Share Your SoTL Research Plan – reflective journaling
Creating a SoTL Research Plan seems intimidating at first, but once I got started, it became more intuitive. I especially liked how the subsequent sections were gradually scaffolded into the module. This made it a lot easier to progress, versus asking us to do the whole thing on the first step.
I chose to do my SoTL Research Project on experiential learning, more specifically reflective journaling to improve grades on written assignments like papers or essays. I came up with this idea based on my own experience as a TA at York University. Students often have difficulty with written assignments, especially with academic citation and sourcing. I thought using reflective journaling would be a good low stakes, formative opportunity to practice writing and citation. Learning is cyclical and opportunities to learn from mistakes are what makes the learning process so effective. So, the chance to make mistakes before a summative project are important for students to understand expectations and also practice using the techniques and skills required from the final assignment.
After looking at other examples of SoTL Research Projects, I realized that part of a dissemination strategy can be posts on social media such as videos on YouTube, posts or images (infographics) on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. These types of publication are more modern, but should not be undervalued. Today, with the pandemic and shutdowns social media it is becoming more important and common than before. Traditional publication options such as academic journals and conferences are still valuable but it’s freeing to know we now also have the option to publish online through social media and blogs.
The image I chose to visualize where my project will go is from unsplash.com . It is a photo of a journal with a pen on top, accompanied by a coffee, plant and charging cell phone. I chose this photo because it depicts the act of journaling in a relaxed atmosphere. The plant represents personal growth stemming from taking the time to journal. The coffee is a relaxing ‘time out’ symbol – could be substituted for a tea or any of your other favourite beverages. The charging phone can represent escaping from social life and work life and allowing time to disconnect and recharge by journalling. Overall, this photo depicts journalling as an escape from our busy lives, and that’s how I hope to use it in my classroom – as a way to connect students with themselves and allow them to practice and experiment with ideas and new techniques before they are graded for it!
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