What is the Scholarship of Teaching?

For the sake of argument, let us begin with the Carnegie Teaching Academy's draft definition:

The scholarship of teaching is problem posing about an issue of teaching or learning, study of the problem through methods appropriate to disciplinary epistemologies, application of results to practice, communication of results, self-reflection, and peer review.

What is the Campus Conversation Process?

The goal of the conversation is to glean a sense of campus conditions and how these conditions may help or hinder the scholarship of teaching. It is a good idea to develop conversations among multiple constituencies to ensure the richness and accuracy of the picture we finally derive.   Faculty may take up the following inquiries as a foundation for discussion: 

• Does our campus have a definition of the "scholarship of teaching that helps faculty form and characterize their work?  How does that definition correspond to or differ from the draft definition?

• What lines of work on our campus contribute to the sholarship of teaching?

• How many campus constituents do that work?  How are the outcomes communicated?

• Are faculty members rewarded for doing the scholarship of teaching?  Why or why not? How?

• Do hiring and orienting practices locate and support faculty members committed to the scholarship of teaching? 

• What are the most central teaching issues on our campus?  How is the campus addressing those issues?

• How does our campus culture discourage the scholarship of teaching?  What specific steps could the campus take to improve these conditions?

• How does our campus culture affirm the scholarship of teaching?   What specific steps could the campus take to sustain these conditions?

How can UNCW faculty benefit from joining the conversation?

Campus Conversations is a two part process.  The first part is defining the scope of the scholarship of teaching for our own campus, and, identifying sources of support at UNCW and barriers to the scholarship of teaching and learning.   During Part Two, we will initiate a Campus Inquiry Group or Groups to study and act on a teaching issue central to UNCW.  Selected campuses will be chosen for networked activities to develop the scholarship of teaching.  At the Community of Camuses level ofparticipation, work will be facilitated through training, collaborative activities, material, and a national project identity.  For more information, see The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching world-wide-web site on Teaching Initiatives.

Are you interested in participating in the campus conversations on the scholarship of teaching?

Contact Patricia Turrisi, Ph.D.

Director, Center for Teaching Excellence