STLHE 2015

Scholarship of teaching and learning can have a positive impact on educational quality at various levels such as institutional, disciplinary, and national (Poole, Taylor, & Thompson, 2007) but little work has assessed this impact, particularly at the institutional level (Poole & Simmons, 2013; Wuetherick & Yu, 2013). The purpose of the session is therefore to build on our 2014 presentation of work in progress to discuss: How can post-secondary institutions in Canada create a crescendo in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) programs and practices such that they impact institutional pedagogical climates? We (authors for an upcoming special issue of New Directions in Teaching and Learning) will offer several institutional case studies as variations on a theme to provide examples and evidence of the potential impact of SoTL initiatives. A concerto is a piece for solo instrument and orchestra. Taking these case studies as solo lines, your role as workshop participants will be as the orchestra. In small and large groups you will draw parallels and explore distinctions in the case studies, outline challenges, and suggest recommendations for synthesized models. Your role in the concerto is to consider the merits of various practices, approaches to assessing impact, and make suggestions for resolving continuing challenges with this work such that you can implement successful practices at your own institution. 

References:

Poole, G., & Simmons, N. (2013). The contributions of the scholarship of teaching and learning to quality enhancement in Canada. In G. Gordon, & R. Land (Eds.), Quality enhancement in higher education: International perspectives. London: Routledge.

Poole, G., Taylor, L., & Thompson, J. (2007). Using the scholarship of teaching and learning at disciplinary, national and institutional levels to strategically improve the quality of post-secondary education. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 1(2). 

Wuetherick, B., & Yu, S. (2013). The Canadian teaching commons: Exploring the state of SoTL in Canadian higher education. Presented at the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning annual conference, Raleigh, October 3-5.