The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)

1
The Scholarship ofTeaching and Learning(SoTL)
Karl A. Smith Engineering Education Purdue
University Civil Engineering - University of
Minnesota ksmith_at_umn.edu http//www.ce.umn.edu/sm
ith Middle Tennessee State University March 2007
2
Participant Survey

• Published articles on teaching learning?
• Subscribe to teaching journals?
• Read/skim teaching journals?
• Attended teaching conferences/workshops?
• Other activity in scholarship of teaching and
  learning?

3
Scholarship Reconsidered Priorities of the
Professoriate Ernest L. Boyer

• The Scholarship of Discovery, research that
  increases the storehouse of new knowledge within
  the disciplines
• The Scholarship of Integration, including efforts
  by faculty to explore the connectedness of
  knowledge within and across disciplines, and
  thereby bring new insights to original research
• The Scholarship of Application, which leads
  faculty to explore how knowledge can be applied
  to consequential problems in service to the
  community and society and
• The Scholarship of Teaching, which views teaching
  not as a routine task, but as perhaps the highest
  form of scholarly enterprise, involving the
  constant interplay of teaching and learning.

4
Faculty involved in SOTL frame and
systematically investigate questions related to
student learningthe conditions under which it
occurs, what it looks like, how to deepen it,
etc. and do so with an eye not only to improving
their own classrooms but also to advancing
practice beyond it. What differentiates SOTL
from the ongoing self-assessment of our own
teaching is that it is public, peer-reviewed and
critiqued, and exchanged with other members of
our professional communities. Pat Hutchings
and Lee Shulman of the Carnegie Foundation
5
Scholarly Teaching and the Scholarship of
Teaching and Learning

• Scholarly teaching The instructor
• is aware of modern pedagogical developments and
  incorporates them in his/her teaching where
  appropriate
• reflects on, assesses, and attempts to improve
  his/her teaching (classroom research)
• Scholarship of teaching and learning Research,
  publication, possibly grants on work related to
  education

Shulman Hutchings
6
The Basic Features of Scholarly and Professional
Work

• The activity requires a high level of discipline-
  related expertise.
• The activity breaks new ground, is innovative.
• The activity can be replicated or elaborated.
• The work and its results can be documented.
• The work and its results can be peer-reviewed.
• The activity has significance or impact.

Adapted from Diamond R. Adam, B. 1993.
Recognizing faculty work Reward systems for the
year 2000. San Francisco, CA Jossey-Bass.
7
Basic Features of Professional and Scholarly Work

• It requires a high level of discipline-related
  expertise
• It is conducted in a scholarly manner with clear
  goals, adequate preparation, and appropriate
  methodology
• The work and its results are appropriately and
  effectively documented and disseminated. This
  reporting should include a reflective critique
  that addresses the significance of the work, the
  process that was used, and what was learned.
• It has significance beyond the individual
  context.
• It breaks new ground or is innovative.
• It can be replicated or elaborated on.
• The work both process and product or result is
  reviewed and judged to be meritorious and
  significant by a panel of ones peers.

Diamond, R., The Mission-Driven Faculty Reward
System, in R.M. Diamond, Ed., Field Guide to
Academic Leadership, San Francisco Jossey-Bass,
2002
8
Guiding Principles forScientific Research in
Education

1. Question pose significant question that can be
   investigated empirically
2. Theory link research to relevant theory
3. Methods use methods that permit direct
   investigation of the question
4. Reasoning provide coherent, explicit chain of
   reasoning
5. Replicate and generalize across studies
6. Disclose research to encourage professional
   scrutiny and critique

National Research Council, 2002
9
(No Transcript)
10
(No Transcript)
11
http//www.carnegiefoundation.org/CASTL/highered/i
ndex.htm (Accessed 9/21/04)
12
Conducting Rigorous Research in Engineering
Education Creating a Community of Practice (RREE)

• NSF-CCLI-ND
• American Society for Engineering Education
• Karl Smith Ruth Streveler
• University of Minnesota
• Colorado School of Mines

13
Rigorous Research in Engineering Education

• Summer Workshop - Initial Event for year-long
  project
• Presenters and evaluators representing
• American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)
• American Educational Research Association (AERA)
• Professional and Organizational Development
  Network in Higher Education (POD)
• Faculty funded by two NSF projects
• Conducting Rigorous Research in Engineering
  Education (NSF DUE-0341127)
• Strengthening HBCU Engineering Education Research
  Capacity (NSF HRDF-041194)
• Council of HBCU Engineering Deans
• Center for the Advancement of Scholarship in
  Engineering Education (CASEE)
• National Academy of Engineering (NAE)

14
Engineering Education Research
Theory
Research that makes a difference . . . in theory
and practice
Research
Practice
15
Research Inspired By
Use (Applied)
No Yes
Yes Pure basic research (Bohr) Use-inspired basic research (Pasteur)
No Pure applied research (Edison)
Understanding (Basic)
Stokes, Donald. 1997. Pasteurs quadrant Basic
science and technological innovation. Wash, D.C.,
Brookings.
16
Why do SoTL?

• Fosters significant, long-lasting learning for
  all students
• Enhances practice and profession of teaching
• Brings facultys work as teachers into the
  scholarly realm.

CASTL project purposes httpwww.aahebulletin.com
17
Types of Questions

• Instructional Knowledgecomponents of
  instructional design
• Pedagogical Knowledgestudent learning how to
  facilitate it
• Curricular Knowledgegoals, purposes rationales
  for courses or programs

18
3 types of reflection within each form of
knowledge

• ContentWhat should I do
• ProcessHow did I do
• PremiseWhy does it matter

19
Examples for process reflection

• How did I (we) do at
• Course design, methods assessing effectively?
  (instructional)
• Facilitating student knowledge? Was I
  successful? (pedagogical)
• Arriving at goals rationale for courses?
  (curricular)

20
Think-Pair-Share

• Are you interested in developing a SoTL project?
  Why-why not?
• If yes, what question(s) would you explore?
• What organizational challenges do you face?