Studies from GCU

SoTL Studies from GCU

SoTL involves classroom, disciplinary, cross-disciplinary, and inter-disciplinary investigations of the teaching and learning process. SoTL research relies on rigorous, systematic inquiry to address inquiry questions, inform teaching and enhance higher education. As such, the aim of any given SoTL project should extend beyond the individual classroom to highlight the relevance for others in the academic community.

GCU is committed to advancing SoTL. Below is a list containing examples of SoTL studies from GCU faculty and staff. This list is not exhaustive. To get your SoTL study highlighted, please make sure to keep your Faculty Profile updated by using CV Builder.

  • Aroz, J. (June 2023). These Are My Reflections: Metacognitive Approach to Online Teaching. The Online Learning Conference. Long Beach, CA. 

  • Dyer, T. (June, 2023). The Metacognitive Files: Faculty Reflections of Online Teaching. The Online Learning Conference. Long Beach, CA. 

  • Huggins, M. (June, 2023). Songwriting Pedagogy Workshop: Self-Expression Through Song Lyrics. 2023 APME Conference: A New Landscape for PME: Community, Collaboration, & Critique. New Orleans, LA. 

  • Zaft, S. (June 2023). Using social media in the classroom to build a participatory culture. Marketing ProfCon 2023. Phoenix, AZ. 

  • McCabe, C. (June, 2023). Where Does My Job End and I Begin? Creating a Healthy Balance Between My Personal and Professional Life. Educators Rising National Conference. Orlando, Florida. 

  • McCabe, M. (June, 2023). All Roads Lead to Education. Educators Rising National Conference. Orlando, Florida. 


