2009 Lilly Conference

I will share some of what we did in the PreConference.
Drs. Scott Simpkins and Karen Hornsby (NC A&T faculty) facilitated a session designed to introduce participants to the concept of SoTL. While most know that it is the process of inquiry into the teaching and learning that take place in the classroom (or virtual classroom), they may not know how to get started with that process. Essentially, we should think of it as conducting a study of our own teaching (or someone else's) without all the same scientific rigor of a more indepth quantitative investigation. There are a few requirements however. There is the research question, or we could refer to this as the ethic of inquiry, since this initial phase often is about more than the pragmatic--the question itself. it often entails asking "Why?", or "How useful...?", or "Who is being served?". There is actually a taxonomy of questions that helps the teacher to ask the right question (Carnegie Academy for SoTL). The right question is the first step toward change or improvement.
Following the question, the investigator (the professor) needs to consider methods. What procedures or processes will allow me to discover what I need to know? Mixed methods (methodological pluralism) are strongly recommended over a single approach, since teaching and learning are both extremely complex functions, requiring wide and multifaceted windows into the queries associated with them.
Participants worked in small groups to formulate a T/L question and to suggest appropriate methods. We also were asked to suggest what evidences would indicate a positive hypothesis vs a negative hypothesis. We then engaged in a Gallery Walk. In this activity, we were able to engage each other's groupwork that had been posted around the room. We used post it notes to add suggestions to any of the posted research plans. This kind of collaboration is encouraged in the SoTL process, and this particular learner engagement strategy worked quite well.

jc