The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning

Science of Teaching and Learning

The Science of Teaching and Learning (STL) Team is responsible for fulfilling The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning’s mandate as it relates to teaching and learning research and its practical application in higher education. Evidence-based decisions are essential for designing and delivering high-quality educational experiences for students at the University of Manitoba.  

In line with this belief, we aim to lead, inspire, and support inquiries into higher education to optimize teaching and learning experiences. In partnership with various members of the University of Manitoba community, we investigate key questions about teaching and learning, support the program evaluation process, and generate evidence-based quality assurance standards for various programs and initiatives.  

Attendees at the SoTL Symposium 2023 stand and listen to a presentation.

Our approach

  • The STL Team is an experienced interdisciplinary team--its members have formal training in the fields of biology, linguistics, brain and cognitive science, social psychology, sociology, music education, education, and program evaluation. Capitalizing on this diverse set of knowledge, skills, and research methodologies, the STL Team scientifically studies the underlying basis of teaching and learning with the goal of describing, understanding, and improving teaching and learning in various contexts in higher education (see Privitera et al. 2023). Our broad goal is to answer the question, “What do we know about how postsecondary students learn and what does the answer mean for how we teach?” 

  • Focus areas

    • Science of teaching and learning 
    • Scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) 
    • Program evaluation 
    • Quality assurance in learning and development 

What we offer

Scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL)

SoTL is "scholarly inquiry into student learning which advances the practice of teaching by making research findings public… SoTL practitioners draw from diverse research traditions to understand teaching and learning in a variety of contexts” (International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning [ISSOTL]).

Program evaluation

Program evaluation is the systematic process for planning, documenting, and assessing the implementation and outcomes of a learning program, and address the following questions: Is the program efficient and effective? Can the program be improved? A comprehensive evaluation can identify strengths and limitations of a program. Steps in the program evaluation process include outlining the framework of the program, determining questions about program goals, and identifying the data and appropriate analytical methods to address the questions. The evaluation should provide easy-to-understand findings and recommendations for action (Canadian Evaluation Society, Institute of Education Science).

Quality assurance in learning and development

The primary goals of the STL Team in the area of quality assurance in learning and development are to identify and use appropriate metrics to evaluate the short, medium, and long-term impact of professional teaching development opportunities provided by The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning. In our work, we are inspired by Canadian researchers who challenge centres for teaching and learning to rigorously assess professional development programming (Miller-Young & Poth, 2022).

Contact us

The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning
65 Dafoe Road, Winnipeg, MB
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada

thecentrecontactus@umanitoba.ca
204-474-8708
204-474-7514