  • Basko, Lynn. (2/8/2023). The Power of Teamwork: How collaborating classroom teachers influence classroom management teacher candidates. Association of Teacher Educators Annual Meeting Classroom Management SIG. Jacksonville, FL.
  • Juarez, Brandon. (2/26/2023). Determining and Evaluating the Gaps in Teacher Educators Instructional Practices. Association of Teacher Educators Annual Meeting. Jacksonville, Florida.
  • Christner, Thomas. (2/25/2023). Setting up Opportunities for Reflective Practice in an Increasingly Digital World. ATE's Annual Meeting. Jacksonville, Florida.
  • Dyer, Thomas. (2/23/2023). Generation Why: Faculty Approaches to Plagiarism due to Misunderstanding. SoTL Commons. Savannah, GA.
  • Dooley, Annjeanette. (2/16/2023). How GCU Has Structured the Debriefing Process. Next Gen Learning. Disney Springs, Florida.
  • Steele, John. (1/16/2023). What takes priority in the online classroom: Faculty and Student Perceptions. SoTL Commons Conference. Savannah, Georgia.
  • Aroz, Jacob. (2/16/2023). These Are My Reflections: Metacognitive Approach to Online Teaching. SoTL Commons Conference 23'. Savannah, GA.
  • Russell, Samantha. (2/15/2023). How to balance Structure and Freedom in the Engineering Design and Development Process?. SoTL Commons Conference. Savannah, Ga.
  • Terry, Laura. (2/15/2023). Improving Freshman Well-Being Using Behavior Modification. SOTL Digital Commons Conference. Savannah, GA.
  • Zafonte, Maria. (2/15/2023). Making Large Lecture Classes More Intimate: Creating Class Community. SoTL Commons. Savannah, GA.
  • Dyer, Rebekah. (2/2023). Components of Effective Social-Emotional Support/Best Practices: Supporting Students with Disabilities in the Online Classroom. LDA Annual eLearning Conference. A I, NV.
  • Palenque, Stephanie. (2/9/2023). Brand it like a bandit: Leveraging social media branding techniques to create an environment where students engage just to see what's next. ITC Annual eLearning Conference. Las Vegas, NV.
  • Kwapy, Justina. (2/5/2023). The Art of Moving From Summary to Synthesis. Lilly Conference on Teaching for Active and Engaged Learning. San Diego, CA.
  • Almy, Gary. (2/17/2022). Raising the Bar: Grade Inflation in the Online Classroom. OLC Accelerate. Orlando, Florida.
  • Miedzianowski, Susan. (2/14/2022). Building an Academic Community for Dissertation Learners. OLC Accelerate. Orlando, Florida.
  • Garrett, Linda. (2/6/2023). Promoting Critical Thinking for Doctoral Learners Using Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS) for Data Analysis SoTL Annual eLearning Conference. online.
  • Lucas, Greg. (2/3/2022). Everything Changes Or Does it? The Value of Instructor Interaction in the Online Classroom 2022 Distance Annual eLearning Conference. Online
  • Waltemeyer, Shaunna. (2/3/Teaching). Everything Changes Or Does it? The Value of Instructor Interaction in the Online Classroom 2022 Distance Annual eLearning Conference. Online
  • Seminoff, Cindy. (3/30/Lilly). Unexpected Pivot: How Emergency Remote Learning Changed How We Do Education. ITLC Lilly Online. Online.
  • Riggs-Zeigen, LaVonne. (2/29/California). Restorative Thinking. Association of Teacher Educators Annual Meeting. Long Beach, CA.
  • MUELLER, REMILYN. (2/11/2022). 10836 - 'Technological Readiness: How Teaching the Right Mindset Projects Students' Academic Success. OLC Innovate. Phoenix.
  • Neel, Megan. (2/11/2022). Servant-Leadership and Self-Empowerment: Faculty Flourishing During the Pandemic. OLC Innovate. Dallas, TX.
  • Diffey, Daniel. (2/1/Theological). Works it like a bandit: Leveraging social media branding techniques to create an environment where students engage just to see what’s next. Evangelical Annual eLearning Conference. T S F W, California.
  • Charpentier, Pete. (2/1/2022). And T it like a bandit: Leveraging social media branding techniques to create an environment where students engage just to see what’s next. Evangelical Annual eLearning Conference. T S 2022 F W R, CA.
  • Henderson, Danielle. (2/28/2022). Using Slack To Mentor Public Health Research Assistants. Online Learning Consortium. Remote.
  • Alfaro, Sammy. (2/23/for). Curre it like a bandit: Leveraging social media branding techniques to create an environment where students engage just to see what’s next. Society Annual eLearning Conference.  P, CA.
  • Davis, Marnie. (2/22/Learning). Betwe it like a bandit: Leveraging social media branding techniques to create an environment where students engage just to see what’s next. Online Annual eLearning Conference. L, Online.
  • Zengaro, Sally. (2/19/2022). Using Teacher Caring Behaviors to Support Active Learning. Southeastern Psychological Association Annual Meeting. Hilton Head, SC.
  • Zafonte, Maria. (2/23/2022). Reconceptualizing Faculty Office Hours. SOTL Commons. Savannah.
  • Wireman, Mark. (2/23/2022). Flipping the Students to the Instructor. SoTL Commons Conference. Savannah, GA.
  • Terry, Laura. (2/23/2022). Presentation: "Reconceptualizing Faculty Office Hours". SOTL Digital Commons Conference. Savannah, GA.
  • Juarez, Brandon. (2/11/22). Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) among teacher candidates and how to prepare them for the teaching profession Association Annual eLearning Conference.  Chicago, IL.
  • Damiani, Sheila. (1/11/22). Throwback Flexibility: Strategies on How to Bend without Breaking During Times of Uncertainty. Association of Teacher Educators Annual Meeting. Chicago, IL.
  • Basko, Lynn. (2/11/2022). A Look in the Mirror: The Art of Self Reflection. Association of Teacher Educators Annual Meeting Classroom Management SIG. Chicago, IL.
  • Koukoudeas, Stefan. (2/6/2022). No "I" in Teams Supporting Faculty Using Web 2.0 PLCs. SOTL Common Conference. Savannah, GA.
  • Dyer, Thomas. (2/6/2022). Level up Learning: Gamifying Online Assessment with Quizizz. SoTL Commons. Savannah, GA.
  • Aroz, Jacob. (2/6/2022). No "I" in Teams Supporting Faculty Using Web 2.0 PLCs. SOTL Common Conference. Savannah, GA.
  • Mueller, Remilyn. (2/6/2022). 'Up Your Game in Research: How Universities and Colleges Can Help Faculty Write and Publish!' IAFOR Annual eLearning Conference. Hawaii
  • Langdal-Sittu, Julia. (6/6/Lilly). Mindfulness in the Classroom-Perception and Practice. Association of Teacher Educators Annual Meeting. San Diego, CA.
  • Valenti, Elizabeth. (2/6/teaching). "Mindfulness in the Classroom-Perception and Practice". Evidence based Lilly Evidence based Classroom Management SIG. San Diego, Ca.
  • Kwapy, Justina. (2/6/2022). "Embracing Action Research in Higher Education". Lilly Conference-San Diego. San Diego, CA.

