Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Inspiring Excellence through Faculty-Led Inquiry At the heart of Zayed University's SoTL model is a collaborative mentoring system that pairs faculty members with experienced educational researchers. Through the CEI's "robust mentoring model," faculty receive one-on-one guidance in designing and carrying out classroom-based research. Faculty work alongside SoTL mentors to collect and analyze data on their teaching practices - such as student feedback, assessment results, and engagement metrics - in order to pinpoint challenges and test new strategies. This partnership approach ensures that instructors are not alone in their inquiry; they have expert support in research design, data analysis, and interpretation, leading to rigorous investigations of what works best for student learning.

Such support structures enable instructors to experiment with evidence-based interventions confidently and systematically. This faculty-researcher pairing yields a cycle of innovation: instructors bring deep disciplinary knowledge and real classroom questions, while educational researchers contribute expertise in pedagogy and methodology. Together, they design interventions (such as a new instructional technique, assessment method, or use of technology), implement them in courses, and collect evidence on student response and achievement. Throughout the process, faculty critically reflect on their practice, guided by data and scholarly literature. As a result, teaching moves from intuition to an evidence-driven practice.

This SoTL model keeps students at the center of the educational mission. It reminds everyone that student learning is the ultimate measure of success, and that improving it requires continual inquiry and adaptation. Students benefit directly from more engaging classes, more supportive learning environments, and instructors who are responsive to evidence of what they need. The increases in student engagement and academic success are not just statistics; they represent more students who are motivated to learn, who overcome challenges, and who achieve their academic goals. Seeing these positive outcomes fuels faculty enthusiasm even further - creating a virtuous cycle of motivation and improvement. Zayed Universit's experience with SoTL affirms that when faculty are given the tools, support, and encouragement to research their teaching, remarkable transformations can occur. Classrooms become incubators of innovation, and teaching itself becomes a form of research with the potential for high impact. This ongoing journey of discovery and refinement embodies the spirit of "creating, innovating, and empowering" that Zayed University champions. By investing in the scholarship of teaching and learning, the university not only elevates its faculty's skills but also profoundly enhances student learning - fulfilling the promise of a truly transformative education.