Wondering if you should get involved in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL)? You’re not alone. As a higher education instructor, it’s easy to wonder: Isn’t teaching enough? Why do I need to research my teaching? How can considering ways to explore student learning be research? The short answer is engaging with SOTL can enhance your own teaching, support your colleagues in strengthening theirs, and at the same time support student engagement and learning. However, it’s not always a simple shift.

Many educators hesitate to contribute to SOTL because the methods can seem unfamiliar, and struggle to find time. The good news? A clear, accessible framework can guide you through the process, helping you get started with SOTL without feeling overwhelmed.

In our recent webinar, we introduced such a framework and explored how you can turn everyday teaching challenges, interventions or even innovations into meaningful research projects that benefit your classroom, institution, and the academic community at large.

Catch up by watching the webinar recording.

The 5C Framework: Your Blueprint for SOTL Research

If you don’t have time to watch the recording, the highlight of the webinar was the 5C Framework—a tool to help you design, implement, and refine your SOTL projects. Here's a sneak peek into the framework:

1. 1C: Concern: Start by identifying a problem or issue related to your teaching. Maybe it’s students not participating enough in online discussions or struggling to stay engaged. What topics intrigue you? It’s likely that your ‘concern’ is also the concerns of others in the higher education community. Chat to others and see what they think.
2. 2C: Common Ground: Next, find the connections between your concern and existing research. What’s already been said or written about? What contexts covered? Has your context or the type of teaching been researched already? If unsure what terms to search for, try using AI and see if it can help identifying the key terms. It might also be a good idea to talk to your librarian.
3. 3C: Crack in Knowledge: This is the exciting part. As you dive deeper into the literature, you’ll start identifying gaps—those underexplored areas where your research can make a real contribution not only to your own context but potentially more broadly to the HE sector. Does literature suggest what ‘future’ research is required? Do studies suggest strategies but lack implementation details? Are certain aspects, such as online learning environments or interdisciplinary courses, underrepresented within the research you’ve reviewed? 
4. 4C: Contribution: Think about how your research can help. Who will benefit from it? Is it your students? Your colleagues? The academic community at large? Make sure your research has a clear, impactful contribution.
5. 5C: Course of Action: This final step involves turning your ideas into a structured, actionable SoTL project, including choosing your methodology. A strategic step would be to consider whether you can leverage the skills that you already have and formulate your research question accordingly.

AI: A Game-Changer in Your SoTL Research Process

Another takeaway from the webinar was how AI tools can help streamline your SoTL literature review. Tools like Research Rabbit and Illicit can quickly guide you through the vast landscape of existing literature. These tools don’t replace your expertise or due diligence—they help you spot connections, identify gaps, and save hours of searching.

AI can also help narrow down your search for relevant literature. If you’re unsure where to start, AI can suggest keywords and concepts, making the literature review process faster and more efficient.

Turning Small Observations into Big Research Projects

The best part about SOTL is that it doesn’t require you to start with a grand, complex research question. Often, it’s the small, everyday observations in your teaching that can lead to meaningful research. For example, noticing that students aren’t engaging with online resources might be the beginning of a larger inquiry into student engagement practices.

Collaboration: Strength in Numbers

One of the most valuable aspects of SOTL is collaboration. Often, we think of research as a solitary pursuit, but in the world of SOTL, collaboration is often key. Whether you’re working with colleagues from within your institution or from other fields, bringing diverse perspectives to your project enriches the findings and makes the research process more rewarding. Collaboration isn’t just efficient—it’s also more likely to produce research that resonates with a wider audience.

Why Should You Care About SOTL?

At its heart, SOTL is about improving teaching and learning—not just for your students, but for the academic community as a whole. Through SOTL, we can share insights, experiment with new approaches, and ultimately create a more dynamic and effective learning environment. And while the personal benefits of engaging in SOTL are clear, the broader impact of contributing to the field of higher education research is what truly makes it worthwhile.

Ready to get started? Join the conversation, explore the 5C Framework, and begin your own journey into the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning today!

Wish to join the discussion – considering joining the HERDSA SoTL SIG at herdsa.sotl.sig@gmail.com

Explore more on the process of SoTL by using the HERDSA SoTL Modules (currently being updated – WATCH THIS SPACE)

Or maybe even drop in to a Coffee and Chat Drop-in Session (fortnight on Tuesdays – contact Alice.Brown@usq.edu.au for details)