Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Academics perform duties in the areas of research, teaching, social impact, and/or leadership. All of these areas are important and they deserve full recognition and appreciation. The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning is an academic activity that can be positioned between teaching and research: approaching your teaching scientifically to improve teaching and develop yourself as a teacher.
The purpose of SoTL is to give teachers insight into student learning and to develop themselves as teachers. SoTL takes place at the level of the teaching space: teachers examine their own teaching activities. A SoTL project had four basic elements.
- it draws on previous knowledge (e.g., subject matter didactic or educational science literature);
- gathers insight into student learning;
- is methodologically well thought through;
- shares results publicly.
Preferably, SoTL also involves students
A typical SoTL research question is: Evidence for teaching practice: The impact of clickers in a large first-year biology classroom environment.
The Centre for Academic Teaching and Learning organises activities to inform teachers about how to set up a SoTL project, funds educational advice on SoTL projects and shares best practices. Under 'Advice and support' you can read more about the support for SoTL activities. There is also the SIG SoTL, a community of lecturers interested and engaged in SoTL, which you can join as a lecturer.