal(s) with specific outcomes ideally published in EJDE

Open call to select steering group who co-lead the COP themes with support through the membership.

Networked core team who guide direction of the SIG.

Content and process outcomes both vertically and horizontally engaged within the COP of members and across all the ADEE membership.

Content and outcomes vertically distributed between SIG to membership and publishable (EJDE).

Top down and bottom up input on agreed aim, objectives and outcomes by COP membership.

Core team direction on agreed goals/agenda with Exec Committee.

Aim to improve knowledge, skills and horizontal sharing of members of the COP and its sub-themes.

Aim to improve knowledge and insights on specific domain area to membership and beyond.

Members of COP can form specialist subgroups if sufficient interest that may be regional or language based.

Members of SIG can have input into SIG outcomes.

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