SoTL User Guide

About the guide

The user guide is designed to help instructors interested in conducting SoTL research. By adopting an interactive approach, the user guide helps instructors navigate complex ethical issues by addressing key questions they may encounter while designing their research project.

Users can easily navigate through the guide by selecting different sections and chapters on the sidebar. Throughout the guide, the reader will be asked questions about their research plans, and given a series of answers to choose. By selecting next and back you can easily navigate between each question.

The user guide is divided into 5 sections. Section 1 introduces the challenge of identifying whether your project constitutes research, program evaluation or quality improvement. Section 2 describes the key ethical issues that researchers should consider when developing SoTL research. Section 3 guides the instructor’s consideration of the ethical implications of SoTL research, including how to ensure students are fully informed and can voluntarily consent to research participation, developing appropriate recruitment tools, and deciding who is in the best situation to work with student research participants. Section 4 helps instructors navigate the process of collecting, managing and using student data. This includes questions about collecting data in class versus online, the use of secondary data and the process for de-identifying student data. Section 5 provides instructors with additional resources they can consult for information and assistance.

Section 1: Research, Program Evaluation or Quality Improvement?

• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Research
• Chapter 3: Program Evaluation and Quality Improvement
• Chapter 4: Additional Resources

Section 2: Key Ethical Issues

• Chapter 1: Undue Influence and Coercion
• Chapter 2: Dual-Role Research
• Chapter 3: Confidentiality in the Use of Participant Data
• Chapter 4: Use of Class Time for Research Purposes

Section 3: Conducting SoTL Research

• Chapter 1: Research with Students
• Chapter 2: Informed Consent
• Chapter 3: Recruitment
• Chapter 4: Third-Party

Section 4: Data Management

• Chapter 1: Collecting Student Data
• Chapter 2: Managing Student Data
• Chapter 3: De-Identifying Data
• Chapter 4: Secondary Data

Section 5: Additional Resources