Scholarship Of Teaching And Learning Research Articles

Editorial 4(1)

This sixth issue of Imagining SoTL consists of a final set of papers based on presentations at the 2022 Symposium for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, with a theme of “A Decade of Imagining SoTL: Looking Back, Looking Ahead.” This was our first in-person conference since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was good to be together. This issue follows our December issue, Volume 3(2). Here, we present the remaining responses to our call for contributors to develop their Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) presentations from the conference.

Development and Assessment of Learners’ Experiences with a Virtual Reality Learning Platform: Constructivist and Experiential Learning Pedagogies in Master of Physical Therapy Curriculum

Teaching competencies for psychomotor skill development for manual handling techniques in the cervical regions is necessary for safe practice in physiotherapy. However, grasping anatomy and palpation can be challenging for students, and practice in the lab can lead to discomfort for students. To facilitate teaching and learning of this complex skill, we worked in partnership with a virtual reality (VR) industry partner who developed a customized VR application focusing on transverse ligament stress testing for manual therapy skills for Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) students. In this scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) project, eight MPT students participated in the evaluation of an innovative VR learning experience for manual therapy in the cervical spine. Students’ learning experiences with the custom virtual reality learning application were assessed using an observational study design with semi-structured interviews. Interview questions aligned with constructs that are recommended to assess learners’ attitudes toward VR environments. Student participants appreciated the usefulness of the application for studying and practicing the transverse ligament stress test and provided recommendations for enhancing the learning experience.

SoTL as a catalyst for the development of medical educator scholar identity

AbstractThis chapter explores the experiences of undergraduate medical educators with the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) and the impact it has had on their educator identity and practice.

Formalizing the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) in health professions education (HPE): A descriptive case study of a master of education degree program in HPE

AbstractThis chapter describes a blended graduate degree program, built on the principles of the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), that can serve as a roadmap for how health professions education can formalize, and advance, SoTL‐based work.

Supporting scholarly educators and SoTL at a health sciences institution: Lessons learned from a teaching and learning center

AbstractThis chapter describes a teaching and learning center's efforts to support the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) work of health science faculty. Recommendations and lessons learned are shared.

Criminalised, victimised or other? A reflexive engagement with Queer Criminology utilising a relational pedagogical approach.

Queer Criminology is a newfound area of exploration within the discipline of Criminology, which is uniquely positioned to deal with issues regarding crime and victimisation concerning those from the LGBTQIA+ community and gender diverse/minoritized groups. The field of "Queer Criminology" has become vast and expanding, having explored issues of interpersonal, structural and systematic inequality concerning those from the community and beyond. To this end, narratives of victimisation, trauma and injustice have dominated (and limited) understandings of Queer Criminology. Moreover, limited thinking has been attributed within the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL), which seeks to understand LGBTQIA+ individuals and groups-beyond binarized thinking of victimhood or criminalised. In this article, we offer the perspectives of two higher education professionals teaching Queer Criminology in a "flipped" classroom environment, which positions the learner as expert within the subject matter and utilises a relational pedagogy lens to do so. We discuss the use of our reflexive practice, as both Feminist Decolonial and Queer Criminologists. The article touches upon trauma informed approaches to teaching Queer Criminology. We offer several steps in building a coalition of learning, which can unpick the potential policy, theory, and practical tensions of teaching Queer Criminological Scholarship.

Applying an Academic Literacies Lens to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL): A Scoping Review

Scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) is central to improving teaching, enhancing students’ learning experiences and ensuring practice is evidence-based. This study explores the insights gained by applying an academic literacies lens to the results of professional development initiatives (programmes, schemes, etc.,) designed to enhance features of faculty colleagues’ SoTL skills. A scoping review was conducted on Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice (JUTLP) papers published from 2004-2023. Developing teaching practice is a central theme of JUTLP and the papers published across this timeframe provide a rich source from which to explore initial insights as a first step to potentially deeper explorations. The review identified four themes emerging from the qualitative data captured across the review sample: meaning-making together; journey of becoming; flattening of power; and context-specific identities. The analysis points to reasons why collaborative meaning-making opportunities are so valued within professional development initiatives. The academic literacies lens highlights issues of discourse, power, epistemology and identity, and consequently illuminates these collaborative moments as spaces that provide a knowledge and identity-based anchor for colleagues. This lens also stresses the destabilising and emotive nature of ‘becoming’ a pedagogic scholar. Implications of the findings are considered from an academic development perspective. Discussion centres particularly on how academic developers may work to support rather than jeopardise colleagues’ future SoTL trajectories.

