The Teaching Academy will offer an annual Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Writers Group to support faculty in the systematic investigation of effective instruction and student learning. The purpose of the group is to provide structure, resources and guidance to aid participants in generating publications related to teaching and learning in higher education.
Program Description
Eligibility
All tenured, tenure-track or renewable contract faculty currently teaching at The University of Alabama are eligible to participate.
Interested faculty should have a desire to engage in scholarship centered around teaching and learning. They must teach a course in the Spring 2025 semester where they can implement their scholarly projects and collect data; this allows them to be able to participate in all components of the program for this year’s cohort. Interested faculty should also be able to attend monthly scheduled meetings beginning in August. See the schedule below.
Benefits
Expected benefits of participation in the SoTL Writers Group include:
- Support from the UA Teaching Academy team in study design and writing as well as publishing scholarly articles focused on teaching and learning.
- Evidence of teaching documentation for merit review, promotion and/or tenure.
- Development of a manuscript for potential publication.
- Building relationships with scholars across campus.
- Featured publication on UATA website.
- Potential presentation opportunities at campus conferences.
Topics Covered
The UA Teaching Academy will help SoTL writers develop scholarly projects centered on teaching and learning by providing guidance in the following areas:
- Preparing the Institutional Review Board protocol.
- Developing research questions.
- Designing and implementing a study.
- Collecting and analyzing data.
Writing and submitting a manuscript for potential publication.
Program Goals
- Provide faculty with resources and research support.
- Establish a structure and timeline for manuscript completion.
- Connect scholars from across campus with teaching and learning research interests.
- Grow faculty publications on teaching and learning.
Expectations and Schedule
Scholarly Projects
SoTL writers will engage in a scholarly project for the duration of the 2024-2025 academic year beginning with an orientation meeting in August 2024 and ending the following summer. Writers will be expected to attend monthly workshops and meet provided milestones during the academic year. In 2024, SoTL writers will present their project proposals to each other prior to collecting data in the spring and writing the final manuscript over the summer. Writing support will be provided during Summer 2025, and participants will be expected to submit their completed manuscripts to a peer-reviewed journal for potential publication by Aug. 1, 2025.
SoTL writers should anticipate spending approximately 10-15 hours per month on their scholarly projects.
Schedule and Tentative Topics
Tuesday, Aug. 13 – Orientation and initial planning meeting: 10:30(in person and virtual options for attendance)
All Fall 2024 meetings will be held on Wednesdays from 2:30–4:30 p.m. on the dates listed below.
- Sept. 11 – Social Science Research Design
- Oct. 9 – IRB and Choosing Your Journal
- Nov. 13 – Literature Search
- Dec. 11 –SoTL Proposal Presentations
Writing Club
The UA Teaching Academy will provide a space for SoTL writers to write and collaborate with colleagues as they prepare manuscripts related to their scholarly projects.
Publication Submission
At the end of the SoTL Writers Group, SoTL writers will submit a manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal for potential publication.
The SoTL Writing Group seeks to support a varied collection of faculty members from disciplines across the University. Participants will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis with consideration given to college representation, following completion of the interest survey. Once the group has reached capacity, interested faculty will be placed on a waitlist. Be sure to check the required meeting schedule for fall prior to completing the interest survey. All faculty who complete the interest survey will receive an email from the Teaching Academy by Friday, July 5, either confirming their spot in the SoTL Writers Group or indicating their place on the waitlist.
Complete the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Interest Survey today!