Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Institute August 22, 2017 “The Proper Use for Several Tools” The what, why, and how of Scholarly Inquiry into Student Learning Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Institute August 22, 2017

Opening Assumptions We all start from different places We all share some common goals We all want to learn from each other We all plan to give more than we get and leave with more than we brought You came with the beginnings (at least) of an inquiry question You will leave with a better inquiry question based on an equity mindset You will encounter new ideas about data, methods, evidence, equity, and learning

Direction and Outcomes What we talk about (and don’t talk about) when we talk about scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) Why evidence-based research matters, and how it can lead to understanding and improvement of student learning How to build a cycle of inquiry that leads to understanding and improvement of student learning for significant change hands

Scholarship Described Skillful teaching Scholarly teaching Scholarship of teaching

Scholarship Described Skillful Teaching … demonstrates awareness, excitement, preparation, reflection, responsiveness, and more … fosters critical engagement and active learning … includes thoughtful assessment of learning and teaching

Scholarship Described Scholarly Teaching … informed by the latest ideas in the field … using insights and innovations about teaching and learning from the field … striving for improvement of learning and teaching for the field

Scholarship Described Scholarship of Teaching and Learning … rigorous evidence-based research conducted by teachers in their own classrooms … operates through an ongoing cycle of inquiry … seeing, gathering, and interpreting compelling evidence of student learning … peer reviewed and publicly disseminated findings and insights … influences teaching, learning, and scholarship beyond the local

Links … Start with your stories “everything is held together with stories … stories and compassion” Winter Count – Barry Lopez

How do you know?

Cycle of Scholarly Inquiry Observation – what you see (in your own class/course) leads to questions about learning Investigation – what you need to know (via your question) leads to inquiry into learning Examination – what you find (via investigation) leads to a claim about learning Validation – what you offer (investigation and examination) leads to peer review Dissemination – what you share (investigation, examination, validation) leads to understanding Observation – understanding gained through the cycle leads to more inquiry (yours and others’)

Cycle of Scholarly Inquiry Observation – students do better on quizzes when they work in small groups Investigation – what is happening when students work in small groups Examination – impact of off-topic conversation on student learning Validation – coded transcripts, interviews, and analysis with student co-investigators Dissemination – conference presentations, websites, NSF grant Observation – building on previous work through corroboration and critique

Cycle of Scholarly Inquiry Observation – seeing what you see Investigation – question and evidence gathering Examination – evidence analysis and claim Validation – testing the claim and the process Dissemination – sharing the story with others Observation – seeing what others see … taking the time ...

Cycle of Scholarly Inquiry Asks these questions: What do you want to know and will it lead to learning about student learning? What do you need to know so you can proceed, including what came before? How will you gather evidence of student learning in support of your claim? How will you determine whether your evidence is compelling and significant? Why does this inquiry need to be done, and what will change as a result? Who else needs to know about this work?

Why Scholarly Inquiry Matters “What we see, we see … and seeing is changing” Planetarium by Adrienne Rich

Why Scholarly Inquiry Matters From anecdote to evidence Learning is not easy to observe, measure, explain, and improve Improving learning takes more than tips, methods, & techniques … it requires analytical, intellectual, scholarly work The intellectual work of learning scholarship contributes to improvement Improvement in learning increases our students’ chances for success Student success is why we are here, why we do what we do

Why Scholarly Inquiry Matters From pedagogical isolation to integration The work of teachers often occurs in isolation, including inquiry and improvement Student learning usually occurs in isolation, without access to inquiry and improvement Learning questions are often equity questions, and the answers can change lives At stake is … “the quality of what our students come to understand, believe, and do on our watch” … and what we can claim about “the intelligence, skills, wisdom, and character of those whom we have educated” (Visions of the Possible, Lee Shulman)

Engaging in Scholarly Inquiry The work of the institute Diving deep into Milner, interrogating our own practices and premises Focusing our inquiry on understanding and improving student learning Working together to improve our questions, methods, and claims Examining inquiry as awareness, empowerment, resistance, stance Building the framework for the coming year with many hands

Links … Share what you learn What have I learned but the proper use for several tools?” Seeing in silence: never the same twice, but when you get it right, you pass it on. What Have I Learned by Gary Snyder

Acknowledgements