SoTL Certificate Program

Program Overview

Faculty participating in the Scholarship of Teaching Yield Learning Excellence (STYLE) Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Certificate Program will learn foundational knowledge in the research of effective teaching and learning strategies. Participants will design a scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) study related to an area of interest in a course they teach. Participants will execute their SoTL plan over the second long semester in the program. The STYLE program leadership team and the IDEALS lab (a SoTL focused lab of research assistants) will support faculty in planning, executing, and analyzing data from their SoTL project. Each STYLE cohort will be mentored and coached to create an active, supportive, and collaborative community of scholars.

Vision

To foster a collaborative and supportive community of forward-thinking educators, dedicated to the pursuit of scholarship in teaching and learning through the rigorous application of evidence-based methodologies

Mission

To enhance teaching and learning at Texas A&M, the STYLE program aims to create a transformative, student-centered, and evidence-based educational environment. This will bel achieved by reshaping the teaching and learning identities, practices, and behaviors of faculty who are participants of the STYLE Program. The goal of the program is to cultivate collaborative educators striving to enhance their teaching through evidence-based practices. The end objective is to increase the quality and impact of teaching at Texas A&M by engaging faculty in a focused Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Program.

Program Objectives

Participants will be able to communicate the value and impact of their efforts in SoTL to their colleagues, students, and administrators.
Participants will conduct a SoTL study in their course and share the findings at a conference or in a peer-reviewed journal.
Participants will be invited to join the Innovation and Design for Exploration and Analysis in Teaching Excellence (IDEATE) community of scholars for sustainable support as an instructor and scholar of teaching and learning.

Program Structure

Phase 1: Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Institute (13 Weeks)

7 Asynchronous self-paced, online SoTL modules
Biweekly cohort meetings to develop community, co-construct knowledge, and explore possibilities in teaching and learning.
Bursary: $500 Upon successful completion of the SoTL Modules

Phase 2: SoTL Project Planning (Time between long semesters)

Participants will create a SoTL study to investigate a question of their choice regarding classroom learning.
Participants will meet with the SoTL Certificate leadership team to refine their SoTL project plans.

Phase 3: SoTL Project executing, analysis, and dissemination (20 weeks)

Participants will execute their individual SoTL project in their courses, collect and analyze the data, and prepare a conference presentation or journal publication manuscript to share their findings and experiences.
Participants will meet monthly as a cohort to discuss their SoTL plans and executing strategies, offer support to each other, and continue advancing their SoTL knowledge through journal and other publication readings and discussions.
Participants will be supported by the IDEATE Community of scholars and the IDEALS lab, which will help faculty in planning, executing, and analyzing data from their SoTL project
Bursary: $2,000 Upon acceptance of conference proposal or manuscript submission to support either activity.

Eligibility

Program Outcomes

Enhanced conceptualizations of teaching and learning that expand depth, creativity, and effectiveness of teaching at Texas A&M
SoTL publications and conference presentations that advance the dialogue around teaching and learning.
Provide faculty with a framework for documenting growth in teaching to support efforts focused on promotion and/or tenure.
Implementation and documentation of evidence-based practices that promote student success.

Participant Benefits

A bursary of $500 after completion of Phase 1 and a bursary of $2000 after acceptance of a SoTL conference proposal or manuscript submission to support either activity.
Enhancing teaching effectiveness through professional development in the science of teaching and learning
Membership in a supportive community of scholars focused on transformative instructional practices.
Networking opportunities with faculty across the university interested in pedagogical practices.
Financial support for professional development and teaching and learning conference presentations or SoTL publication fees.
Strategies for documenting teaching growth
A CTE Sponsored Certificate in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)

Application Process and Timeline

The Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) is hosting two Q&A sessions for the Academic Professional Track (APT) and Tenure Track/Tenure faculty who are interested in applying for the Scholarship of Teaching Yields Learning Excellence (STYLE) Certificate Program.

If interested in joining the Q&A sessions, please find the registration links below:

April 16th: https://ers.tamu.edu/register.aspx?scheduleid=42586
April 22nd: https://ers.tamu.edu/register.aspx?scheduleid=42588

For more information please email Dr. Kati Stoddard, kati.stoddard@ag.tamu.edu