International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Volume 3, Number 2, July 2009

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Invited Essay

Excerpt

SoTL Commons Conference: A Spirit of Inquiry

In March 2009 the SoTL Commons Conference at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia (USA) was attended by many faculty members from across the globe. Three faculty members were invited to share both professional and personal perspectives about the conference. In this essay, we will talk about our experiences, the role and meaning of the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), and final impressions from the conference.

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Bios

Margaret Davis
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, Georgia, USA
mcdavis@georgiasouthern.edu

I have a Ph.D. in Education with an emphasis on teaching and learning. I also have a Master’s degree in Nursing Administration. As an assistant professor of nursing, I currently teach in an undergraduate adult health course and a complex health course for RN-BSN students. Since I began teaching in 2000, I have been interested in studying how to become a more effective educator and how to measure student learning in my courses. One of my goals as an educator is that my students will complete my course with an enduring understanding of the content. I would be happy to discuss opportunities for collaboration with my colleagues from across the world.


Kera Watkins
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, Georgia, USA
kzbell@GeorgiaSouthern.edu

I am currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Sciences and the Director of the Software Testing Laboratory. I have a broad interest in software engineering, particularly in software testing in complex networking environments. I am GSU's College of Information Technology (CIT) Academic Liaison for the Students and Technology in Academia, Research, and Service (STARS) Alliance (sponsored by NSF).
I have been active in using software tools to excite K-12 and college students towards computing. I have advised GSU's Society of Women Engineers, GSU's National Society of Black Engineers, and GSU's Association for Computing Machinery. I received the 2009 CIT Dean’s Citation for Student Engagement and was nominated for GSU's 2009 Excellence in Service Award.


Deborah Allen
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, Georgia, USA
debbieallen@georgiasouthern.edu

I have a Ph.D. in Nursing with a focus on chronic illnesses and disabilities in children and a Master’s Degree with a specialty area as a Family Nurse Practitioner. As an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing, I currently teach in the Master’s Family Nurse Practitioner Program and the Doctorate in Nursing Practice Program teaching. My interests include chronic illness and disabilities among rural populations with a focus on children and their families. I have been in the academic setting since 2003 and have transitioned from the Bachelor of Science (BSN) program to the Graduate Program. It has always been a priority for me to be an effective educator to my students and participate in University activities that promote interdisciplinary collaboration. I would like to have many collaborating partnerships with other faculty members within the SoTL community. I welcome your input and exchange of ideas.

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International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning is a publication of the Center for Excellence in Teaching at Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia, USA.