Inquiry into Teaching and Learning

About the Initiative

The Inquiry into Teaching and Learning Initiative was supported by a generous grant from The Bush and William & Flora Hewlett foundations. Faculty involved in this three semester-long project will conduct an in-depth study of a teaching and learning problem or issue, usually but not always within the confines of a single course, making use of scientific methodology and rigorous assessment. The scholarly work that results from this project may be presented at a conference or symposium or submitted for peer review and publication. Ultimately, the work will contribute to the intellectual discourse about teaching and learning in order to improve both.

Faculty will proceed through three phases, one phase per semester. During Phase I, faculty will meet approximately bi-weekly; meetings will be less frequent in the subsequent phases.

1. Orientation and Review: A Seminar on the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning
   In this initial phase of your work you will learn about the scholarship of teaching and learning by reviewing and discussing with the other members of the group some prominent examples of literature in this area of research.
2. Problem and Methodology: Choosing What to Investigate and the Methodology for the Investigation
   In this phase, you will conceptualize the problem or issue that you will investigate, especially discussing the origin of the problem or issue and why it is significant for the course, the academic discipline, your teaching, or students' learning. You will also develop the methods for the investigation, including the instruments and process for collecting and analyzing the data.
3. Data and Dissemination: Collecting and Analyzing Data and Disseminating the Findings
   In this phase you will collect, analyze, and reflect upon the evidence or data you've collected with respect to the original problem or issue you identified. You will also prepare the paper for presentation at a conference or publication in a peer-reviewed journal.