The Role of Faculty in Connecting Canadian Undergraduate Arts and Humanities Students to Scholarly Inquiries into Teaching - A Case for Purposeful Experiential Learning - Part

Oct 15, 2026

The article examines how faculty can connect Canadian undergraduate Arts and Humanities students to scholarly inquiries into teaching by aligning experiential learning with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). It addresses a structural challenge for Arts and Humanities professors who can be marginalized in SoTL-related campus culture. A framework is proposed using research examples and the author’s experiences, emphasizing varying levels of student involvement and the benefits for learners and faculty.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Beyond-the-classroom learning models

Intersections of experiential learning and SoTL

Framework for student involvement

Benefits for students and faculty

The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning | Volume 7 | Issue 1 | Article 2 | | --- | --- | 6-11-2016 The Role of Faculty in Connecting Canadian Undergraduate Arts and Humanities Students to Scholarly Inquiries into Teaching: A Case for Purposeful Experiential Learning Ginny R. Ratsoy Thompson Rivers University, gratsoy@tru.ca Follow this and additional works at: [http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cjsotl_rcacea](http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cjsotl_rcacea) Recommended Citation Ratsoy, G (2015). Bringing Canadian undergraduate students inside the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning through Purposeful Experiential Learning. The Role of Faculty in Connecting Canadian Undergraduate Arts and Humanities Students to Scholarly Inquiries into Teaching: A Case for Purposeful Experiential Learning Abstract Increasingly, various sectors of Canadian universities are advocating an assortment of beyond-the-classroom learning models – from research assistantships through service learning and cooperative education placements. At the same time, faculty who engage in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and related inquiries into teaching and learning are striving to shift attention on their activities from the periphery to a more central position within campus culture – a particular challenge for Arts and Humanities professors, who may find themselves marginalized within SoTL. This article focuses attention on the intersections of experiential learning and SoTL and SoTL-related activity. Students have much to benefit from, and offer to, these activities – beyond their usual role as subjects of studies. I present a framework based on examples from research and my own experiences – with a focus on undergraduate Arts students, who, arguably, have the fewest opportunities for Experiential Learning in general – that illustrates varying degrees of involvement. As Arts faculty attempt to enhance and highlight inquiries into teaching and learning, they would be wise to conjoin them with experiential learning by including students in the process and product. Divers secteurs des universités canadiennes conseillent de plus en plus un assortiment de modèles d’apprentissage hors de la salle de classe – que ce soit par le biais de postes d’assistants à la recherche, del’apprentissage par le service ou de stages dans le cadre de l’enseignement coopératif. En même temps, les professeurs qui sont actifs dans l’Avancement des connaissances en enseignement et en apprentissage (ACEA) et dans des domaines connexes liés à l’enseignement et à l’apprentissage s’efforcent d’attirer l’attention sur leursactivités pour les faire passer de la périphérie à une position plus centrale sur les campus – ce qui s’avère être un réel défi pour les professeurs des facultés de lettres et sciences humaines car ils se retrouvent marginalisésau sein de l’ACEA. Cet article se concentre sur les intersections de l’apprentissage par l’expérience et de l’ACEA et des activités liées à l’ACEA. Les étudiants ont grandement profité de ces activités et y ont beaucoup apporté, au-delà de leur rôle en tant qu’objets d’études. Je présente un cadre basé sur des exemples issus de ma recherche et de mes propres expériences – avec une concentration sur les étudiants de premier cycle en lettres et sciences humaines qui, et cela est discutable, ont le moins grand nombre d’occasions, en général, departiciper à l’enseignement par l’expérience – qui illustrent divers degrés d’implication. Alors que les professeurs des facultés de lettres essaient d’améliorer et de rehausser la recherche en enseignement et en apprentissage, ils auraient intérêt à y ajouter l’apprentissage par l’expérience en incluant les étudiants dans le processus et dans le produit. Keywords scholarship of teaching and learning, experiential learning, scholarly inquiries into teaching and learning, research assistants Cover Page Footnote I offer sincere thanks to the many students who inspired

FAQs

What is the article’s central focus?

It focuses on how experiential learning intersects with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and related teaching-and-learning inquiries.

Why does the article emphasize Arts and Humanities undergraduates?

Because these students arguably have fewer opportunities for experiential learning, making faculty efforts to connect them particularly important.

How does faculty involvement benefit students in these models?

It enhances research collaboration, dissemination skills, critical analysis, recognition of skill development, and supports metacognitive growth.

Oct 15, 2026

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