Keynote Speakers

2025 Keynote Speakers

Dr. Kelly Schrum

Biography

Dr. Kelly Schrum is a professor in the Higher Education Program at George Mason University and co-editor of Teaching and Learning Inquiry, the journal for the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL). Schrum’s research focuses on the history of higher education, the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), and teaching and learning in the digital age, including open educational resources, online learning, and scholarly digital storytelling. Schrum has directed more than 60 digital humanities projects with funding from federal and state agencies and foundations.

I Don’t Know: Embracing “Delicious Uncertainty” through SoTL

We each bring our disciplinary knowledge and experience to the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) along with a deep understanding of our own institutional, regional, and national context. But what happens when we get there? Through SoTL, we are exposed to new voices and perspectives and to unexpected ways of knowing and doing. SoTL has been both interdisciplinary and international since its inception more than 30 years ago and it offers a space where we can seek out and learn from similarities as well as differences in pedagogy and practice. This is unique in higher education and can feel both invigorating and uncomfortable. If we embrace these feelings and open ourselves up to the “delicious uncertainty,” we can improve teaching and learning in higher education and discover new possibilities for moving beyond disciplinary silos to solve the complex problems that require multidisciplinary thinking and approaches.

Dr. Shannon Michel Sipes

Biography

Shannon is the Director for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and a Lead Instructional Consultant in the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning at Indiana University. She holds an M.A. in experimental psychology and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction with a focus on higher education and has applied this to her work as an academic developer specializing in assessment, SoTL, and curriculum design for 20 years. She most enjoys supporting faculty in their transition from scholarly teacher to SoTL practitioner. Shannon is a member of both the POD Network and the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL). Her activity within ISSOTL includes serving on three of the four standing committees at some point (i.e., advocacy, recognition, convenings), participating in two International Collaborative Writing Groups (i.e. one on mentoring in SoTL and another on SoTL leadership), and serving as co-chair of the upcoming 20th anniversary ISSOTL conference. As a researcher, she is a pragmatist who navigates toward mixed methods designs. As an instructor, she has taught psychology and education courses at a variety of institutional types (i.e. community college, small private technical, regional) and modalities (i.e. on campus, hybrid, virtual; both synchronously and asynchronously).

Radical Hope for SoTL: Intersections of Identity and Inquiry

Abstract:

In his teaching manifesto, Radical Hope, Kevin Gannon tells us that teaching well is itself an act of radical hope; “endeavors aimed at fundamental, root-level transformation” through which “a better future takes shape” (p. 5). I argue that like the practice of teaching, the practice of SoTL is an act of radical hope. Part of this act is focused on improving learning for students, but another part is focused on increasing the diversity and breadth of who practices SoTL. Shaped by our lived experiences and identities, this process will look different depending on who you are and your particular context. In this keynote we will explore how our individual lenses and positionality influence our SoTL engagement throughout our careers. We’ll learn to identify and leverage our unique perspectives to address the fifth grand challenge of SoTL: understanding and improving its practice, use, and growth. By leveraging our personal strengths and embracing the strengths of others, we can foster a more inclusive and equitable SoTL community. 

Last updated: 1/6/2025