The Teaching Innovation Unit works with all levels of educators to support them develop an evidence-based approach to their work in ways that incorporates and contributes to the scholarship of teaching and learning. This is often referred to as the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning–or SoTL for short.
Whether you are starting out as a casual teacher at UniSA or you are more experienced, permanent or senior academic with teaching responsibilities then engagement with SoTL is an expected component of your work. As educators, SoTL informs what we do, and why,— even when we don’t realise it! But what exactly is SoTL? Why is it relevant? And how can it enrich our work in sustainable ways?
This brief video introduces the key ideas of SoTL and how it can be integrated into our teaching practices.
As you view this 6 minute video consider how you can extend your current engagement with the scholarship of teaching and learning. SoTL is so much more than simply reading the literature, or undertaking the kind of professional development opportunities we offer, it’s also about communities of practice--it involves you innovating, talking and working with others--it’s about the learning that occurs when you research your own practice, or apply for grants and awards, or when you work towards conference presentations and write papers. SoTL is about taking teaching seriously--and integrating it into your career planning.
If you’d like to know more about how we can support your engagement with SoTL — as an individual, as teaching team, or for your Academic Unit — please contact the Teaching Innovation Unit.
In this conversation, Dr Paula Rowe talks about how she integrates SoTL into her busy teaching load. As an Online Course Facilitator at UniSA Online, Paula leads the development and delivery of online courses. As a social work educator and practitioner, she is passionate about nurturing practitioners to work alongside diverse population groups with empathy, compassion, and a critical spirit. As an enabling educator she blends knowledge from the field with action research while teaching to continuously improve her practice.
In this 4-minute recording, through the lens of the ADDIE Model, Dr Antonella Strambi explains how Teaching and Learning Grants can be regarded as SoTL activities. In conversation with Dr Corinne Green, they discuss how both the process of applying for a grant, as well as carrying out the project itself, builds our scholarship of teaching and learning.
Find out more about Teaching and Learning Grants at UniSA.
In this recording Dr David Birbeck and Dr Claire Aitchison from the TIU talk about the personal and professional benefits of applying for a Teaching and Learning Award. Together they reflect on what happens when educators apply for recognition of their teaching endeavours.
NB This recording isn’t intended to cover what you need to apply for an award—for that information follow these links.
Scholarship is a social activity that depends on collaboration in teaching and research. Maurizio Costabile is a teaching-focused academic with a keen interest in educational research and investigating his own teaching practices—often in collaboration with others. In this interview, Maurizio talks about why, and how, he collaborates in researching teaching and learning.
The scholarship of teaching and learning requires us to actively learn about our teaching—one way of doing this is through ‘Journal Clubs’ which bring colleagues together to explore ideas—commonly by reading and discussing new publications, research and innovative practices. In this presentation, Dr Gosia Ludwichowska-Alluigi, Katrina McLachlan and Dr Hannah Edwards describe how their Journal Club operates so successfully.
In this presentation, Dr Sarah Hattam and Tanya Weiler describe the origins and benefits of the popular Research While Teaching initiative. Currently led by Sarah Hattam and Chris Deneen, if you would like to learn more about this initiative and/or register your interest in participating in in Research While Teaching, please contact Sarah Hattam or Chris Deneen.
The Teaching and Innovation Unit offers a variety of options for professional development, including short courses, consultations, online modules and symposiums. Please check out the calendar to find out what's on.
The Authentic Assessment Project is one of our key projects. It undertakes a programmatic review of our approaches to assessment and how we prepare our students for the future workforce. Please check out the other TIU projects and initiatives.