CFD CFD Research & Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A faculty developer wants to help instructors gather evidence of student learning for SoTL purposes. Which tool, developed by Angelo and Cross, provides quick, low-stakes feedback on student understanding?
- Think-Pair-Share
- Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) (Correct answer)
- Standardized Departmental Exams
- End-of-Semester Course Evaluations
Correct answer: Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)
Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) such as the Muddiest Point and One-Minute Paper provide instructors with immediate, formative data on student comprehension without high-stakes testing.
Question 2: In qualitative SoTL research, which method involves the researcher systematically examining and coding their own teaching artifacts, reflective journals, and student work?
- Content Analysis / Document Analysis (Correct answer)
- Randomized Survey Administration
- Double-Blind Peer Evaluation
- Standardized Achievement Testing
Correct answer: Content Analysis / Document Analysis
Document or content analysis involves systematically reviewing and categorizing textual artifacts—such as student papers, discussion posts, or instructor journals—to identify patterns and themes.
Question 3: Which of Felten's five principles of good SoTL practice states that the work must be grounded in and contribute to the relevant literature on teaching and learning?
- Inquiry Focused on Student Learning
- Grounded in Context
- Methodologically Sound (Correct answer)
- Conducted in Partnership with Students
- Appropriately Public
Correct answer: Methodologically Sound
Felten's principle of being 'grounded in context' includes situating the inquiry within the existing scholarship on teaching and learning in higher education.
Question 4: Which concept describes the practice of faculty systematically examining their own teaching through cycles of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting?
- Peer Observation
- Action Research (Correct answer)
- Formative Assessment
- Program Review
Correct answer: Action Research
Action research is a cyclical, practitioner-led inquiry model—plan, act, observe, reflect—designed to improve practice from within, making it well suited to classroom-based SoTL.
Question 5: A faculty developer is helping an instructor interpret mixed-methods SoTL data. Which term describes the practice of using multiple data sources to strengthen the credibility of qualitative findings?
- Randomization
- Triangulation (Correct answer)
- Stratification
- Operationalization
Correct answer: Triangulation
Triangulation uses multiple data sources, methods, or investigators to cross-check findings, increasing the trustworthiness and credibility of qualitative SoTL research.
Question 6: Which institutional body must review SoTL projects that involve collecting identifiable data from students before the research begins?
- Faculty Senate
- Institutional Review Board (IRB) (Correct answer)
- Curriculum Committee
- Accreditation Liaison Office
Correct answer: Institutional Review Board (IRB)
The IRB is federally mandated to protect human research subjects; any SoTL project collecting identifiable student data requires IRB review and approval or an exemption determination.
CFD CFD Research & Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 2
A faculty developer wants to help instructors gather evidence of student learning for SoTL purposes.
Which tool, developed by Angelo and Cross, provides quick, low-stakes feedback on student understanding?