Explore Evidence & Impact
What Is SoTL?
The Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (SoTL) is the systematic study of teaching and student learning with the goal of improving educational practice and sharing findings publicly through presentations, publications, and scholarly dialogue. Faculty use evidence from their own classrooms, programs, and educational initiatives to investigate questions about learning, evaluate innovations, and contribute to collective knowledge about effective teaching.
How SoTL Supports Faculty Research and Innovation
SoTL can help faculty:
- Generate publishable research from teaching innovations.
- Build a scholarly agenda around teaching and learning.
- Examine student learning using rigorous research methods.
- Strengthen evidence-based teaching decisions.
- Contribute to disciplinary conversations about pedagogy.
- Present work at regional, national, and international conferences.
- Connect with communities of teacher-scholars.
- Support departmental assessment and accreditation initiatives.
How Evidence & Impact Supports the SoTL Process
| Stage | Focus | E&I Support |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Identify Question | Clarify a teaching/learning problem | Consultation to refine research questions and scope |
| 2. Review context and literature | Connect to prior scholarship and local context | Guidance on relevant SoTL and disciplinary pedagogy sources |
| 3. Design study & obtain IRB | Choose methods; ensure ethics/compliance | Methods mentoring; IRB application feedback |
| 4. Collect and analyze evidence | Gather and interpret data | Support with survey/interview design; analysis planning |
| 5. Apply findings | Translate results into teaching/curriculum changes | Collaborative interpretation; action planning |
| 6. Share results | Go public through talks and publications | Writing support; co-authoring; presentation planning |
Let's Connect
Are you looking to turn a teaching innovation into a scholarly project or publication? Evidence & Impact can help you develop a research plan, collect meaningful data, and write up your findings in ways that contribute to the scholarship of teaching and learning.
To get started, reach out to Evidence & Impact for a brief consultation. Together, we鈥檒l shape a research plan that helps you evaluate your teaching innovation and share your work with the scholarly community.