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Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)

SoTL Fellows Program

2022 SoTL Fellows Program Description - Apply online by March 15, 2022.

Getting Started in SoTL Workshop: planned for late March 2022.
All faculty are invited to attend this workshop, which will focus on developing a scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) project to investigate the connections between teaching and student learning and success.

Overview

The SoTL Fellows Program provides USI faculty members with the opportunity to develop and carry out a scholarly project that systematically investigates connections between one’s teaching and student learning and/or student success. Through participation in a learning community, Fellows will develop and carry out a research project focused on connections between teaching and student learning and outcomes, receive support and guidance during the process, and establish collegial connections across disciplines. Fellows will receive a $1,000 stipend after the successful completion of the multi-semester program, which starts in March 2022 and concludes in May 2023.  Faculty interested in participating in the SoTL Fellows program must apply by the deadline to be considered.

Background 
As a member of the faculty at USI, one serves both as a teacher and a scholar who contributes to their discipline(s), students, peers, and community. The relationship between teaching and scholarship is strengthened when one’s scholarship, research, and/or creative work informs one’s teaching practice to support student learning and when one’s teaching practice motivates scholarly inquiry on its effectiveness on student learning and success. Acknowledging the commitment of teacher-scholars who directly impact student learning and success, the SoTL Fellows program provides faculty members with a multi-semester opportunity to enhance one’s scholarship on teaching and student learning.  

Program Goals

  • Encourage and enhance faculty engagement in the scholarly inquiry on student learning, evidence-based instructional strategies, and student success.
  • Facilitate a learning community of scholars who will receive and give support in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) and student success inquiry projects.
  • Contribute to improving student learning and success at USI.

Participant Outcomes 
Through participating in the SoTL Fellows program, each selected participant will:

  • Expand their scholarship while contributing to the understanding of student learning and student success issues.
  • Identify a research question on evidence-based teaching and student learning or student success and develop an appropriate research plan to explore the question.
  • Submit IRB proposal(s) and obtain approval to conduct the identified research project.
  • Conduct the project and publicly share the results and lessons learned of the project.

Eligibility

  • All full-time faculty members at the University of Southern Indiana are eligible to apply, except for current SoTL Fellows.
  • Applicants agree to commit to participating in program activities and be available to participate in the Spring 2022 SoTL workshop and in learning community sessions throughout the program period.

Application 
Please view the Program Description for additional information about the SoTL Fellows program and the application instructions.

Apply online by March 15, 2022 [Preview the application].

Selection Process and Criteria

  • Complete applications will be evaluated by a review committee and CETL.
  • Applications will be evaluated while considering these criteria:
    1. the described connection of the proposed project to student learning or success,
    2. the impact on the applicant’s teaching as it relates to student learning or success and the further development of the applicant as a teacher-scholar,
    3. the potential for contributing to enhanced understanding of teaching and student learning and/or success at USI,
    4. the applicant’s commitment to participating as a member of the learning community, and
    5. the feasibility of the project during the program period.
  • Up to five (5) participants will be selected from all complete applications.
 Congratulations to the 2021 and 2022 SoTL Fellows!
  • Srikanth Dandotkar, Assistant Professor of Psychology
  • Julian Davis, Associate Professor of Engineering
  • Susan Ely, Assistant Professor of Engineering
  • Julie Morgan, Assistant Professor of Respiratory Therapy
  • David O'Neil, Assistant Professor of English
  • Serah Theuri, Associate Professor of Food and Nutrition (2022)
  • Summer Wilderman, Clinical Assistant Professor of Social Work

Getting Started in SoTL Workshop: Friday, March 26, 2021 - presented by Dr. Laura Cruz (Pennsylvania State University, Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence).

2021 SoTL Fellows Program Description 
Thank you for your interest in the SoTL Fellows program! There were 10 applications submitted in February 2021 for consideration in this second cohort.

Congratulations to the 2020 SoTL Fellows!
  • Mark Creager, Assistant Professor of Mathematics
  • Jara Dillingham, Clinical Assistant Professor of Social Work
  • Urska Dobersek, Assistant Professor of Psychology
  • Daniel Elg, Assistant Professor of Engineering
  • Matthew Powless, Assistant Professor of Psychology
  • Kathy Riedford, Associate Professor of Nursing
  • Ilfa Zhulamanova, Assistant Professor of Education

2020 SoTL Fellows Program Description 
Thank you for your interest in the SoTL Fellows program! There were 13 applications submitted in January 2020 for consideration in the inaugural cohort.

Planning Your SoTL Project Workshop: Wednesday, February 26, 2020 - presented by Dr. Jennifer Friberg (Illinois State University)

SoTL Resources