Reflections from SoTL Scholar Hasina Mohyuddin
The SoTL Scholars Program introduces participants to the principles and practices of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, an international, multidisciplinary field of disciplinary specialists studying student learning. SoTL (pronounced “sō-tul” in the U.S.) is a synthesis of teaching, learning, and research in higher education that aims to bring a scholarly lens—the curiosity, the inquiry, the rigor, the disciplinary variety—to what happens in the classroom. SoTL is highly valued professional work on many college and university campuses, particularly those that prioritize teaching. Read reflections from Hasina Mohyuddin (Community Research and Action) below:
“I think it was an important paradigm shift for me to think of my teaching practice in terms of opportunities for research and scholarship.“
There were so many things I gained from the SoTL Scholars program. First, I think it was an important paradigm shift for me to think of my teaching practice in terms of opportunities for research and scholarship. Traditionally, teaching and research are conceptualized at two separate spheres of being an academic, but being in the SoTL Scholars program helped me to understand the ways that each can enhance the other. I also loved being part of this community of learners. There was a warm and supportive environment and graduate students from a truly diverse set of departments. Being able to get insights and feedback from others in the program helped me to understand and appreciate the multiple perspectives possible in teaching and learning. Finally, being able to conduct an ethnographic project in which I observed classroom discussion over an entire semester allowed me to gain perspectives that would not have been possible from reading articles or personal practice. The act of observing, of conducting research, allowed me to conceptualize and understand the relationship between classroom discussion and student learning an a new and valuable way. It has been a wonderful experience.
The CFT invites applications for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Scholars Program for the 2014-15 academic year. Deadline for applications is Monday, August 25th. For more information and to apply, visit the SoTL Scholars Program web page.
Leave a Response