Developing a framework for promoting interest and engagement of scholarship of teaching and learning for medical students

ABSTRACT Background The scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) is a field of academic research that focuses on improving learning through reflective and informed teaching. Currently, most SoTL-related work is faculty-driven; however, student involvement in SoTL has been shown to benefit both learners and educators. Our study aims to develop a framework for increasing medical students’ interest, confidence, and engagement in SoTL. Methods A student-led SoTL interest group was developed and a year-round program of SoTL was designed and delivered by student leaders of the group under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Individual post-session surveys were administered to evaluate participants’ perceptions of each session. Pre- and post-program surveys were administered to evaluate the program impact. Results The year-round SoTL program consistently attracted the participation of medical students and faculty. Survey responses indicated strong medical student interest in the program and positive impact of the program. Increased interest and confidence in medical education research were reported by the student participants. The program design provided opportunities for student participants to network and receive ongoing feedback about medical education research they were interested or involved in. Conclusion Our study provides insights for developing a framework that other institutions can reference and build upon to educate and engage students in SoTL.

Beyond the Acronym: Intersections of STEAM, Cybernetics, and Leadership Nurturing

The theoretical model presented in this study explores the transformational potential of a digital Community of Practice (dCoP) within higher education, focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) education. A dCoP serves as a virtual space for educators to exchange knowledge, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and construct meaning through discourse. Through the use of digital artifacts, a dCoP provides tangible exemplars for intersecting abstract concepts to real-world applications, thus strengthening educational experiences and outcomes. This study emphasizes the cognitive, social, and emotional skills developed through STEAM education, projecting future career growth for learners in these areas. Establishing a dCoP for teachers in higher education facilitates the transfer of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary skills to students, supporting STEAM learning and future career opportunities. Additionally, this study employs portraiture and autoethnography methodology for storytelling and cybernetic learning. The incorporation of a cybernetic mindset, presented through a theoretical Cybernetic Three-Realm Model, enriches a dCoP by addressing (1) a Canvas for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), (2) an Artist’s Palette for Authentic Artifacts, and (3) The Paints of Modalities for Learning. This theoretical construct affords a tangible framework for fostering STEAM skills and nurturing leadership development for pervasive learning within higher education dCoPs.

Using Infographics to Go Public with SoTL

There has been a call to amplify the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) and expand its reach by engaging with audiences outside the academy. In this paper, we share our journey in crossing disciplinary boundaries and creating a SoTL-informed infographic for public consumption. As the field of SoTL continues to evolve, infographics hold tremendous potential to communicate SoTL to various stakeholders, including educators, students, administrators, policymakers, and the public. We outline best practices in infographic development and the potential of infographics as a tool for taking SoTL public, emphasizing their visual appeal and effectiveness in conveying complex information. We conclude by discussing the implications of using infographics to advance SoTL communication. The efforts of our group serve as a valuable example of how infographics can be used to bring SoTL knowledge out of academia and into the public domain.

Being, knowing and doing: aligning ontology, epistemology, and axiology to develop an account of social work as practice

This article takes as its starting point reflections from social work academics at a Scottish university around persistent tensions between the nature of social work practice and the ways in which social work students and social workers talk about it. Practice (perhaps by definition) is practical, whereas how it is spoken and written about often betrays instrumental, narrow or dated clinical orientations. Picking up on the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) definition of social work as a practice-based profession and drawing on the literature around the scholarship of teaching and learning (SOTL), we seek to (re)invigorate the case for social work as practice. We argue that this offers students and practitioners a conceptual framework through which they might articulate and validate what they do. We begin by critiquing current orientations to social work. We then come on to propose a broadly Aristotelean concept of practice. We make some suggestions for how this might better orient social work to the nature and demands of contemporary professionalism. We conclude by considering the implications of our argument for social work education and practice.

Supporting faculty with SoTL through an intensive SoTL Scholars program

AbstractThis chapter describes the development, implementation, and assessment of an intensive Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Scholars program grounded in self‐determination theory. These findings provide one of the first integrations of theory into studying the impact of SoTL and can support educational developers with SoTL initiatives at their own institutions.

Exploring the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) landscape of academia: SoTL‐centric culture elements in institutions of faculty members who publish in SoTL‐focused journals

AbstractThis chapter  describes the results of a survey‐based study intended to provide insight into the existence and degree of empirical support for the elements of strong teaching cultures in colleges and universities where faculty members participate in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). The findings contribute to the larger body of literature on the importance of fostering strong teaching cultures in higher education and highlight the need for institutions to prioritize the support and recognition of faculty engaged in SoTL.

An invitation into authentic dialogue about positionality in SoTL

AbstractThis chapter draws upon duoethnographic methodology to invite readers into conversation about the complexity and importance of centering positionality in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). We suggest that self‐reflection towards positional awareness fosters ethically rooted, authentic SoTL practice, and offer related considerations that we hope can help SoTL forward in articulating, and living by, its principles of critically collegial and inclusive co‐creation.

