Succeeding at the scholarship of teaching: Five promising pathways

Ten years later, a movement to develop the scholarship of teaching and learning (SOTL) has begun to bear fruit in the US. This paper will first briefly review the origins and defining characteristics of SOTL and then describe five distinct approaches, or "promising pathways" that are emerging. The five promising pathways are: problem based, question based, hypothesis based, principle based, and success based. Each pathway will be defined and examples of successful SOTL research that have followed each will be presented. Lastly, first draft guidelines for success in carrying out and supporting the SOTL will be offered, along with references and resources. This interactive session will make use of presentation, brief video clips, exercises, and pairwork.

Learning Objectives: Session participants can expect to:

• Learn/review Boyer's definition of the "scholarship of teaching"

• Learn how that concept has been expanded to the "scholarship of teaching and learning" or SOTL

• Review definitions and examples of five distinct approaches or pathways to the SOTL that are already being practiced

• Consider first draft guidelines for success in carrying out and supporting SOTL that have emerged from a decade of experience

• Reflect on possible applications to one's own work and context

• Obtain references to published/electronic examples of SOTL along these five pathways and related resources