Using the HOW2 Platform to Enhance Collaboration and Share Best Practice at York College

At York College, we are driven by a shared ambition to ensure every student receives the highest standard of education. Achieving this is not the responsibility of one individual but a collective effort. Teaching is inherently collaborative, and the success of our students depends on the consistent sharing of good practice across departments and disciplines.

One of the key enablers of this collaboration has been the adoption of the HOW2 Platform. This tool is far more than a repository of teaching techniques; it is a catalyst for fostering a culture of professional dialogue, reflection, and mutual support. In this piece, I want to explore how the HOW2 platform has helped us at York College and why collaboration is vital in large, complex institutions like ours.

In a college as large and diverse as York, where educators come from a wide range of subject areas and specialisms, it’s easy for teaching teams to work in silos. However, the most impactful teaching practices often transcend these boundaries. What works in one subject can often be adapted to work in another, provided the right structures and tools are in place to facilitate this cross-pollination of ideas.

Collaboration ensures that teaching is not static. It enables colleagues to reflect on their practice, gain inspiration from one another, and refine their techniques to meet the ever-changing needs of learners. In my role as Head of Teaching and Learning, I have seen firsthand how shared conversations and collective problem-solving can spark innovation and boost staff confidence.

However, collaboration doesn’t just happen. It requires the right conditions — a common framework, accessible tools, and a shared commitment to growth. This is where the HOW2 Platform has been invaluable.

The HOW2 Platform provides a structured yet flexible space for staff to explore, adapt, and share evidence-based teaching strategies. The visual guides are incredibly user-friendly, breaking down proven methods into clear, actionable steps. But what sets HOW2 apart is how it promotes collaboration.

At York College, we’ve embedded HOW2 into our professional development approach. Teams use the platform to:

• Share Good Practice: HOW2 acts as a common language for discussing teaching strategies. Whether a staff member is demonstrating an active learning technique or refining approaches to formative assessment, the platform provides a consistent framework that makes it easy to share and replicate success across the college.

• Learn from Each Other: HOW2 allows teams to build a collective bank of strategies tailored to our context. A lecturer in health and social care, for example, might adapt a strategy used in engineering, fostering a cross-disciplinary exchange of ideas.

• Collaborate Asynchronously: In a busy college environment, face-to-face collaboration isn’t always possible. HOW2 enables staff to engage with each other’s ideas and contributions at their own pace, ensuring that collaboration isn’t constrained by time.

The impact of HOW2 extends beyond the platform itself. It has helped to establish a culture of open dialogue at York College, where staff feel confident sharing their successes and challenges. By focusing on solutions rather than problems, HOW2 empowers educators to continually improve their practice without fear of judgment.

Crucially, the platform has also encouraged us to think about collaboration not as a ​‘nice-to-have’ but as a core element of professional development. We have seen the benefits ripple out across the college — staff feel more connected, students experience more engaging lessons, and the quality of teaching continues to rise.

The HOW2 Platform has been transformative for York College, but its success relies on one thing above all: our willingness to work together. It reminds us that no matter how experienced we are, there is always something to learn from our colleagues. By embedding collaboration at the heart of what we do, we create a college where every educator has the tools and support to succeed — and where every student reaps the rewards.

As we move forward, my challenge to all educators at York College is this: embrace the spirit of collaboration, explore the potential of the HOW2 platform, and continue sharing your expertise. Together, we can achieve remarkable things.

Luke Zwalf
Head of Teaching and Learning
York College