Ethical Considerations within SoTL Research

Early in graduate school, I was introduced to the idea of the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). At that time, I was learning that my interest in academia was centered on teaching, but I was still invested in research. I saw SoTL research as an opportunity to use the classroom as a tool for research. It allows me to assess my classes, with the potential for improving learning outcomes for my students. As a doctoral student that will soon be on the job market, I like the idea of being able to evaluate my classroom or a new technique and publish my findings in a peer-reviewed journal. It helps me improve my teaching, and adds an extra line on my CV. It’s a win-win. However, as I gain more experience as an educator, I have learned to think of SoTL as a tool to improve teaching, rather than thinking of the classroom as a tool for research. ​

Many SoTL projects are considered “exempt” by IRB’s. However, the role of ethics within the academic community exceeds that which is maintained by IRB committees. Here are some things I have to remind myself about, as I consider conducting SoTL research:

Carefully consider whether making changes in the classroom is inspired by previous research or anecdotal evidence

• We all hear those buzz words tossed around by colleagues and conference presenters. But before you completely revamp a class, or dedicate countless hours toward constructing that one perfect classroom activity, do your homework. Take the time to peruse Google Scholar, and learn from the literature. This can help give you inspiration, or help you avoid buying into the buzz of a passing teaching fad that isn’t really effective. Think of it this way: What if that new practice turns out to be just as effective as your old methods? Those hours you spent developing that new activity or curriculum could have been dedicated it to meeting with students, or providing more detailed feedback on papers you were grading. Conducting SoTL research is great, but at the end of the day, it serves to inform us. Get informed before you implement that revolutionary teaching idea into all your classes.  

If you find that one method of teaching is more effective than others, don’t withhold that from one group of students simply for the sake of comparison.

• If you teach multiple sections of the same course, consider giving them all the same “experimental” method, but vary the time points that you implement it. This would still allow you to compare, without giving any one class an advantage over the others. If you are measuring learning outcomes, consider making this measure low-stakes or completion based for the students. You still get the data you need, while protecting the students from unintended consequences it could have on their grades.

If possible, keep your students in-the-know about what you are doing.

• Many SoTL studies are considered “exempt” by IRB standards. However, that doesn’t mean you are exempt from informing them about the project. While traditional methods of informed consent may not apply, make an effort to provide them with a study sheet that explains how you are using their data in your research project. At the end of the day, we are here to educate our students. Why not use your research project as a teachable moment? Use your study as a real-world example of how research is conducted. This will make your students more aware of their involvement in your project, and also help them better understand the research process. Importantly, if you share information with your class, make sure it is in accordance with FERPA, which brings me to my next point…

Protect your student’s right to confidentiality.

• If you are using grades in your project, de-identify your data. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s worth mentioning. In my experience, the IRB will determine many SoTL studies to be exempt, with the stipulation that the data will be de-identified. Remember, data may still be identifiable even after you replace their name with a random ID number. Only keep the data you need. For example, if you are looking at final exam scores, only keep that information in your data file, and remove all other grades assigned to that student.

Students are at greater risk for coercion in SoTL research.

• When conducting SoTL research, you now have a dual-role as an educator and a researcher. Take extra steps to avoid coercion and protect your students. One way to reduce coercion is to make the data you collect through activities or quizzes low-risk (e.g., completion points or extra credit) or 0-risk (not graded). Consider collaborating with a colleague, and having them work with your class on the study-related activity (and you work with theirs). It’s worth noting that these study modifications may present you with new confounding variables or other obstacles in your project. As the researcher, it is up to you to consider whether these changes are worthwhile.

Carefully consider the harm (not just the benefit) that a new teaching strategy could cause.

• We’ve all been swept away by the idea of that revolutionary project idea that will forever change how we teach our classes. But before you dedicate hours and hours of effort toward a SoTL project, weight the pro’s and con’s, for both you and your students. Is the time you will dedicate toward your project going to distract from other responsibilities? Maybe your new course activity could increase learning outcomes, but it could also be so complicated that it crumbles under the weight of 100 students’ confused emails.

​Keep it simple.

• Some of the best SoTL articles I have read had simple studies with clear goals. Research projects don’t have to have intricate designs with elaborate manipulations. Sometimes, a clean, simple study, building off of previously published SoTL research is all you need.

 
SoTL research allows us to improve our classrooms by assessing our teaching strategies. It helps us test new methodologies to figure out how we can become more effective educators. Rather than viewing the classroom as a tool for research, I now see SoTL research is a tool to improve my classroom, and therefore help my students. Has SoTL influenced your teaching style? How do you incorporate assessment into your classrooms? 

​Written by Karly Schleicher