ISSOTL 2019 Fellows Spotlight – Ruth Healey

Ruth Healey
Associate Professor
University of Chester
United Kingdom

What drew you to SoTL? I was drawn to SoTL for 3 main reasons: 1) Fundamentally, I want to make a difference. In the context in which I work I feel that the most effective way I can do this is through my teaching – and therefore I want to do it as well as I can. 2) I find work in SoTL inspiring which enthuses and stimulates me to want to enhance the practice of others and myself. And 3) I enjoy it! The people I meet, the conversations I have, and the work that I read. 

What does being an ISSOTL Fellow mean to you? Being an ISSOTL Fellow is a tremendous honour. It means joining a community of practice of people from a range of backgrounds who share the same enthusiasm and caring for teaching and learning. This provides a wonderful opportunity to discuss ideas and work together to contribute to the development of SoTL. 

What advice would you give to ISSOTL members looking to better engage others in SoTL? Demonstrate that small things work. You can often make big changes to your teaching and enhance student learning through relatively small actions. Showing people how small changes have made an impact provides inspiration. Then help people new to SoTL to plan out something small they can try in their own practice.