Academic & Digital Development

We begin our SoTL journey this year with reflection. This is a ‘bigger picture’ reflection in which we each take time to look back at our previous learning, teaching and SoTL activities and consider how we would like to engage in SoTL during the upcoming semester and academic year. The session will begin with a consideration of what SoTL is, in order to remind ourselves, and will be followed by a discussion about some of the possible types of SoTL projects that practitioners might undertake, either individually or in collaboration with others. Register

The focus of our SoTL journey this month is identification. How do we decide which themes and topics we would like to explore through our SoTL enquiry? Maybe the student feedback for the course has identified some issues that we would like to explore, perhaps our reflections on last year’s teaching have highlighted an area for a possible SoTL project, or alternatively we might like to consider how to redesign one of our course assessments. In this session we will consider various possibilities for identifying SoTL projects, whether individually or collaboratively. Register

This month the focus of our SoTL journey is planning. Once we have identified what we would like our SoTL to focus on, how are we going to put this into practice? Maybe we would like to make changes to our own teaching practices, perhaps we have questions that we would like to answer by exploring the relevant literature, maybe we are contemplating an evaluation of past or current teaching and learning in our discipline. In this session we discuss strategies for developing a successful SoTL plan. Register

We begin the new year by looking at how best to design a SoTL project. Whether we are contemplating embarking on a literature review, designing a learning and teaching intervention or undertaking an evaluation of a previous intervention, it is vital to spend time planning at the outset. In this session we will consider the main methodologies that we might use for a SoTL project, and the methods associated with each. Register

The focus of our SoTL journey this month is investigation. Once we have identified a possible SoTL project and decided on a project design, how do we begin our investigation? In this session we ask questions about how to establish which resources we might need, how much time we have to dedicate to our project and who else might be available to support us. Register

The focus of this month’s stage of the SoTL journey is writing. Of course, this is an activity that occurs throughout the whole process, from reflection all the way through to implementation. In this session we look at how to identify ways in which to build in writing into your regular practices, whether those be daily, weekly, or less often.  As well as looking at strategies for developing regular writing practices, we will also consider which tools you might use to help you to take and make notes. Register

This month we consider how to develop a dissemination strategy for SoTL practitioners. We will begin with a series of questions which are designed to help us to build our personal plan for dissemination before looking at some of the pathways for publication which are available for UofG colleagues internally and externally. Examples of successful SoTL publications will be provided in order to help us to plan for our own publications. Register

We end our SoTL journey this year as we began, with reflection. In this session we each take time to look back at our previous learning, teaching and SoTL activities and celebrate any successes we have had, however large or small these might be. We also reflect on any challenges we have faced and consider how we might overcome any such barriers in the future. Then we look forward and consider how we would like to engage in SoTL over the summer months – and even begin planning for the next academic year. Register