ABSTRACT
This chapter briefly reviews the literature on reflecting on teaching and learning, including a discussion of the current “hot” topics in the learning literature. It reviews the definitions and history of SoTL, including the standards of rigor of SoTL. The chapter discusses how to do SoTL and introduce in some detail the five-step approach. As in any field, SoTL’s 30-year history contains several shifts and changes, reflecting the growth of the field. In recent years, a push has been made toward being more theoretical so that the authors can explain students’ learning rather than just describe it. Some argue that a theoretical approach will motivate us to understand the complexity of student learning. Witman and Richlin state that the purpose of scholarly teaching is to have an impact on teaching and learning, whereas SoTL results in a formal, peer-reviewed communication that becomes part of the larger knowledge base on teaching and learning.
