What is SoTL at NWU?

Smith (2001:53) distinguishes “teaching (activities to promote student learning) from scholarly teaching (a reflection of one’s knowledge about and approach to teaching and learning) and the scholarship of teaching and learning (the contributions to a developing body of knowledge about teaching and learning).

The aim of a Scholarship for Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is threefold: (i) to improve teaching and learning in higher education; (ii) to create the opportunity for lecturers to deepen and share their understanding of learning in higher education; and (iii) to contribute to their professional development as prescribed by the National Framework for Enhancing Academics as University Teachers (DHET, 2018).

SoTL projects reflect a range of practices and inquiry into teaching and learning at the North-West University. The purpose of the SoTL funds, from the University Capacity Development Grant (UCDG), is to provide academics and professional staff at NWU with an opportunity to research their own teaching-learning praxis in a scientific manner in order to improve teaching and learning as well as to expand their research and deliver research outputs. The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) offers members of the SoTL community the opportunity to participate in upcoming SoTL-related events. These events allow colleagues to develop a scholarly approach to teaching as well as to promote knowledge production and knowledge sharing about university teaching and learning.

References:
Smith, Ronald. (2001). Formative Evaluation and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. New Directions for Teaching and Learning. 2001. P.51 - 62.

What is CTL’s role in SoTL?

In 2012, senior academic management made the decision to promote SoTL as a strategic project at NWU as one of the drivers in realising the then mission of the NWU. The SoTL aimed (and aims) to strengthen both the quality of teaching and learning and to distinguish the NWU from its competitors.

As part of the Centre for Teaching and Learning’s (CTL) strategy, the Special Projects and Research in HE (SPR) Directorate steers projects pertaining to the core business of CTL. The core areas around which the Directorate is structured include: (i) Higher Education (HE) Development and Research; (ii) Teaching and Learning Surveys; (iii) Digital Teaching and Learning Environments; (iv) University Capacity Development Grant (UCDG) activities coordination; and (v) Directorate-specific special projects.

The purpose of SoTL funds, from the UCDG, is to provide academics and professional support staff at NWU with an opportunity to research their own teaching-learning praxis in a scientific manner in order to improve teaching and learning as well as to expand their research and deliver research outputs. In addition to SoTL funding, there are also other SoTL-related offerings that are planned. These opportunities for professional development include: SoTL writing retreats, research design workshops, SoTL colloquiums, symposiums, and conferences at the NWU.

Project 6 Awards and recognitions for university teachers, Activity 4 SoTL, is funded from the UCDG cycle 2024 to 2026, within the Focus Area: Staff Development, and managed by professional staff from the CTL SPR Directorate. The project goal is to reward and recognise deserving academics for the excellent contribution of work that they do as university teachers. The project aligns itself with the NWU’s Annual Performance Plan (APP) 1.4 Goal – Attract, develop, and retain excellent teaching-learning staff; and 2.1 Goal – Improve research productivity through research excellence and global leadership.

Is there a SoTL project list from which I may choose a project and join?

The NWU SoTL Database of Projects from 2013 to 2024 is available but it is not a list of projects where interested academics or professional support staff may select a SoTL project and join. The database is primarily use by the SoTL coordinator to capture the formal proposal application information when funding has been allocated in the form of a grant, in order for the project leader and members of the project to complete a SoTL project.

Remember, research studies first receive an ethics approval letter from a Research Ethics Committee (REC) and during this process, it is necessary to list the researches, the primary investigator and the co-investigators; the researchers are also required to be listed on the formal application document for SoTL project funding, as a matter of record. It is also a requirement to submit an ethics approval letter when you submit your SoTL proposal application and initial budget for project funding.

If you are interested in conceptualising a SoTL project, book a 30-minute consultation with the SoTL administrator to discuss your potential project with the members of the CTL SoTL workgroup. Alternatively, participate in the facilitated SoTL workshop on research design by registering through LibCal. In addition, download the SoTL application process illustration to see the steps towards submitting your proposal application for SoTL project funding.

May registered students apply for project funding because they are part of my SoTL project?

No. Although SoTL project leaders include their students as co-investigators or collect data from students, NWU registered students may not apply for SoTL project funding and will not be grant holders. Only academics and professional support staff (for example, from the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL)) may formally submit a proposal application for SoTL project funding.

The purpose of the SoTL funds, from the University Capacity Development Grant (UCDG) specifically for Focus Area 2: Staff Development, is to provide academics and professional staff at NWU with an opportunity to research their own teaching-learning praxis in a scientific manner in order to improve teaching and learning as well as to expand their research and deliver research outputs.

Funding for Focus Area 1: Student Development is funded from the UCDG for other specific projects and activities. Contact your UCDG Focus Area 1 Leader to find out about funding for students.

How do I apply for SoTL project funding?

Download the SoTL application process illustration to see the steps towards submitting your proposal application for SoTL project funding.

