(Re)Considering the Scholarship of Learning: Inviting the Elephant in the Room to Tea

Abstract

This essay argues that the SoT(L) field has mistakenly equated learning solely to teaching and the teaching classroom, and has systematically ignored the other moments and opportunities within higher education institutes where learning and scholarly learning occurs—particularly within academic support and development programming. Therefore, we endeavour to discuss what we see as the elephant in the SoT(L) living room—learning, scholarly learning, and the Scholarship of Learning—and examine the ways in which learning and the Scholarship of Learning can be brought back into the SoT(L) discussion through an examination of academic support and development programming. Through the creation of a new theoretical and diagrammatic SoTL framework, this essay presents a more integrated, enhanced, and expanded understanding of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, and does so to further dialogue and to recognize the Scholarship of Learning as a strong and important contribution to the SoTL literature.

Keywords

• Scholarship of Learning
• Academic support and development
• Scholarship of Teaching
• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
• Transformative Learning
• Learner Conflict