This document provides an overview of research in teaching and learning (SoTL) for educators. It discusses the research process, including preparing by reviewing literature and developing clear goals and research questions. Appropriate methods like qualitative interviews or quantitative surveys are chosen based on the research questions. The results of the research should be analyzed and discussed to draw meaningful conclusions. Finally, research findings should be shared effectively through presentation or publication. Ethics and obtaining necessary approvals are also addressed. The goal is to help educators situate educational inquiries within a systematic research process to better understand and improve teaching and learning.

1. Getting Started with Research Karen Belfer, VCC Tannis Morgan, BCIT

2. Introductions Our experiences Your interests What brought you to this session today?

3. Why bother? Motivations “ research” vs investigation as part of own faculty development Research in your discipline or educational research?

4. Overview SOTL, applied research, and research The research process Research ethics Tools Funding Questions?

5. Situating Research SoTL Applied Empirical

6. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) Research: Where it starts Who am I as an instructor? Are my exam questions too hard? Does a course weblog help students feel connected? Is group work helping first year math students? Are employers satisfied with graduates of our program?

7. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) Research Teaching Expanded Planned reflection and analysis Shortest “distance” from current practice Systematic investigation or exploration via a research process Manageable scope--scalable Teaching context as a laboratory Focus on student learning

8. Research Process (Carnegie criteria) Adequate Preparation Literature review - 25% of time Clear Goals Research questions - derived from own experience, curiosity, lit review Appropriate Methods flow from research questions - “how” vs “what” determines methods to some degree Significant Results Analysis and discussion of what has been investigated, finding flaws in own research, need to investigate further if larger than thought, reflective critique of conducting the research, so what? Reflective Critique So what? what does this mean moving forward in your teaching? related to significant results, how does this affect the bigger picture Effective Presentation Sharing, communication, reporting

9. Preparation Adequate Preparation - lit review - 25% of time Engage librarians as a resource Google scholar, interinstitutional loans, AskAway Key words SOTL groups, use the network Research Ethics Board/Review Organizational system: Refworks, cite-u-like

10. Literature Review

11. Clear Goals What makes a good research question? Simple It addresses a need or a problem that you encounter as a practitioner It is researchable, meaning you are able to collect evidence that would answer the question . It is doable given your time and material constraints. It inspires you and has the potential to hold your interest over several months. It is not too general; that would result in a multitude of sub-questions. It is not too narrow; that would rule out the emergence of other possibilities. It cannot be answered Yes or No How do you develop a research question? need, own experience, curiosity, lit review

12. Your questions Share an observation, and what you would like to know What would this look like as a research question?

13. Appropriate Methods How are you going to investigate your question? Flow from research questions - “how” vs “what” determines methods to some degree Does your discipline influence your methods? Instruments Process/research design Organizing and documenting it all

14. Research Design & Methods Qualitative--How? Why? Eg. Case studies, ethnographies, grounded theory Quantitative--What? Eg. (Quasi-)Experimental, correlational, surveys Mixed--combination Evaluation studies--typically program, institutional, or innovation focussed with a clear purpose of assessing the quality and effectiveness

15. Qualitative Methods Used to “understand” more deeply. Typically results do not seek to generalize widely. May involve one or more of the following: focus groups/interviews text or discourse analysis observations

16. Quantitative Methods Typically seeks to generalize to a large population. It is “hypothetically” more objective and less interpretive. Examples include one or more of the following: Surveys Experimental Design Content analysis

18. Our SOTL/Ed Research Examples Cardiology applied research - quantitative surveys, validation of instruments Net Gen learner - mixed methods interviews/focus groups; survey Teaching Presence and Voice Feedback - qualitative discussion thread; interviews Question Analysis with Clickers - quantitative clickers, Item Response theory , Classical Theory of Tests

19. Matrix: Appropriate Methods

20. Tools Data Gathering Digital: Text, audio, video, surveys Backups! Security and privacy (ethics) Data Analysis SPSS/NVIVO/MaxQDA/Microsoft Word Notes Data visualization tools

21. Brainstorm Select one of your research questions and discuss with your partner/group how you would gather evidence/data What are the challenges you would be faced with? What kinds of roadblocks would you anticipate?

22. Results Analysis and discussion of what has been investigated Finding flaws in own research need to investigate further if larger than thought reflective critique of conducting the research so what?

23. Reflective Critique So what? What does this mean moving forward in your teaching? How does this affect the bigger picture?

24. Effective Presentation Sharing Communication Reporting

25. Research Ethics Human dignity Free informed consent Vulnerable persons Justice and inclusiveness Minimizing (balancing) harm Privacy and confidentiality Audio recording vs video recording Security of data

26. Funding Funding Calendar (Science focussed) http:// www.bcit.ca/appliedresearch/funding/fundingcalendar.shtml Funding Opportunities (Social Science focussed) http://ltcollaboratory.org/funding

27. Support Peer support Mentor support Collaboration - with students, with other institutions Role of Teaching and Learning Centres? http://ltcollaboratory.org/

28. Summary Think about your orientation (and your disciplinary orientation) to doing research Think about your comfort level with qualitative and quantitative methods Think about your question Think about the forms of evidence/data you might want to access or collect

29. Parting Words We believe the time has come to move beyond the tired old "teaching versus research" debate and give the familiar and honorable term "scholarship" a broader, more capacious meaning, one that brings legitimacy to the full scope of academic work. Surely, scholarship means engaging in original research. But the work of the scholar also means stepping back from one's investigation, looking for connections, building bridges between theory and practice, and communicating one's knowledge effectively to students. E. L. Boyer

30. Thanks View/download the presentation and access the resources at http://researchworkshop.wordpress.com

31. Models Boyer 1990 Examples in relation to model

32. Boyer 1990 model Motivate Faculty Teaching Discipline Interdiscipline Outside Awareness Raise awareness Reflection Discuss and reflect about teaching practice Investigation Identify SoTL research, define research strategies. Application Analyze research finding, interpret and make changes to the classroom. Communication Communicate findings

33. https://my.wsu.edu/portal/page?_pageid=177,280640&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL Washington State U.

34. Resources Good explanation of Evaluation research http://www.edu.plymouth.ac.uk/resined/evaluation/index.htm