Catalyzing Teaching: The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)

Catalyzing Teaching:Catalyzing Teaching:The Scholarship of Teaching The Scholarship of Teaching and Learningand Learning (SoTL) (SoTL)

Regan A. R. GurungRegan A. R. GurungA Brief Introduction adapted from a A Brief Introduction adapted from a talk given at the 2006 American talk given at the 2006 American Psychological Association.Psychological Association.

The Study of TeachingThe Study of Teaching

Teaching ResearchTeaching Research– Action ResearchAction Research

Scholarly TeachingScholarly Teaching– Informed teachingInformed teaching

Scholarship of Teaching and Scholarship of Teaching and LearningLearning– bring to teaching the recognition bring to teaching the recognition

and reward afforded to other forms and reward afforded to other forms of scholarly work. of scholarly work.

Teacher-researchers raise Teacher-researchers raise questions about what they think questions about what they think and observe about their teaching and observe about their teaching and their students' learning.and their students' learning.

……, they also see student work as , they also see student work as data to analyze in order to data to analyze in order to examine the teaching and examine the teaching and learning that produced it" learning that produced it"

Maclean & Mohr (1999).Maclean & Mohr (1999).

The Basic IdeaThe Basic Idea

Basic DefinitionsBasic Definitions

Scholarly TeachingScholarly Teaching- Teaching that entails - Teaching that entails certain practices of classroom assessment and certain practices of classroom assessment and evidence gathering; teaching that is informed evidence gathering; teaching that is informed not only by the latest ideas in the field but by not only by the latest ideas in the field but by current ideas about teaching generally and current ideas about teaching generally and specifically in the field; and teaching that specifically in the field; and teaching that invites peer collaboration or review. (Indiana invites peer collaboration or review. (Indiana University Bloomington SoTL tutorial).University Bloomington SoTL tutorial).

Scholarship of TeachingScholarship of Teaching-- Work on teaching Work on teaching that is public, is critically peer reviewed and that is public, is critically peer reviewed and evaluated, and used and on by colleagues. evaluated, and used and on by colleagues.

A Teaching Hierarchy: A Teaching Hierarchy: Where are YOU?Where are YOU?

SoTL

Going Through Motions

TEACHINGScholarly Teaching

WHY Do SoTL?WHY Do SoTL?

Solve mysteriesSolve mysteries UnderstandUnderstand Gain perspectiveGain perspective Inform the Public/AdministrationInform the Public/Administration CATALYZE your teachingCATALYZE your teaching

– Implicit indicator of teaching focusImplicit indicator of teaching focus– Involve students in their own learningInvolve students in their own learning

Getting StartingGetting Starting

What’s my question?What’s my question? What’s been done?What’s been done?

– What’s missing?What’s missing? Replicate or Innovate?Replicate or Innovate? Design, Conduct, Assess.Design, Conduct, Assess. ImplementImplement ShareShare

The Big The Big PicturePicture Check the

literature

Implement(& Publish)

Ask the Question

Design a study

Collect Data

Scrutinize Teaching

and Learning

What Do I Focus On?What Do I Focus On?

SomeoneSomeone teaches teaches SomethingSomething to to SomeoneSomeone else else SomewhereSomewhere (Schwab, 1973) (Schwab, 1973)

TeacherTeacher– Scrutinize your assignmentsScrutinize your assignments– Evaluate your interactionsEvaluate your interactions

MaterialMaterial– Textbook evaluationsTextbook evaluations– Lesson study assessmentsLesson study assessments

StudentsStudents– How do students study?How do students study?

ContextContext PICK ONE OF THE ABOVEPICK ONE OF THE ABOVE

Challenges - Challenges - DefinitionsDefinitions What is good teaching?What is good teaching? What is learning?What is learning?

– Exam scoresExam scores– PerceptionsPerceptions– ApplicationsApplications

Major MeasuresMajor Measures

LearningLearning– EnjoymentEnjoyment– Perceived learningPerceived learning– Actual learningActual learning

Multiple choiceMultiple choice EssaysEssays

Teaching course evaluationsTeaching course evaluations

Research Design

DescriptiveAre students learning?

CorrelationalWhat’s associated

with better learning?

ExperimentalIf I do X will

students learn better?

Qualitative Quantitative

Basic DesignBasic Design

BasiBasicc

------------------ ------------ ---------- AssessAssess

Up a NotchUp a Notch

notchnotch11

ActivitActivityy

AssessAssess Post Post onlyonly

BasicBasic -------------- ------------ ---------- AssessAssess

Up another notch: Pre-Up another notch: Pre-PostPost

NotcNotch2h2

AssessAssess11

ActivitActivityy

AssessAssess22

Pre-Pre-PostPost

NotcNotch 1h 1

ActivitActivityy

AssessAssess11

ExperimentsExperiments

GpGp11

AssessAssess11

ActivitActivityy

AssessAssess22

GpGp22

AssessAssess11

XXXXXXXX AssessAssess22

XXXXXXXXXX Assess3Assess3

ActivityActivity Assess3Assess3

Remember to check if:Remember to check if:

You have measured correctly You have measured correctly (construct validity)(construct validity)

You have factored in all possible You have factored in all possible influences (internal validity)influences (internal validity)

Generalizable (external validity)?Generalizable (external validity)?– SoTL does not subscribe to the same SoTL does not subscribe to the same

rules….(see next slide)rules….(see next slide)

The teaching and learning that The teaching and learning that happens in our classrooms is often happens in our classrooms is often more qualitative that quantitative. more qualitative that quantitative.

When we study people inside their When we study people inside their own culture, we don’t try and own culture, we don’t try and generalize from a large population. generalize from a large population. We don’t look for what is replicable, We don’t look for what is replicable, reliable, or statistically valid. Rather reliable, or statistically valid. Rather we look for what’s singular, particular we look for what’s singular, particular and unique.and unique.

(Chiseri-Strater & Sunstein, 2006, pp.21).(Chiseri-Strater & Sunstein, 2006, pp.21).

ChallengesChallenges

– TimeTime– CoercionCoercion– Observer effectObserver effect – ‘‘Students as lab rats’Students as lab rats’– RandomizationRandomization

Teacher Research is Teacher Research is UniqueUnique

It uses Naturally occurring groupsIt uses Naturally occurring groups No random assignmentNo random assignment No comparison groupNo comparison group

Use same test items over consecutive yearsUse same test items over consecutive years Use similar test items over timeUse similar test items over time Compare across different instructorsCompare across different instructors

No random samplingNo random sampling entire sample usedentire sample used

No pretestNo pretest Control key factorsControl key factors

What Do You Do With What Do You Do With It?It?

Check the literature

Implement(& Publish)

Ask the Question

Design a study

Collect Data

Scrutinize Teaching

and Learning

Share it with colleagues, publish it, or just use it to teach better.

Sharing can be Informal: The KEEP Toolkit

ConclusionsConclusions

Teacher Teacher research/SoTL is research/SoTL is pragmatic pragmatic pedagogypedagogy

Scrutinizing your Scrutinizing your teaching and teaching and student learning student learning can be can be invigoratinginvigorating