Classroom Inquiry and IRB (Spring 2025)

February 17 – March 9, 2025

Short Course

Description

Participants will review Scholarship of Teaching (SoTL) premises to generate an inquiry question and a study outline grounded by consideration of equity and ethics. In doing so, participants will review what counts as valid and reliable data and two major approaches to make sense of different inquiries.

From the Facilitator

Direct link: Classroom Inquiry and IRB Introduction Video

Course Learning Objectives:

• Identify and describe the point and principles of a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) framework.
• Determine what counts as a research question; and in turn determine what counts as a SoTL-based research question.
• Understand the ethical underpinnings and the historical examples that imbue the point of Institutional Review Boards and how this influences the determination of what counts as an ethical research question.
• Identify and describe common strategies to observe certain data (e.g., notes, surveys, tests, behaviors) with consideration to validity and reliability.
• Identify and describe two major study approaches; and determine the most suitable study approach for an inquiry.
• Address an issue of educational equity by generating a research question and drafting a study outline to answer the question.

Learning Plan

Module 1

1. Activities guide participants to narrow SoTL questions
2. Introduction to Ethical Human Subject Research and identification of training resources

Module 2

1. Design study plan
2. explore existing evidence tools within literature
3. Connect with local IRB resources or explore external IRB options

Module 3

1. Identify 1 or 2 evidence tools for SoTL study or create a tool for piloting
2. Connect data analysis plan to SoTL questions and evidence tools
3. Articulate a research study plan

Suggested Audience 

Faculty (Full-time and part-time), Instructional Designers and Technologists, Faculty Developers/Trainers, and Concurrent Enrollment instructors.

Estimated Time Commitment 

Most participants are able to complete this course by committing 4-6 hours per week. 

Reflect on your Professional Development 

As you progress through this course, please consider how you can use the assignments as a way to highlight your work on your Professional Development Plan. Consider sharing your work with your leadership team.

Registration Required

Use the RSVP tool below to register. There is a limit of 30 participants per course.

Reminders Coming:  We use the email address you provided to send you reminder emails as the event date gets closer, but we suggest you add this event to your calendar. 

The  NED is committed to providing universal access to all of our events, we’d like to discover how we can make the event more inclusive so you can fully participate!

Machine generated captions are available in real-time for all Zoom events, however human generated CART (live caption) service and ASL interpretation can be requested with advanced notice (2 weeks) to make the event more accessible.

Please, let us know of any disability-related accommodations that will facilitate your full participation

Course Location 

This course is hosted and facilitated using shared D2L Brightspace instance of Minnesota State called, MnSite.

Questions?  

Contact the Network for Educational Development.