Putting the Spark in Education Through SoTL

Scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) serves as an evaluation of teaching aimed at improving student learning in the classroom. Just as we strive to be evidence-based practicing clinicians, professors strive to be evidence-based practicing educators. Recent evidence indicated that college graduates are not performing well at jobs or learning enough in college which may relate to pedagogical delivery (Fink, 2010; Sheppard et al., 2009). Evidence-based education may better prepare CSD graduates to enter the clinical workforce. SoTL also supports program assessment and accreditation, facilitates collaboration, provides data to enhance CSD priorities, and strengthens graduate training and future faculty development (McKinney, 2004). In the early 2000s, CSD’s interest in SoTL increased resulting in a publication vehicle for SoTL projects, heightened attention at national conferences, as well as committees and associations related to more SoTL engagement. During this presentation, you will learn why SoTL is important in higher education, view examples of SoTL projects, obtain resources/tools to embark on your own SoTL project and disseminate to other educators.