What is SoTL?
SoTL stands for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. It involves an ongoing cycle of systematic inquiry using discovery, observation, reflection, and evidence-based methods to research effective teaching and student learning. The process and results are reviewed by peers and shared with colleagues. SoTL is practiced by faculty, advisors, and staff at colleges and universities around the world, and its findings contribute both locally and globally to understanding and improving teaching and learning.
Is SoTL for me?
We all have questions about our educational practices. Often, we ask those questions privately, explore them in isolation, and have gut feelings about their answers and implications. In SoTL, we have the opportunity to bring our private practice of inquiry into a supportive community for systematic exploration, reflection, and application.
If you have ever…
- tried something new in your classroom or advisement practice and wondered why it worked (or why it didn’t),
- had a hunch about where your students were stumbling or succeeding but wanted a more methodical way to explore their learning, or
- had any other curiosities about teaching, advising, or student learning that you would like to explore in a systematic way within a supportive community,
…then SoTL is for you!
Register Now!
To view and sign up for one of our series, click the link above and sign-in with your SFID number and eStaff password.
What can I expect from SoTL at SF?
SoTL at SF is a learning community of faculty, advisors, and staff interested in improving student learning and engagement by using Action Research for systematic inquiry into educational practices. We use a hybrid design of Canvas modules and face-to-face workshops for interacting in our learning community and going through the Action Research process. We guide you through the steps of
- selecting a focus,
- devising a research plan,
- taking action,
- collecting and analyzing data, and
- reflecting and sharing the results.
Participants who complete a project write a paper that contributes to our SoTL at SF repository and can potentially be shared publically at conferences or in journals.
When can I get involved in SoTL at SF?
Anytime. Typically, participants design a project one semester and implement it the next, but the group is open to anyone at any time. Just contact Leslie (contact information below).
Furthermore, there is no limit on how many projects you can do, and we encourage ongoing participation. Often, finishing one project leads to new questions and opportunities to explore yet another aspect of teaching and learning.
With each new cycle of action research, we not only enhance our own educational knowledge and skills, but we also deepen and broaden the experience and expertise of our SoTL at SF learning community. Collectively and continuously, we develop scholarly resources and opportunities to enhance student learning and engagement.
