ISSOTL26 | International Collaborative Writing Groups (ICWGs)

• Applications are due April 15, 2026
• Participants announced by April 21, 2026
• ICWG Groups begin working April 27, 2026
• ICWG Kickoff Meeting April 27 or April 29, 2026 (both options are the same): 06:30 PDT; 09:30 EDT/CLT; 14:30 BST; 15:30 CEST; 23:30 AEST

Check your local timezone conversion here: 

• • Option 1: Monday, Apr 27, 2026 – 7:30-8:30 AM (Mountain Time = UTC-6)
  • Option 2: Wednesday, Apr 29, 2026 – 7:30-8:30 AM (Mountain Time = UTC-6)

The International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL) invites applications from groups for the Academic track of its International Collaborative Writing Group (ICWG) initiative, scheduled to take place in Saskatoon, Canada, as part of ISSOTL26. ICWGs bring together faculty, staff, and students to co-author articles for submission to Teaching & Learning Inquiry on topics of shared interest from an international perspective. Read more on ISSOTL’s website.

The ICWG Co-Leaders invite applications for group participants for selected projects and facilitators. Details of participation, how to apply, and brief descriptions of the projects are below. Students are encouraged to apply!

The 2026 ICWG includes an in-person workshop (October 25–27) in Saskatoon, Canada, immediately before the ISSOTL26 conference (October 28–31). Groups collaborate online before and after the conference to produce a publishable manuscript by October 2027.

All Group Participants are expected to attend the pre-conference workshop and register for the conference. The 2026 ICWG is an in-person initiative, so applicants are expected to have secured or be highly confident in securing necessary funds and time for being at the pre-conference writing workshop and ISSOTL26 conference in-person. There are no online or hybrid options for participation.

Aims and Outcomes

• Build participants’ capacity to innovate and work collegially in international collaborative groups
• Promote, share, and extend SoTL-based practices and findings through traditional peer-reviewed publications
• Develop an original contribution to SoTL

Expectations

The ICWG is an ~18-month commitment, where you’ll work with an international group of 6–7 members from early 2026 until submission to TLI in 2027. 

Before the In-person Workshop:

• Upon acceptance, actively engage with the facilitator and group, including remote pre-workshop tasks starting in early 2026
• Pre-Workshop Deliverable: Approximately 6-8 weeks before the conference, each group submits an extended abstract or outline (typically 2,000 words) of their project. Each participant is then asked to provide peer-feedback to help refine ideas and foster a sense of a larger cohort community before everyone meets in person.

During the In-person Workshop: 

• Full and active participation: This means being physically and mentally present for all sessions, contributing ideas, engaging in writing, providing constructive feedback to peers ( within your group and as a “critical friend”), and collaborating to refine the group’s project plan.

After the In-person Workshop:

• Writing and Contribution: Contribute to your group’s project as agreed upon, which includes writing assigned sections, participating in revisions, and meeting internal deadlines.
• Responding to Feedback: Actively participate in discussions about reviewer feedback and contribute to the collaborative revision of the manuscript.

Benefits

ICWGs are an invaluable opportunity to develop skills, generate academic outputs, and engage deeply with the ISSOTL and SoTL community. There are many benefits for Group Participants, such as:

• Capacity-building
• Communication and dissemination skills development
• Deepening knowledge of SoTL literature and avenues for its dissemination
• Expanded networks of international colleagues
• Evidence for academic portfolios (e.g., to support promotion and tenure)

Costs

All ICWG Group Participants are responsible for their own expenses. Registration fees and costs for the ICWG pre-conference writing workshop are in addition to the fees and costs for the ISSOTL26 conference.

2026 ICWG registration fees are still being confirmed with conference organizers, but are expected to be similar to previous iterations: ~$350 USD for non-students and ~$200 USD for students.

Accepted student participants are also highly encouraged to apply for the ISSOTL Emerging Scholars Fund, which typically helps offset the costs of the conference registration (this is separate from ICWG registration) fees. Applications for the Emerging Scholars Fund typically open in May/June.

Timeline

Timeframe	Key Stages
Mar 2026	Participant Recruitment
Apr 2026	Group Formation & Work Begins
Aug 2026	Pre-Workshop Deliverable
Oct 25-27, 2026	ICWG In-person Workshop
Oct 28-31, 2026	ISSOTL26 Conference
Nov 2026 – Oct 2027	Remote Collaboration & Writing for Submission to TLI for Peer Review
~ 2028	TLI Peer Review Publication of Accepted Submissions

Applying

To apply, please prepare the following:

• Choose your top two projects, and members will be selected based on interest and creating strong, diverse teams
• 200 words describing what you could contribute to and gain from the experience
• 100 words describing your experience, if any, in SoTL (this is to help with group formation)
• 100 words explaining why you would be an effective participant for this specific topic or project

Note: The scope and focus of the writing within a topic are negotiated by each group once formed.

To apply for this exciting new initiative, please apply here.

