SoTL FLC: A supportive community of CHS faculty with an interest in meaningful, collaborative scholarship on teaching and learning.
This community of scholars offers an engaging, supportive environment for faculty and instructors interested in SoTL. Designed especially for those with backgrounds in health sciences research, the FLC introduces participants to SoTL methods, perspectives, and opportunities through collaborative discussions, interdisciplinary insights, and guest speaker sessions. Faculty begin their journey with a semester-long seminar series focused on SoTL foundations. Those who wish to continue are invited to stay engaged in subsequent semesters to design, implement, and disseminate their own SoTL project — either individually or as part of a team — with support from CHS and the UK Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT).
Overview: The SoTL FLC is a collaborative, multi-semester opportunity designed to support faculty, staff, and doctoral students in exploring and conducting the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). Grounded in health sciences education and research, the FLC emphasizes both interdisciplinary perspectives and practical application in the classroom or clinical learning environment. The FLC is especially well-suited for faculty who are new to SoTL, trained as clinicians, or seeking to integrate educational scholarship into their professional trajectory.
Program Structure: The FLC is envisioned as a two-part, multi-semester engagement:
- Semester 1 (Fall): Participants meet monthly for 60–90 minutes to explore SoTL frameworks, research design, methods, and dissemination. Sessions include discussions, case studies, and guest speakers with expertise in SoTL, especially in health professions education.
- Semesters 2–4 (Spring onward): Faculty who wish to continue may stay engaged for up to three additional semesters to develop and complete their own SoTL projects. Participants work individually or in teams to design, implement, analyze, and write up a project—with continued support from CELT staff and the Director of Scholarship.
Topics Explored During FLC Meetings: FLC sessions are interactive and responsive to the needs of each cohort. Topics may include:
- Introduction to SoTL
- Identifying researchable teaching and learning challenges
- Study design and methodological considerations
- Qualitative data collection and analysis
- Tools and software for data analysis
- Project planning, timelines, and dissemination strategies
- Navigating challenges and leveraging opportunities in SoTL work
- Guest speakers may be invited throughout the FLC to provide additional perspective and expertise.
Support and Resources: Participants continuing with scholarly projects beyond the first semester are partnered with CELT staff, who serve as collaborators and thought partners. These teams support project design, data collection and analysis, and manuscript or presentation preparation.
- In addition, full-time CHS faculty and staff may be eligible to apply for CHS ORS internal pilot project funding to support their work.
Who Is Eligible to Participate?
- The FLC welcomes participation from:
- Faculty (all title series) in the College of Health Sciences
- Professional staff involved in teaching or educational programming
- Doctoral students in CHS with a strong interest in SoTL
- Accepted CHS faculty may also be eligible to include distribution of effort for professional development in their DOE, subject to approval and planning.