This implementation project aims to raise awareness about, and engage teachers in, the reflective practice and scholarly approach of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) in order to enable more UU teachers ‘to get started and keep going!’ with SoTL.

Background

SoTL is a systematic, research-informed approach to develop, implement, evaluate, and disseminate, teaching innovations intended to improve student learning in the disciplinary classroom context. Engaging teachers in SoTL has benefits for student learning, course experiences, student satisfaction, and the use of innovative, student-activating teaching methods. It is a powerful form of professional development for teachers, and a way to contribute to a career in teaching. Furthermore, SoTL results are shared, thereby contributing to our knowledge about teaching and learning.

Based on the first, and until now one-time-only, SoTL-course for teachers of the Faculty of Science, the Utrecht Roadmap for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (UR-SoTL) was developed. However, for teachers, working with the UR-SoTL solely does not provide enough support to perform a SoTL project or to professionalise as SoTL scholar. To provide a solid foundation to get started and keep going with SoTL, sustainable implementation of the roadmap took place.

Aim of the project

The aim of this implementation project was for more UU teachers ‘to get started and keep going!’ with SoTL. The project contributed significantly to structurally integrating SoTL within UU benefiting the whole organisation. It not only increased the quality of teaching and student learning within UU but is also a powerful form of teacher professional development.

Set-up

This project focused on creating disciplinary networks by implementing faculty-based learning communities (FBLCs) of teachers from related disciplines within a faculty, sharing a specific research, teaching, and learning culture. FBLCs solve the isolated position that teachers engaged in SoTL experience, and support specifically those for whom SoTL is new. Furthermore, it is known that SoTL can best be developed within the context of the discipline in which it is applied.

In this project we used a “teacher empowering teacher” strategy by appointing early adopters as SoTL-advocates (SAs). The SAs are guided in the process of establishing a FBLC, increase awareness about SoTL within their faculty, and in developing a strategic plan to make sustainable differences for SoTL within faculties and the UU. On the one hand, guidance focuses on finding the best approach to establish a community within the respective faculties. On the other hand, SAs have performed, a SoTL-project themselves, thereby functioning as role models within their faculty.

A research-informed, scholarly approach was used for this project, not only to monitor the results of the project, but also for the development and organisation of the project:

Results

Key Outcomes

• Structural impact at the faculty level:
In several faculties, SoTL networks have been established or strengthened (including FSW, DGK, Humanities, GEO, REBO). At GEO, SoTL has been incorporated into promotion criteria; FSW and REBO are integrating SoTL into funding and professional development trajectories.

• Central support:
An online SoTL module has been developed (ULearning), which can be used within BKO/SKO and faculty-level programmes.

• Professional development:
Advocates participated in a university-wide (UU-wide) programme including training sessions, intervision, and peer learning. There is demonstrable growth in knowledge, confidence, and policy awareness (see appendix with training summary and interview study).

• Policy relevance (Recognition & Reward):
SoTL functions as a concrete instrument for demonstrating educational development and impact, and contributes to the implementation of Recognition & Reward (E&W) objectives.

Key Insights

• Unequal starting positions:
Success varied significantly by faculty, ranging from rapid policy embedding to resistance rooted in dominant research-oriented structures.

• Constraining factors:
Workload pressure, limited time, ethical procedures, and insufficient recognition emerged as structural bottlenecks.

• Opportunities and support:
In particular, early-career lecturers and education directors showed strong engagement.

Communities of Practice have proven to be an effective driver of cultural change.

Recommendations

• Faculty-specific tailoring and continuity:
Facilitate the long-term embedding of SoTL through structural resources, allocation of time in workload plans, and alignment with faculty policy.

• Strengthening the CAT role:
CAT can support future SoTL projects through centralised templates for budgeting and monitoring, further development of the SoTL module, and continued facilitation of networks and peer learning.