Defining the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL)

AbstractSince its conception as a distinctive form of scholarship, the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) has evolved into a legitimized field. Despite its rapid evolution, there still exists confusion surrounding its definition and distinctions from scholarly teaching. Additionally, although it is widely recognized across many disciplines, there have been few conversations about the role of SoTL within the field of student affairs and student affairs graduate preparation programs. This article sets the foundation for this discussion. It provides an overview of the definitions and characteristics of SoTL and offers suggestions for the potential role of SoTL in student affairs.

Surfing the fourth wave: An examination of faculty motivation(s) to participate in SoTL

AbstractThe purpose of this survey‐based research study was to assess factors that higher education faculty identify as enabling and inhibiting their participation in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) across multiple U.S‐based institutions of higher education. Within the current “fourth wave” of SoTL, we identify the need for differentiated strategies to facilitate the participation of a wider range of faculty in emerging questions of teaching, learning, and scholarship.

SoTL in student affairs graduate preparation programs

AbstractIn the previous article, we defined the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) and the scholarship of practice (SoP) and identified characteristics and qualities related to these topics. In this article, we provide examples of scholars who have conducted a SoTL project related to student affairs. Each of these entries describes the project and gives us insights into why scholars choose to engage in this work and the impact of their work on teaching and learning.

Considering leadership pedagogy in creative arts education

PurposeIn the following theoretical article, the author generates a theory of Leadership Pedagogy and its connection to Creative Arts Education.Design/methodology/approachThe article analyzes Leadership Theory across three pillars: Socio-relational, Cognitive and Creative, and how these areas underscore thoughtful and caring pedagogy and inclusive teaching in undergraduate education.FindingsDrawing on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), the article advocates for a flexible, multifaceted approach to curricular design rooted in theoretical pluralism, prioritizing interdisciplinary methods to bridge theory and practice in Creative Arts Education.Originality/valueThe article concludes with implications for future research and collaboration connecting Leadership Studies and the Arts.

An attempt to cheat using GPT-4: findings, discussion and recommendations for academic staff and students

This manuscript explores the use and detection of ChatGPT artificial intelligence (AI) content, in the academic setting.  The study involves faculty and student partnership at a Higher Education Provider (HEP), examining the implications of the chatbot's use in academic writing and its potential impact on educational practice.
 We employ a dialogical approach in this Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) study, mirroring the ChatGPT conversational style.  A former student uses ChatGPT-4 to rewrite an essay, and the generated content is evaluated by free-to-use AI checking tools, Turnitin, and the module tutor.
 Our findings illustrate that while ChatGPT-4 could generate a passable assignment, it lacks depth, criticality, and contextualisation.  Further, AI checking tools, while useful, exhibit limitations. However, the generated content could serve as a starting point for students, suggesting a possible shift in the educational paradigm with AI's integration.
 The manuscript also underscores the importance of understanding and navigating AI responsibly, calling for clear guidelines for AI use and improved methods of detecting AI generated content.  While AI has emerged as an efficient tool for generating academic content, our study highlights the necessity of human-centric learning and critical thinking skills in academia, emphasising that AI should not replace personal research.  We also discuss potential changes to assessment methods in response to AI advancements, recommending strategies for both academic staff and students.
 Our findings have implications for educational institutions worldwide as AI tools become increasingly accessible, raising questions about academic integrity, pedagogical strategies, and the evolving relationship between technology and education.

The Contribution of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning through Self-reflection and Knowledge Sharing

A people-centred approach placing value on humanity is at the core of numerous democratic-led governments, and educational institutions to solve socio-economic and environmental challenges facing civilisation. This paper explored the contribution of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) in emphasising reflection and theories to enable people to improve teaching and learning and to reinforce the application of logic when addressing barriers confronting humanity. The purpose of this study was to examine the relevance of SoTL platforms using reflection and theories to improve the quality of teaching and learning by promoting intellectual and ethical virtues in human interactions. Qualitative data was generated from literature and a purposively sampled respondent group of twelve lecturers in one of the South African universities. Interviews were conducted by using an interview schedule questionnaire whilst data collected was categorised and analysed into themes. The findings revealed that SoTL encourages knowledge sharing and inspires academics to reflect on their practice by answering some of the questions that hinder effective teaching and learning and its snowball effect on improved human interactions in general. Answering complex questions relating to teaching and learning requires all parties beyond borders to share ideas, reflect, think critically, engage in research, and apply relevant theories that embed values that inform human interactions. The implication is that SoTL discourse can eliminate the silo and irrational ways of solving problems by employing inquiry and critical reflective strategies to stimulate reasoning and restore values that position humanity at the centre of governments and all human interactions. Therefore, SoTL approaches can foster intellectual decisions that can sustain the upholding of ethics and intellectual virtues and advance human dignity. Keywords: Humanity, Reflection, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Theories