Once you have conceptualised your SoTL project and received the ethics approval letter, you are required to complete the SoTL proposal application template and initial budget spreadsheet. SoTL projects are funded from the University Capacity Development Grant (UCDG) and potential applicants are encouraged to participate in a consultation with the SoTL coordinator before formally applying for project funding. The purpose of the consultation is partly, to screen the initial budget before it is submitted for consideration.

Essentially, after submitting your documentation to the SoTL coordinator, within two weeks, the initial budget is sent by the SoTL coordinator to members of the UCDG team for consideration via Round robin; final approval is then communicated by the SoTL coordinator.

You will then receive a SoTL notice award letter that funding has been allocated for your project. Your financial officer will then be required to open a 1DB Account for you as the SoTL project leader (now, grant holder), within one month, in order for the SoTL coordinator to instruct the financial officers from the Academic Grants Administration (AGA’s) Office to transfer a specific amount.

Will the SoTL funding be transferred into my research account or can it be split for each co-investigator?

Similar question:

• If the project leader leaves NWU, may the rest of the project members continue with the project – how will the project members access the account?

One amount (grant) per project is transferred into a 1DB Account; if the project leader submits a new proposal application for SoTL project funding, the new initial budget will be considered and a new 1 DB Account will need to be opened for the new SoTL project. The financial officer that the project leader has confirmed on their SoTL acceptance of funding letter, is the only colleague permitted to process transactions related to the SoTL project. No transfer(s) to any account(s), other than the original transfer to a 1DB Account, may be completed or requested. The funding (grant) may only be used by the project leader in order to complete the SoTL project as approved.

A SoTL project is completed within 24 months (two (2) years). Funding may not ‘roll over’ from one UCDG cycle to another cycle. For instance, SoTL projects need to be completed in 2026 as the 1DB Account will be automatically closed as from December 2026. Therefore, if you apply for project funding in 2026, you will only have the academic year to complete the project. If you receive SoTL project funding in 2024 and/or in 2025, you have until 2026 to complete your project. As part of your proposal application for SoTL project funding, you will also be required to disclose whether they have received / will receive any other funding for the project.

If the SoTL project leader, for instance, is planning on resigning as an employee from NWU, they are able to contact their Research Ethics Committee (REC) and petition that the research study continue with a new investigator / researcher. In the same way, the project leader may then request that the 1DB Account be changed from their name to the name of the new project leader (grant holder). This change in project leadership is not ‘automatic’ and needs to be approved formally.

If I am unable to continue with the research due to a valid reason, will I need to pay back the money spent?

Similar question:

• What happens if I did not use the funding to complete my project, will my account be automatically closed?

A 1DB Account may only be used for the purposes of completing a SoTL project, as approved. The financial officer that the project leader has confirmed on their SoTL acceptance of funding letter draws a monthly GL Report for the SoTL project leader in order to track expenditure.

Twice a year, in June / July and in November the SoTL coordinator will request from each SoTL project leader (grant holder) that they complete a SoTL project progress report. This allows the project leader to highlight any concerns around expenditure, in advance. Any risk of underspending will then be discussed with the project leader during a consultation with the SoTL coordinator.

Only once the SoTL project is completed will the project leader also complete a SoTL closing of account form and indicate that the funding (grant) has indeed been used for the project and the 1DB Account may be closed. Only then may unexpended or uncommitted funds also be returned, if any are still in the 1DB Account.

Can I apply for SoTL funding but only to attend a conference? / Will it be possible to ask for a ‘top up’ of funds, I need to go to a conference and present on my SoTL project?

No. A potential applicant is required to submit the ethics approval letter of their research study, a SoTL proposal application, and an initial budget spreadsheet as part of the documentation when initially applying for SoTL project funding. It is a requirement that the funding (the grant) be used for the intended purpose, primarily, to complete the SoTL project and not only for the project leader and project members to use the funding to share their findings with the broader SoTL community by, for instance, participating in a conference. Therefore, any funding budgeted may not only be to attend a conference. As part of the initial budget, the conference should also be SoTL-related; for instance, ISSoTL which is an international opportunity.

No ‘top-ups’ will be considered or approved unless the project leader shows, in their progress report, that the additional funding is for the SoTL project to be completed. In other words, if additional funding is requested to cover an amount for conference participation, the request will not be approved. You will need to source additional funding from other avenues.

I am collaborating with a national / an international partner, will they also receive funding if I apply on their behalf?

Similar questions include:

• Does my co-researcher in another country also need ethical clearance if I am applying at NWU for our project?
• I would like to draft an MOU with another institution for our project, how do I go about finding the correct template?

Only permanently appointed or Fixed-term appointed academics who teach one or more undergraduate and/or postgraduate module(s) in a faculty at the North-West University (NWU) may apply for SoTL project funding. Professional staff from the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) conducting research in their focus areas are also encouraged to apply for SoTL project funding.

An applicant may only be granted ethics approval by a Research Ethics Committee (REC) from the NWU for their research study. Similarly, a national / international partner also needs to apply to their institutional structures for ethics approval / clearance for the research study which includes, to collect data and to publish / present the data.

