SoTL Trajectory

From teaching questions to evidence-informed improvements in student learning

Are you here as an individual educator?
→ Scroll down for the Summer School (6–9 July 2026)
Working on SoTL in your institution? Continue reading below.

You want to improve student learning in a more systematic, evidence-informed way

You work on teaching and learning in higher education — as a programme lead, educational developer, within a faculty or a Teaching and Learning Centre.
You design initiatives, support educators, and create space for improving teaching and learning.

And in that work, you may recognise this:

  • Educators are interested in improving their teaching, but don’t quite know where to start
  • Ideas remain broad, or don’t translate into concrete action
  • SoTL feels relevant — but also abstract or “on top of everything else”
  • People work alongside each other, but don’t always connect
  • It’s difficult to make the impact on student learning visible

This is something I see in many universities.

Not because people don’t care.
But because the step from idea → action → impact is often missing or unclear.

What this SoTL trajectory does

This SoTL trajectory helps educators move from:

 “I want to improve something in my teaching”
to
 a clear, feasible SoTL project they can actually carry out and share

Using the Utrecht University Roadmap for SoTL as a shared structure, participants:

  • define a focused teaching & learning question (instead of staying broad)
  • translate this into a concrete, manageable project (instead of getting stuck)
  • explore what counts as meaningful evidence — including in changing contexts such as AI and evolving assessment practices
  • use that evidence to understand what actually changes in student learning
  • make their findings visible and discussable with colleagues
  • connect their work to others, strengthening exchange and shared learning

The result is not just individual projects, but a clearer understanding of what works in student learning, grounded in evidence — and work that can be shared, discussed and built on.

For your institution, this helps to:

  • make the impact on student learning more visible and easier to demonstrate
  • better support quality assurance and accreditation processes
  • connect individual projects into a more coherent and shared development
  • make better use of the insights and work generated by educators
  • strengthen a more systematic, evidence-informed approach to improving teaching and learning

How it works

The trajectory is designed as a series of focused sessions, combined with individual feedback and guidance.

Typically, this involves:

  • structured sessions (online or on-site)
  • working with a group of educators
  • space for both individual work and exchange
  • a design that is tailored to your context (faculty, programme or initiative)

The number of sessions, group size and level of guidance are always tailored to your context.

The emphasis is on doing the work that often remains undone:
moving from ideas to something concrete, feasible and shareable.

Working together

Each trajectory is designed in co-creation, based on your context, goals and existing initiatives.

If you recognise this in your context, or are exploring how to strengthen SoTL and evidence-informed improvement of student learning, feel free to get in touch.

I’m happy to think along with you about what would fit your context.

📩 info@irmact.com

Summer School for educators in higher education
Utrecht (6–9 July 2026)

A unique opportunity this summer to focus in depth on your own teaching question

For educators who want to work individually and in more depth, this Summer School offers a small-scale, intensive format.

In four focused days, you move from:

 “I know something isn’t working…”
to
a concrete, feasible SoTL project you can carry out

Location
The Summer School takes place from 6-9 July 2026 in Utrecht, a historic university city in the Netherlands, just 30 minutes by train from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. The setting offers a calm and inspiring environment for focused academic work.

What you gain

  • a clearly defined teaching & learning question
  • a structured and feasible SoTL project plan
  • clarity about evidence and next steps

This is the kind of work that is often hard to make time for — but makes a lasting difference.

Practical information

Utrecht, The Netherlands
📅 6–9 July 2026

💶 €1,500 (incl. VAT)
(€1,239 excl. VAT)

  • small group (max. 10 participants)
  • personal guidance and feedback
  • based on the Utrecht University Roadmap for SoTL

(Travel and accommodation not included)

📩 Apply via: info@irmact.com
Deadline: 30 April