ICWG Co-Leaders,

Leslie Woltenberg, PhD, University of Kentucky

Karen Lander, PhD, University of Manchester

Leda Stawnychko, PhD, Mount Royal University

Project Descriptions

Group 1: Resilience and Equity in Multilingual Classrooms: Building Bridges Across Post‐Conflict and Diverse Educational Contexts

Group a Lead: Mian Salahuddin (University of Swat)

Description of Topic 1: This inquiry examines how multilingual classrooms in post-conflict and diverse educational settings can become sites of resilience, equity, and social cohesion. The project explores how trauma-informed pedagogy and culturally sustaining practices empower learners and communities through the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). Aligned with the ISSOTL26 theme Building Bridges: Strengthening Relationships and Networks in SoTL, the study foregrounds the relational dimensions of language. It investigates how educators, students, and families co-construct learning environments that honor heritage languages while fostering global competencies. Through qualitative insights and international collaboration, participants will explore practical strategies—such as peer-led tutoring, co-designed curricula, and low-tech digital integration—that support inclusive participation. The collaboration will culminate in a manuscript for Teaching & Learning Inquiry examining how multilingual classrooms can foster dialogue, equity, and peacebuilding.

Group 2: Building SoTL Capacity: Leadership, Identity, and Communities of Practice in Higher Education

Group 2 Lead: Chen Zheng (Curtin University)

Description of Topic 2: This topic will explore how leadership and community-building practices support the development of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) capacity across diverse higher education contexts. The project positions SoTL leadership not as a formal or hierarchical role, but as a relational, reflective, and distributed practice enacted through mentoring, peer networks, and communities of practice. Engaging with the theme Leadership and Community in SoTL, the group will examine how academics and professional staff develop as SoTL scholars through participation in collaborative learning communities. Particular attention will be given to scholarly identity, professional confidence, and belonging, especially for early-career academics, teaching-focused staff, and those working in institutions with limited formal SoTL support. Using a collective narrative inquiry approach, participants will draw on lived experiences, shared storytelling, and critical reflection to explore patterns and enabling conditions that shape SoTL leadership and capacity-building.

Group 3: Reflective Pedagogies for Learning and SoTL Inquiry

Group 3 Lead: Kim Anderson (University of Central Florida)

Description of Topic 3: This collaborative writing project explores reflective learning as a central pedagogical practice for improving student learning and fostering educator growth, while examining how reflective pedagogies are translated into rigorous SoTL inquiry. Participants will explore teaching practices that intentionally engage students in reflection, inquiry, and meaning-making—such as experiential learning, community-engaged projects, research-infused coursework, and scaffolded reflective writing—and consider how these practices support engagement, learning, and identity development across diverse educational contexts. The group will also examine how educators study reflective learning: how it is conceptualized, documented, analyzed, and ethically represented in SoTL scholarship. With a broad and flexible focus, participants from different disciplines and contexts will help shape the inquiry. Through structured facilitation and collaborative reflection, the group will work toward developing a publishable manuscript for Teaching & Learning Inquiry.

Group 4: Building Bridges and Actualizing Visions: Librarians as Partners and Practitioners in SoTL

Group 4 Leads: Michael Fosmire (Purdue University) & Nancy Chick (Texas Women’s University)

Description of Topic 4: This ICWG will explore and expand the roles, partnerships, and networks of librarians within the SoTL community. McClurg, MacMillan, and Chick (2019) described a range of roles librarians may play in SoTL—from traditional information support to full partners and independent researchers. Nearly a decade later, this group will consider how these “visions of the possible” have been realized. What collaborative roles are librarians now playing? What structural systems support or constrain this work? How do roles differ across cultures and institutional contexts? Bringing together a multinational group of participants, the project will explore these questions through reflection, literature engagement, and possible data gathering, working collaboratively to develop shared insights and potential scholarly outputs.

Group 5: Global SoTL Diplomacy and International Relationship-Building

Group 5 Leads: Diana Botnaru (Georgia Southern University), Laura Cruz (Pennsylvania State University), Michelle Eady (University of Wollongong)

Description of Topic 5: This ICWG will explore how scholars build meaningful global connections in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and how these relationships strengthen SoTL practice, networks, and impact. While SoTL emphasizes reflective inquiry and evidence‐informed teaching, its global dimensions—particularly the relational, ethical, and collaborative work required to engage across borders—remain underexamined. Aligned with the ICWG track on Relationships, Partnerships, and Collaboration in Teaching and Learning, this project centers on the relational work underpinning global SoTL engagement. Participants may explore trust‐building, cultural humility, psychological safety, and negotiation of power and positionality in international collaborations. The topic also intersects with Leadership and Community in SoTL, examining how global networks are formed and sustained. Participants will reflect on how teaching practices, institutional contexts, and cultural perspectives shape SoTL inquiry and contribute to collaborative, culturally responsive scholarship.

Group 6:  Evaluating Technological Theories to Guide SoTL Practice

Group 6 Leads: Jason Openo (Medicine Hat College, Yuill School of Health and Community Services)

Description of Topic 6: An international collaborative writing group assessing technological theories for their suitability to guide SoTL practice would fill a gap in the literature. Early advocates foresaw SoTL as a teaching academy intertwined with rapid developments in educational technology. Today, SoTL and ed tech intersect pragmatically to produce evidence-based teaching strategies that enhance student learning. Yet SoTL remains under-theorized, a concern as digital technologies have transformed postsecondary education. Without theoretical frameworks, educators often lack a strong foundation for guiding their use. This project invites SoTL practitioners to assess existing frameworks—such as ethics by design and Tech for Good—to maintain human learning as the highest priority. Guiding questions include how SoTL can encourage critical thinking about educational technology, whether shared criteria exist for evaluating technologies across disciplines, and what role SoTL can play in examining the impact of generative AI on teaching and learning.