Sometimes I read a title for a presentation and think it doesn’t apply to what I do and try to learn about. I am usually surprised by how it does. The ALT 2021 session we watched tonight was entitled “Are we there yet? Becoming a TEL scholar: code switching and building identity through the ALT ELESIG Scholar Scheme (pilot)” presented by Denise Sweeney, Jessica Humphreys, Jim Turner, Tunde Varga-Atkins , Brett Bligh, Natalie Tasler and Ashwini Datt. Sweeney talked about how a special interest group launched this project with the goal of evaluating a pilot implementation. The aim was to gain new skills, develop career goals, and disseminate findings. The program was a professional development experience. The scholar theme had three pathways, explained Sweeney. Some came in to develop a professional development plan, some were mid-career professionals looking to apply for more senior fellowships/positions, and another cohort wanted to establish their publication trajectory. Sweeney mentioned there is a gap between educational technology knowledge and scholarly research in this field. Sweeney explained that creating a shared dialogue through exchanges of information was an important way to share and move the field forward. The code switching is an aspect that the group wants to explore further. Humphreys described the application process and who applied. They have had almost an equal distribution of scholars and advisors as well as a mix of learning technologists, academic staff, and professional service staff. About thirty six participants from fifty applicants are active in the program. Humphreys spoke about evaluating the pilot program to determine how to sustain their efforts and the key challenges to scholarly research in this field. The methodology they used was an IRB-approved mixed-methods scheme with pre/post surveys, confidence logs, and post-scheme interviews. The confidence logs are personal and not accessed by the research team, though the team encourages participants to keep logs and reflect on them during their interviews. Humphreys shared some findings from the pre-survey: the key driver seems to be the opportunity to collaborate and publish. Most survey respondents mentioned seeking research skills and support for professional development currently unavailable. Humphreys mentioned they will continue the program with another scholar meeting this month and more interviews. The ALT ELESIG website was shared: altc.alt.ac.uk/elesig/ and they do have an email list that I am curious about!
I had not considered the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) specifically in learning technologies. Interestingly, my first SoTL project at NC State was focused on the use of Livescribe pens! Jim Turner spoke about how there is a need for allies and forming identities. Sweeney mentioned that they want to explore belonging through their interviews. Interestingly, Sweeney emphasized how there are gaps in the literature of learning technology an SoTL. The session moderator, Dave White, asked several questions about how to support the development of learning technologists and what institutions can do. I did not realize the potential of SoTL in this area. I have truly enjoyed learning from ALT members and working with learning technologists. I hope I too can learn how to become a scholar in this field.
