Growing Lemon Trees from Lemons: Lessons Reaped from a SoTL Faculty Learning Community's Research "Failures"

Main Article Content

Linh Dich
Karen M Brown
Jeff H Kuznekoff
Theresa Conover
John P Forren
Janet Marshall

Abstract

Failure can be central to faculty research; however, failure produces a vehicle for learning. Through an interdisciplinary faculty community, the authors supported each other in facing, learning from, and overcoming “failed” aspects of research projects. This article reports obstacles encountered in conducting Scholarship of Teaching and Learning research and the role of a faculty learning community in overcoming these challenges. Research pitfalls included lack of student participants, non-significant findings, expectations for understanding related course content, technology issues, use of deception, determining the research question, and managing bias. Ultimately, the faculty learning community engendered a foundation for successful research projects by shared inquiry into these research “failures.” 

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How to Cite
Dich, L., Brown, K. M., Kuznekoff, J. H., Conover, T., Forren, J. P., & Marshall, J. (2017). Growing Lemon Trees from Lemons: Lessons Reaped from a SoTL Faculty Learning Community’s Research "Failures". Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 17(4), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.14434/josotl.v17i4.21377
Section
Articles
Author Biographies

Linh Dich, Miami University

Department of English

Assistant Professor

Karen M Brown, Miami University

Department of Nursing

Assistant Professor

Jeff H Kuznekoff, Miami University

Department of Integrative Studies

Assistant Professor

Theresa Conover, Miami University

Department of Justice and Community Studies

Assistant Professor

John P Forren, Miami University

Department of Justice and Community Studies

Assistant Professor

Janet Marshall, Miami University

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Lecturer

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