Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)
The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning is based on the premise that teaching in higher education can and should be a scholarly activity. In particular it focuses on research into student learning. The scholarship of teaching and learning emphasises an evidence-based approach to learning and teaching practice through a critically reflective stance on practice and scholarly literature.
The three key characteristics of the scholarship of teaching are that it should be public, open to critical review and accessible to peers. The scholarship of teaching and learning always has as its goal the improvement of student learning.
The results of research into student learning can be communicated through conference papers and publications in scholarly journals and books. Many staff at UWS publish scholarly works about their teaching initiatives, share their interests at seminars or conferences, or contribute to the exemplars on the website. These contributions to improving the quality of teaching and learning are recognised at UWS in promotion criteria, teaching awards and leadership opportunities.