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doi.org/10.36284/celelon.oa10

ISBN: 978-1-64317-568-3

November 3, 2025

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Where do you begin when stepping into the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)? The truth is, there isn’t just one doorway—there are many. By drawing on two founda­tional metaphors in SoTL, this chapter presents SoTL as a space. It invites you to consider eight different entry points, to help you move from wondering where to start to inquiring: follow your curiosity, reframe a problem, surface prior knowledge, probe a belief, explore your context, consider variation, fill a gap, or honor your commitments. Each entry point is related to practical, authentic examples and reflection prompts. These entry-points are potential doorways into SoTL’s “big tent,” a space open to all who want to explore teaching and learning. Inside, you’ll find a diverse “trading zone” where colleagues from across disciplines share ideas, insights, and approaches. An important point in this chapters, and the book as a whole, is that there is no one way to begin, develop, conduct, or share a SoTL inquiry, and there’s room for great diversity in SoTL spaces. What matters is finding the one (or several) that feels right for you. By introducing these entry points this chapter invites you to begin your SoTL journey in a way that is both personal and purposeful. 

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Discussion Questions

We invite you to explore these questions in individual reflection or in collegial conversation.  

  • What strengths and assets do you bring to the “trading zone” in SoTL? How can you make these visible to others in the “big tent”? And what are you seeking from others who are in this “trading zone”? 
  • Which entry point(s) seem most appealing to you right now? Why? 
  • Do any of the entry points challenge you to think about SoTL inquiry differently? Why? 
  • If you have a SoTL inquiry in mind, what happens if you try approaching it from different entry points? 
  • Something with the metaphors. Something with the big tent. Trading zone: What strengths do you bring, and how will you give?  Where are your gaps, and how will you look to others to receive?