Unit rationale, description and aim
To be professionally capable and progressive as a tertiary educator, students need to ensure their practice is informed by an understanding of scholarship in learning and teaching (SoLT). This micro-credential builds on foundational SoLT knowledge, skills, and project planning developed in the previous micro-credential (UNMC570) by providing resources and processes that support reporting of scholarship. Students will continue the development of their project by reviewing a range of approaches to the analysis of qualitative and/or quantitative data and describing and justifying an analytical method suitable for that data that students have (or anticipate) in their SoLT project. Students will apply an analytical method to a data set in order to report and discuss findings from research including the implications of these findings for the higher education sector, integrate relevant scholarly literature (including higher education, professional and/or disciplinary sources) that informs the research question/s. Therefore, the aim of this micro-credential is to develop the student’s skills in the demonstration of scholarship.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Apply an analytical method to a collection of data...
Learning Outcome 01
Critically evaluate SoTL data in the context of th...
Learning Outcome 02
Content
Topics will include:
Module 1 – Data management and analysis
- Data management and analysis principles, procedures and limitations
Module 2 – Reporting research findings and drawing conclusions
- Reporting and critically evaluating SoTL research in the context of adult learning theory, HE policies and other relevant literature
Module 3 – Dissemination
- Contributing new knowledge through publication.
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment tasks for this micro-credential are designed for the students to demonstrate the achievement of each learning outcome. These tasks follow the logical narrative sequence of adult learning theories related to constructive alignment. To scaffold learning, achievement of the first learning outcome is supported by a formative assessment task that helps students to demonstrate their relevant knowledge acquisition and comprehension and to explore the application of this knowledge through draft planning. Students will outline and justify a plan for analysis of SoLT data that is relevant to a research question and aims, and is well-aligned with the selected research methodology. The first and second learning outcomes are demonstrated through a summative assessment task that allows student’s to apply a data analysis method to describe, generate and critically evaluate SoLT research findings in the context of key scholarly and professional literature informing the students project.
This micro-credential is graded. In order to pass this micro-credential, students are required to demonstrate a passing standard (or better) for the summative assessment task.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1: Formative assessment The kin...
Assessment Task 1: Formative assessment
The kind of assessment task needed is one that requires you to identify and defend an appropriate approach to the analysis of data generated in your SoTL research.
In this micro-credential, the task is for you to write an online forum post (1000 words) discussing and justifying a data analysis plan for SoTL data.
For feedback
Assessment Task 2: Summative assessment The k...
Assessment Task 2: Summative assessment
The kind of assessment task needed is one that requires you to explain the outcomes of your SoTL research in terms of implications for the HE sector and their own practice.
In this micro-credential, the task is for you to develop an oral or written account of your research, such as a narrated PowerPoint, poster or written report, that critically discusses findings and conclusions relevant to teaching and learning in HE.
This task uses Turnitin.
100%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
To maximise flexibility and engagement for all students and therefore foster learning opportunity, student-centred, self-paced learning is an underpinning strategy adopted within this micro-credential. It follows that you will be expected to interact with your peers, contribute to online discussions and contribute to a pool of shared resources including an online (LMS) post of your formative assessment task response. You are also encouraged to keep a reflective journal (in your LMS profile) supporting your ability to engage in critical self-reflection. Engagement with teaching staff in this fully online micro-credential will be facilitated primarily through online forums and meetings. This online engagement will be supplemented by phone and email communication as required by individual clients. Individualised textual feedback on your formative and summative assessment tasks is provided to support your continuing development and refinement of your project as you prepare for dissemination.
Representative texts and references
Theoretical/Instructional/overview
Punch, K. (2014). Introduction to social research: Quantitative & qualitative approaches (3rd ed.). Los Angeles, CA: SAGE.
Quantitative data
Frey, B. (2018). The SAGE encyclopedia of educational research, measurement, and evaluation (Vols. 1-4). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications
Fejes, A., & Nylander E. (Eds) Mapping out the Research Field of Adult Education and Learning. Lifelong Learning Book Series, Vol 24. Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Qualitative data
Flick, U., Metzler, K., & Scott, W. (2014). The SAGE handbook of qualitative data analysis. London: SAGE Publications
Nassaji, H. (2015). Qualitative and descriptive research: Data type versus data analysis. Language Teaching Research, 19(2), 129-132.
Empirical studies
Divan, A., Ludwig, L., Matthews, K., Motley, P., & Tomljenovic-Berube, A. (2017). Survey of Research Approaches Utilised in The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Publications. Teaching and Learning Inquiry, 5 (2). pp. 16-29.
Gurung, R., Richmond, A., Drouin, M., Landrum, R., & Christopher, A. (2019). The Past, Present, and Future of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 5(2), 97-120.