Pre-Symposium Workshops

The Undergraduate research experience (URE) is a high-impact educational practice (Kuh, 2008). Multiple studies have shown that URE involvement improves student retention at university, increases student interest in further study, and improves students’ time-management skills (Auchincloss et al., 2014 and studies therein). The traditional URE in science consists of an apprentice-ship style project where individual students enter the professional research laboratories and work with one or more mentors to complete a research project. While this kind of URE is considered the “gold standard” (Brew, 2006), in Australia large-scale undergraduate teaching means we are confronted with the challenge of providing the URE for hundreds of students in a class. This demand can exceed the capacity of research laboratories to house the students.

In order to provide our large numbers of students with a URE we undertook a multi-disciplinary, cross-institutional project in which we developed, implemented, and evaluated large-scale UREs for groups of undergraduate science students. Our scale ranges from medium sized cohorts (60 students working on a biochemistry project that addresses spider venoms) to large groups (over 500 students working together to complete analysis of the human oral cavity microbiome).

In each case the large-scale URE project was designed by the course coordinator to fit the learning objectives of the course and the needs and skills of the students. Our team mentored the design and delivery process for multiple Australian academic teams; our findings have allowed us to develop a series of Implementer Guides for the development and delivery of large-scale URES.

Our SoTL around the project includes:

1. an analysis of the designed vs enacted large-scale URE curriculum using academic reflections and the Beckman and Hensel (2009) continua for undergraduate research;
2. examination, through semi-structured interviews, of the factors that support and challenge implementers of large-scale UREs; and
3. exploration of the student learning gains using structured reflective practice and the URSSA (Undergraduate Research Student Self-Assessment) tool (Weston and Laursen, 2015 and http://www.colorado.edu/eer/research/undergradtools.html).

In this workshop we will present the results of this study and give participants the opportunity to design their own Large-Scale Undergraduate Research Experience using the Implementer Guides we developed as an output of the project. Participants will have access to data and design resources from our project. We will work with participants to help them:

1. consider the enabling and challenging factors in their institutional environment;
2. consider and design for the needs of their students;
3. devise a strategy to engage stakeholders in their environment so that they are more able to deliver a successful large-scale URE;
4. produce an evaluation plan for their educational activity.

Participants will:

• Learn what SoTL is and how to get started,
• Discuss conceptual and theoretical frameworks that can inform their study,
• Discuss a variety research questions related to student learning,
• Explore different approaches and methods for generating and analyzing data,
• Think through ethical considerations involved in SoTL.

This 3 hour session will be a combination of plenary presentations and small group activities. After a brief introduction to the scholarship of teaching and learning, participants will work in small groups led by facilitators as they identify something in their teaching practice that they are curious about. Different possibilities for data, methods, and approaches will be presented as individuals have a chance to see what features seem to fit their orientation and research question, along with discussion of the “fallacies of SoTL” (Grauerholz and Main).

In this session we will build upon the foundations of the “Getting Started” workshop and guide participants further along the design of their SOTL projects.

In their SoTL Reconsidered (2011), Pat Hutchings, Mary Huber and Tony Ciccone called on the SoTL community, the global ‘Teaching Commons’, to bring SoTL into the core of individual and institutional work in teaching and learning – classroom teaching, professional development, institutional assessment, and the recognition and reward of pedagogical work. In doing so, they believe SoTL work will become even more fully embedded into our institutional priorities of student learning and success, rather than as stand-alone projects or special initiative (Hutchings et al, 2011).

With this in mind, the workshop will be structured around four key grounding questions:

First, to answer your particular research question(s), what is the appropriate scope of your SoTL project? In keeping with the principle of ensuring SoTL work is more fully embedded into the institutional goals for student learning, should your project be conducted longitudinally? Across different disciplines? Across years of study? Across different institutions?

