SoTL at Southern
April 2022, The Faculty Center
15th Anniversary of SoTL at Southern!
This year marks the fifteenth anniversary of the Faculty Center’s university-wide initiative SoTL at Southern, which started in 2007, under the leadership of then director Dr. Alan Altany. In his recent memoir contribution to the International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ijSoTL), Dr. Altany describes how the initiative was born from the need to efficiently guide faculty in their pedagogical training. In the words of Georgia Southern SoTL Fellow Dr. Rami Haddad, “Being an engineer with no formal training in teaching, SoTL played a pivotal role in developing…my teaching skills, optimizing my students’ learning environment, and contributing back to my profession.” It was precisely with these goals in mind, to further pedagogical training, learning improvement, and academic collaboration in SoTL, that Dr. Altany launched the campus-wide effort SoTL at Southern. The project included the creation of Faculty Learning Communities for the exchange of pedagogical research information, the launch of an international peer-reviewed SoTL journal (ijSoTL), and the inauguration of an annual international conference on SoTL known as the SoTL Commons Conference. Together, these three components serve as crucial elements in the Faculty Center’s mission of supporting faculty’s professional development, improving learning experience, and enhancing student learning through innovation in technology and pedagogy.
International Journal of SoTL
The peer-reviewed journal ijSoTL was created in 2007 and has since amassed a loyal and expanding readership with contributors and reviewers from universities spread around the world. Read the latest volume here!
“I would encourage GS faculty to consider how their disciplinary research aligns with SoTL and develop a secondary line of scholarship. One thing to help quell hesitancy is exploration of not only faculty involvement in SoTL at Southern, but also the broader international SoTL community that continues to grow.”
-Dr. Nikki di Gregorio
SoTL Commons Conference
February 23-25, 2022, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Savannah, the Faculty Center held its annual international conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). With over 190 participants (national and international) from 57 different universities, including 13 universities from Georgia, the conference counted 58 poster presentations, and over 52 sessions and briefs. The event was a success in generating engaging discussions on student learning and innovative pedagogy!
“The (SoTL Commons Conference) was a great opportunity for us to learn from others about different approaches in teaching and learning, and to share our work on concept-based teaching. We think that SoTL is imperative to continuously enhance teaching and learning in higher education…and it is an ongoing journey of learning and quality improvement.”
-Dr. Elhalm Al Omari & Dr. Roqaia Dorri,
from the University of Calgary in Qatar.
Faculty Supporting SoTL
“SoTL has greatly influenced the heart of my instruction. Through professional development provided by the Faculty Center, I learned the importance of systemic inquiry and analysis of effective student learning.”
-Dr. Cynthia Massey
“I would like to thank SoTL and GS Faculty Center for being so passionately engaging in facilitating such a positive learning environment! “
-Dr. Arpita Saha
“I would advise faculty to bring their curiosity on what works best and what doesn’t in terms of teaching, and have a researcher mindset, bringing your trained skills as scholars to examine those questions.”
-Dr. Jackie Kim
“SoTL has made me much more aware of the effectiveness of the teaching strategies I use.”
-Dr. Adrienne Cohen
Summer 2022 Governor's Teaching Fellows 🥳
The Faculty Center would like to congratulate Dr. Shainaz Landge, Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Dr. David Owens, Assistant Professor in the Department of Middle Grades and Secondary Education, for their selection for the prestigious Governor’s Teaching Fellows Summer 2022. Established by Zell Miller, governor of Georgia from 1991-1999, the program is offered through the Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia, and offers selected faculty greater opportunities for professional teaching development.
Oustanding SoTL Scholars: Now Taking Applications
“Over the years, SoTL has redefined how I view myself as an instructor. It made me realize that data gathered on how students learn can change how we teach and help meet students where they are in the learning process.”
-Dr. Shainaz Landge
The success of the SoTL at Southern initiative is also due to the dedicated faculty members who participate in SoTL. To support and celebrate them, the Faculty Center issues the Outstanding SoTL Scholars designation. Each year, faculty members whose body of work contributed significantly to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning are nominated and examined by a group of peers.
Applications for SoTL Scholar are now open! All full-time faculty members who have held a teaching position at Georgia Southern University for a minimum of two years may apply for this award.
Deadline: April 30, 2022 by 5:00 PM
Apply now for the SoTL Scholar!
Recipient will be announced May 15, 2022.
SoTL Fellow: Now Taking Applications
The fellowship supports up to two faculty each year in their advancement and completion of quality, innovative SoTL research projects that improve the understanding of teaching and learning. Full-time faculty members may apply for the fellowship. For collaborative SoTL projects, only one application may be submitted (usually for the primary investigator of a project).
Deadline: April 30, 2022 by 5:00 PM
Teaching Excellence Award for Online Teaching: Now Taking Applications
The Faculty Development Committee is inviting applications for nomination to the Regents’ Teaching Excellence Award for Online Teaching. The Regents’ Teaching Excellence Award for Online Teaching recognizes individual faculty and staff for a strong commitment to engaged, online teaching, and student success. This is a USG-level award. The Faculty Development Committee will select one Georgia Southern nominee from the submitted applications.
Deadline: April 15, 2022 by 5:00 PM
For more information and to submit, explore the award page.
BADGE: Evidence-Based Teaching (EBT)
Build and Maintain Student-Instructor Rapport in Face-to-Face Classes
Friday, April 1 @ 2
Build and Maintain Student-Instructor Rapport in Online Classes
Friday, April 8 @ 2
Academic Honesty (or not?) with Online Assessments
Friday, April 15 @ 12:15
BADGE: Teaching with Technology (TWT)
Build a Learning Module
Tuesday, April 5 @ 12:15
Gradebook
Tuesday, April 5 @ 1:30
Get Rubric Ready
Thursday, April 21 @ 10
Quality Quizzes in Folio
Wednesday, April 27 @ 2
BADGE: Professional Planning & Growth (PPG)
Funding Your HIPs, a Win-Win for Students and Faculty
Monday, April 4 @ 2
Teaching Online Courses (TOC) Program
Summer 2022
- May 23 – July 3 (6 weeks)
- July 5 – July 22
- (3 weeks – auto-enrolled)
Improving Your Online Course (IYOC)
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