Getting Started in SoTL Jennifer Friberg, Ed.D. Bradley University Fall Forum August, 2015

Goals for this session: Participants will: Learn how to construct a SoTL research question Review methods to collect data on measurable outcomes Discuss ways to share SoTL work Consider value of SoTL work for meritorious purposes

Quick Introductions BRIEF introductions  Name Department Experience with SoTL

Calibration: What is SoTL? Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Systematic examination Focused on improving teaching or learning Disseminated beyond researcher

Where Do SoTL Questions Come From? Your own teaching and learning questions, quandaries, and wonderments Published SoTL research From application or questioning of relevant theory. From reflections and conversations with others.

Common Questions Answered by SoTL (Hutchings, 2000) What is questions investigate the student experience. How do students perceive their experience in a service learning project? What works questions investigate the effectiveness of various pedagogical approaches. Does the use of directed journal reading help students comprehend research better? Visions of the possible relate to wonderments about “what if I tried this?” How can student voices be better represented in SoTL?

Writing a SoTL Research Question What in your current teaching life could serve as the basis for a SoTL research project? Are your reflections based on: Change in teaching over time? Assessing similarities or differences across disciplines in terms of teaching and learning? A desire to assess the effectiveness of a curricular program? Are your concerns based on: an individual course? a sequence of courses? interactions across courses? Perceived student needs?

Let’s draft a SoTL research question… Do you have a reflection or concern to harness as a potential research question? Take a moment and record an idea or two to build on… Share your topic/question with those around you

How do we measure SoTL research outcomes? (McKinney, 2013) indirect static single existing quantitative direct growth measures multiple methods organic qualitative

What sort of data can be used with SOTL research? Specific data sources could include: Course portfolios Specific assignments/projects/assessments (or artifacts therein) Interviews Focus groups Questionnaires/surveys Content analysis Multi-method studies

Revisiting your SoTL question… What method or methods could help you collect the best data to answer your question? How might your eventual audience impact your decision to utilize a particular methodology to address your SoTL question?

SoTL Dissemination Outlets Most common outlets include: Cross-disciplinary SoTL research journals e.g., International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Disciplinary pedagogical journals e.g., Journal of Marketing Education SoTL and disciplinary research conferences e.g., Lilly conferences, ISSOTL, AERA SoTL/pedagogical blogs e.g., The Teaching Professor, The SoTL Advocate, Learning with Metacognition

Considerations for New SoTL Researchers IRB construction/approval Exempt/non-exempt status Confidentiality/anonymity Coercion Teacher as researcher Need for advocacy

Valuable SoTL Resources Carnegie Foundation Illinois State University SoTL website Twitter/Facebook Chronicle, Inside Higher Ed Blogs Conferences Local, regional, national, international Colleagues 

What are your questions about SoTL after our time together today?