Second, to answer your particular research question(s), what are other alternative sources of data that might enhance your project? Institutional data, whether from the student information system (like incoming High School grades), from the analytics tools embedded in learning technologies (including the learning management system), or institutional student surveys (including NSSE or CUSC), can all provide powerful lenses to help answer SoTL research questions. What data might inform your work, and what are some of the challenges to access such data?

Third, to answer your particular research question(s), what other literatures and existing research tools might inform your work? Often SoTL projects start without a comprehensive grounding in the teaching and learning literature, but there are often existing tools exploring concepts like grit, belongingness, engagement, personality, and study habits (just to name a few) available within the global teaching commons that could be used to connect to the ongoing ‘research imaginary’ (Mills, 1959). How can such tools be effectively integrated into your SoTL project? We will take you through a closer look at two survey based instruments: Mantz Yorke’s (2016) engagement, belongingness & self-confidence, and Macaskill and Taylor’s (2010) autonomous learning scale. We will also provide guidance and precaution regarding limitations and possible errors with the use of student surveys (Porter, 2011).

And fourth, how can the results of your SoTL project influence broader goals around improving student success? In addition to informing their own teaching practices, many SoTL scholars focus on traditional scholarly dissemination paths – conference presentations, peer-reviewed publications – but how else might your SoTL project influence institutional priorities, and change initiatives, around teaching and learning?

The structure of this workshop will be a combination of focused and practical presentations and discussion, group work and individual focus on developing your own SoTL project.

The workshop will be of value to both new SoTL researchers and those with experience who are looking to expand their SoTL horizons. By the end of the workshop, our hope is to have you well down the path toward having your SoTL project ready to go. In the same context, our hope is to share our perspectives on how the project might be designed toward using your results for your own teaching and greater institutional change perspectives.

Building on the symposium’s ‘Decoding ‘ theme and the reflective practitioner model that underpins SoTL, this workshop will lead you through decoding your research past to describing your ideal future project. As ‘Decoding the Disciplines’ leads instructors to make their tacit moves and knowledge more explicit and perhaps more useable in teaching, turning a similar lens to research practices may lead to more conscious decisions around approaches, environmental factors, topics, and methods. A series of exercises will draw out the common factors of your research experiences, and determine which of them might lead to more engaging and rewarding future work.

The decoding begins with your very earliest research encounters, and spans all your experiences, so will be useful for participants at any stage in SoTL work from new explorers to seasoned investigators.

(No researchers will be harmed in the making of this workshop)

The Process of Learning Model (POLM) provides a step-by-step guide to develop and integrate peer instruction, flipped classroom, flipped assessment, collaborative learning and experiential learning within your classroom environment. The POLM was developed based on Steve’s observations of instructors at Harvard (Eric Mazur), MIT, University of British Columbia (Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative), Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) and research from the Dublin Institute of Technology (Barry Ryan).
Plenary Objectives: Participants will (1) discuss the influence of Constructivist Learning Theory in student learning; (2) identify metacognitive enhancing strategies for student pre-class (flipped classroom), in-class (peer instruction) and post-class work (flipped classroom) and (3) identify metacognitive enhancing strategies for student assessment (collaborative and experiential learning) and post-assessment efforts (flipped assessment).
Plenary Activities: Participants will (1) analyze 5 varieties of video series (incorporating Lightboard and Zaption technology); (2) experience collaborative learning (team quiz) and flipped assessment process (Steve’s SoTL research results and experiences on the flipped assessment process will be shared); (3) discover the benefits of solving intricate problems through peer instruction and (4) recognize how experiential learning can provide students with real-world experiences.
According to Mazur (2009), evidence is mounting that readjusting the focus of education from information transfer to helping students assimilate material is paying off.
By the end of the session, participants will understand through active learning the strategies for successful implementation and alignment of the aforementioned pedagogy within their courses, how to measure the efficacy of these changes through a SoTL framework (qualitative and quantitative analysis - student questionnaire responses and exam results), research questions that need to be answered and key issues to overcome.