Section I: SoTL Foundations

This section serves two key purposes. First, it establishes philosophical, methodological, and theoretical foundations for exploring the role of educational technology in SoTL research. Second, it demonstrates how philosophical concepts—particularly Arendt’s notions of plurality, promise, and forgiveness—can shape the questions we ask and the approaches we take when studying technology-enhanced teaching and learning.

During the initial brainstorming for this book, we (the editors) knew we wanted to focus on SoTL and educational technology. A concern that frequently arose was how studies on educational technology often emphasize the technology itself rather than the teaching and learning it enables. To address this, we wrote three foundational chapters designed to help readers engage with and develop their own SoTL studies on educational technology while maintaining a focus on teaching and learning.

In Chapter 2: Research Paradigms and Methodologies for Pedagogical Research, Janice Miller-Young discusses how to develop a SoTL study on educational technology that centres on teaching and learning rather than the tools themselves. She emphasizes that it is important to know “the breadth of types of research questions and associated research paradigms, methodologies, and theories that can be useful to a SoTL researcher” and maps a variety of example SoTL studies to relevant paradigms and methodologies.

In Chapter 3: Aligning Theoretical Frameworks with SoTL Research Questions Focused on Technology, Lauren Hays outlines commonly used educational theories and lists examples of how those theories influence the types of research questions we ask in SoTL. We (the editors) believe SoTL researchers benefit from being aware of their theoretical assumptions about learning “because it will help them ask new questions, design better studies, and also more strongly articulate their findings” (Miller-Young & Yeo, 2015, p. 40).

In Chapter 4: Communicating our SoTL to Support Scholarly Teaching, Brett McCollum explains how to communicate SoTL research on educational technology effectively. Specifically, he explains why it is important to keep the focus on teaching and learning when discussing educational technology in SoTL research, and then provides examples of how to do that. The chapter ends with a challenge: Readers are encouraged to review sample research questions and reframe them to emphasize the teaching and learning enabled by educational technology.

In Chapter 5: Plurality, Promise, and Forgiveness as Philosophical Foundations for SoTL Projects in Educational Technology Contexts, Alice Watanabe demonstrates how political theory can be used as a lens from which to view our SoTL work. Using the work of political theorist Hannah Arendt, she describes how Arendt’s work can form the foundation of a SoTL project specifically in the area of educational technology. This chapter inspires us to embrace interdisciplinary collaboration, critically examine the ethical and social dimensions of technology-enhanced learning, and incorporate reflective, trust-based pedagogical approaches to foster inclusive and adaptive teaching practices.

Together, these chapters provide a foundation for conducting SoTL research on educational technology. By addressing research paradigms, theoretical frameworks, effective communication, and philosophical perspectives, this section equips readers with diverse tools and perspectives for reflecting on their teaching and designing meaningful studies that move beyond the technology itself.

References

Miller-Young, J., & Yeo, M. (2015). Conceptualizing and communicating SoTL: A framework for the field. Teaching and Learning Inquiry, 3(2), 37–53. https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.3.2.37