A few years ago, I remember standing in front of my class with one burning question: why do some students seem to “get it” instantly, while others keep struggling—despite my best efforts?
That simple curiosity is what pulled me into the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). And it’s what has kept me hooked ever since: the idea that you can take a question from your own practice, investigate it systematically, and then share the insights so others can benefit too.
Fast-forward to today, and I’m proud to share that the paper I co-authored with Femke Kirschner and Rianne van Lambalgen has now been published in the NRO-Onderwijskennis knowledge bank: Je eigen onderwijs onder de loep: onderwijsverbetering met SoTL.(only in Dutch)
What this paper adds
When we wrote this piece, we didn’t just want to explain what SoTL is. We wanted to show how you actually make it work in the messy, real-life context of higher education. That meant looking at:
- how to find support and recognition,
- how to build a culture where SoTL can thrive, and
- how to take doable steps that fit alongside a busy teaching load.
It connects nicely to the Utrecht Roadmap for SoTL (UR-SoTL), which many of you know as a practical step-by-step tool to structure a SoTL project. But the new publication also zooms out to culture, leadership, and what it takes for SoTL to stick.
Some takeaways you can use right now
- Start with your own teaching questions. What puzzles you or frustrates you in class? That’s where the best SoTL starts.
- Find allies. Colleagues, students, support staff—SoTL is easier (and more fun) when done together.
- Seek visible support. A champion in your faculty can make all the difference.
- Keep it small. You don’t need a massive project; a sharp, local inquiry already adds value.
- Share early. A brown-bag session, a short blog post, or a conference poster—visibility matters.
New: SoTL Quick Guide
Alongside the publication, I’ve created a SoTL Quick Guide: a concise, hands-on resource you can use to get started right away. Use the link on the home page of my site to receive the SoTL Quick Guide for free.
It’s designed as a complement to the UR-SoTL: where the roadmap helps you plan a full project, the Quick Guide gives you a short, practical entry point if you just want to try SoTL without overcomplicating things.
Why this matters
The most inspiring part for me, while working on this paper, was seeing how SoTL becomes truly powerful when it’s not just an individual effort. The institutions that made SoTL part of their culture didn’t get there through a single policy or project—they did it by connecting people, celebrating small wins, and making teaching as visible and valued as research.
And that’s why I keep coming back to SoTL: because it’s about creating environments where students and teachers learn and grow together.
A question for you
If you’re curious about SoTL, start here:
What’s one thing I’d love to understand better about my students’ learning—and who could I explore it with?
That one small step is often enough to spark the momentum for bigger change.