The ethics approval for the research study, from NWU, does not extend to a national and/or an international partnership. The funding (grant) received is the same – it does not extend to / may not be used by the national and/or international partner. It is important that applicants consult with the NWU Legal Services when considering a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), for instance, before conceptualising the research study with a national / international partner(s).

I have money left and I am planning to go and visit a colleague I met at a SoTL conference, may I use the budget for this visit?

Similar questions:

• What if I decide during the research that I want to use the allocated funding differently than specified in the initial planning - for example - publish two articles instead of one and no longer attending a conference, or attending a different conference than initially planned?

An updated budget spreadsheet must be submitted to the SoTL coordinator before any changes may be made to the initial budget that was originally approved for the SoTL project. Twice a year, in June / July and in November the SoTL coordinator will request from each SoTL project leader that they complete a SoTL project progress report. This allows the project leader to indicate any potential changes / requests to the approved budget.

No equipment, software, and tokens of appreciation for students may be purchased with funding from the UCDG in terms of the grant that was allocated according to the approved budget. However, if there is funding available, books may be purchased for instance but the project leader, when indicating any strategies to mitigate the risk of not spending the funding, needs to include this change in budget, in their progress report for record purposes.

SoTL project leaders and members must provide evidence of the following deliverables at the end of the funding period: Making public the results from a teaching-learning platform (e.g. NWU Annual Teaching and Learning Conference or national / international conferences; intra-institutional colloquiums; inter-institutional symposiums; any other formal teaching-learning forum); an article (at any stage of planning up to submission for publication) and/or book chapter(s); and final report on the SoTL project. Therefore, it is important to include an opportunity such as a publication amount in the initial budget that will be approved.

No ‘top-ups’ will be approved for an extended visit, after the initial budget has already been approved. You will need to source additional funding from other avenues for the (unplanned) visit. Research outputs ‘boost’ your research profile. In this case, you would indicate the new journal information and budget request, in the progress report.

When do we report on our SoTL project to the CTL SoTL coordinator and will I receive a monthly update on the budget?

Once your proposal application for SoTL project funding is approved, on the SoTL acceptance of funding letter that you sign as a project leader (now, grant holder) you are required to indicate the name of your financial officer. This colleague is responsible for processing payments according to the NWU UCDG Financial Guidelines document and the NWU’s KFS rules. The financial officer will also be able to provide you with a monthly GL Report detailing expenditure. The CTL SoTL administrator and/or the CTL SoTL coordinator are not responsible for the budget or the project expenditure.

It is the responsibility of the project leader and the accountability of the financial officer to work together in order to ensure expenditure as outlined in the timeframe that is part of the SoTL proposal application template that was submitted. Financial transactions related to the SoTL project are audited.

I am waiting for the ethics clearance letter but I have my SoTL proposal application ready and I need to collect data now, may I apply for funding already?

The planned research must be ethically sound and conducted adhering to requirements of the NWU. It is the responsibility of the applicant to complete an application document for ethics clearance, before officially applying for SoTL project funding. Ethics approval / clearance is received though the relevant Research Ethics Review Committee (REC) before the applicant commences with the research project (in other words, before collecting data). The ethical clearance number should then be included in the SoTL application for project funding.

Note on Post facto ethics approval:

Consider the following notice from Basic and Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee (BaSSREC):

In an email dated 11 November 2019, the Deputy Dean, Research and Innovation, professor Mirna Nel, communicated the following information relating to retrospective ethics approval for studies:

Please note that if there are still students and projects where data have been collected but there is no ethics approval (including no and low risk studies) no post facto approval can be given. After 30 January 2020 the study leader and student will have to take responsibility to re-collect data (with ethics approval), as submission of the study for examination will not be allowed otherwise. No exceptions will be made in this regard.

[https://humanities.nwu.ac.za/basic-and-social-sciences-research-ethics-committee-bassrec]

I want to appoint a student assistant and pay them more because I have a little bit left in the budget, where can I find the latest financial guidelines?

SoTL is funded from the University Capacity Development Grant (UCDG) cycle 2024 to 2026. Proposal applications for SoTL project funding should include an initial budget spreadsheet. Download the template to confirm how the grant may be used in order to complete the SoTL project.

The financial officer that the project leader has confirmed on their SoTL acceptance of funding letter will process transactions according to the NWU UCDG Financial Guidelines document and the NWU’s KFS rules. Therefore, in the planning of the budget, it is important to consult with the SoTL coordinator to confirm the latest and updated version of the NWU UCDG Financial Guidelines document.

Planning may include a research assistant that is paid according to the conditions set out in the NWU UCDG Financial Guidelines document. Conditions include and are not limited to: Contracts, rates for a student appointment per hour, working hours per month as well as claims process and timesheets.

Basic terminology

When you receive funding (a grant) for your SoTL project, the following are terms used:

• SoTL project = Research study (which needs ethics approval)
• A SoTL project leader = Principle / Primary investigator / Grant holder
• Grant holder = Project leader with the 1DB Account
• Co-I = Co-investigators / Project members
• Co-worker = Not the same as a Co-investigator, colleague assisting in completing a section of the project