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Faculty Mentoring Networks: A Community of Practice for Educators

What is a faculty mentoring network?

A Faculty Mentoring Network (FMN) is a structured, collaborative group of educators working together to develop and implement innovative teaching strategies FMNs provide a supportive environment for faculty to share experiences, discuss challenges, and refine teaching approaches. In the context of Nanopore sequencing an FMN can help educators navigate the integration of real-world genomics research into their classrooms.

FMNs are an example of a Community of Practice (CoP)—a group of people who share a common concern or passion and learn how to improve their practice through regular interaction. CoPs are particularly valuable in education, where faculty may need to acquire new technical skills such as those required for bioinformatics and hands-on sequencing experiments.

Why Join a community of practice?

Educators new to Nanopore sequencing and/or bioinformatics may feel overwhelmed by the breadth of technical knowledge required. A Community of Practice, such as a Faculty Mentoring Network, provides:

  • Collaborative Learning – Educators can share lesson plans, sequencing protocols, and troubleshooting strategies.
  • Expert Guidance – Experienced mentors provide step-by-step support, making it easier to overcome technical barriers.
  • Peer Support – Networking with colleagues facing similar challenges fosters a sense of community and shared growth.
  • Classroom Implementation Strategies – Participants can discuss best practices for integrating sequencing and genomics into undergraduate education**.
  • Resource Sharing – Members often gain access to teaching materials, datasets, and computational tools developed by the group.

Additional Reading

Adams, S., Tesene, M., Gay, K., Brokos, M., McGuire, A., Rettler-Pagel, T., & Swindell, A. (2023). Communities of Practice in Higher Education: A Playbook for Centering Equity, Digital Learning, and Continuous Improvement. Every Learner Everywhere. https://www.everylearnereverywhere.org/resources/communities-of-practice-in-higher-education/.

The Nanopore Faculty Mentoring Network

The Nanopore FMN, hosted on QUBESHub, is designed to support educators who want to bring Nanopore sequencing into their classrooms**. Participants in this FMN will:

  • Gain hands-on experience with MinION sequencing and data analysis.
  • Work with mentors and peers to design classroom-friendly experiments
  • Develop teaching modules that can be adapted to different learning environments.
  • Explore strategies for data analysis, storage, and management in an educational setting.

For the latest updates on upcoming mentoring opportunities visit the **Nanopore Faculty Mentoring Network page. We also suggest joining the Slack discussion using this invitation link.

Joining a FMN is an excellent way to enhance professional development, collaborate with peers, and build confidence in bringing cutting-edge genomics into undergraduate and high school classrooms.