  • Alfaro, Sammy. (2/20/Society). The Canaanite Woman in Matthew 15:21–28: A Study of Matthean Particularity and Universality. Association of Teacher Educators Annual Meeting. San Antonio, TX.
  • Oke, Moronke. (2/17/2021). Strategies for Intentionally Inclusive Teaching. Decision Science Institute. Virtual.
  • Kufryk, Galyna. (4/4/2021). Testing strategies in online environment for the upper level science course. Association of Teacher Educators Annual Meeting. virtual.
  • Racette, Evelyn. (2/28/2021). The “Big Bang†of Change Has Banged Us Up. Women Leading Government 2021 Conference. Pheonix.
  • Oke, Moronke. (2/22/2021). Making it real: Intentionally connecting business education to practice California Annual eLearning Conference.     California.
  • Pothast, Lourdes. (2/16/2021). Lights, Camera, Action: Video Guided Debriefing.. 11th Annual Arizona Simulation Network Hybrid Conference. Virtual on Zoom.
  • Langdal-Sittu, Julia. (2/14/2021). Experimental Mad Libs. Society for Teaching Psychology Annual Conference on Teaching. Louisville, KY.
  • Valenti, Elizabeth. (1/14/20). Student Inspirational Postings and other Low-Stakes Mindfulness Interventions to Reduce Test-Anxiety. ociety for the Teaching of Psychologyâ s th Annual Conference on Teaching. Louisville, KY.
  • Maguire, Kelly. (2/10/2021). Description as Reflective-Narrative: Constructing Experience in the Deweyan Guide for Reflective Practice. John Dewey Memorial Conference. Burlington, VT.
  • Chavez, Tara. (2/8/2021). Description as Reflective-Narrative: Constructing Experience in the Deweyan Guide for Reflective Practice. John Dewey Memorial Conference. Burlington Vermont.
  • Martin, Cheryl. (2/8/2021). Description as Reflective-Narrative: Constructing Experience in the Deweyan Guide for Reflective Practice. John Dewey Memorial Conferenc. Burlington, Vermont.
  • Dvorak, Michael. (2/7/2021). Does Star Trek Meet the Requirement to be considered philosophical thought experiment. Midwest Popular Culture Association. Minneapolis, MN.
  • Shrestha, Samridhi. (9/9/Pathways 2021). 'Is Environmental Education Failing? A Case Study in three protected areas of Nepal.'. Association of Teacher Educators Annual Meeting. Bermeton, WA.
  • Aroz, R Jacob. (2/5/2021). Level Up: Gamifying Your Online Course with Digital Badges. Distance Teaching & Learning (DT&L) Conference. Madison, Wi.
  • Dyer, Thomas. (2/2/2021). Level Up: Gamifying Your Online Course with Digital Badges. DT&L Conference. Virtual.
  • Zafonte, Maria. (2/1/2021). Applying What We Learned: Takeaways from Teaching Freshman Classes in a Pandemic,. APA Annual Convention. Virtual.
  • Milliken, Melissa. (2/4/2021). A Strengths-Based Approach to Facilitating Inclusion in Online Higher Education. The Teaching Professor Conference. New Orleans, LA.
  • Matus, Denise. (2/14/2021). Thinking Beyond The Classroom Closing The Gap of Clinical Judgement. Nurse Educator Institute (NEI) Developing Clinical Judgement for NexGen. Zoom.
      • Dyer, T., Aroz, J., & Larson, E. (2015). Where are you? A model of proximity in the online classroom. Presentation presented at Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Conference, Savannah, GA.
      • Posta, F. (2015). Spreadsheet-based assignments in remedial Math courses improve student engagement and performance. Presentation at the 27th International Conference on Technology in Collegiate Mathematics, Las Vegas, NV.
      • Nipp, M., & Wakefield, J. (2015). Global inclusion: Practices and strategies for reaching English Learners in the online classroom. Poster presented at the 2015 Association of American Colleges & Universities annual conference, San Diego, CA.
      • Wakefield, J., & Smith, V. (2015). Encouraging student autonomy through higher order thinking skills in the online classroom. Paper presented at the Hawaii International Conference on Education, Honolulu, HI.
      • Sprute, K. M. (2015). Classroom management: How to have the classroom of your dreams, not your nightmares! Presentation at the 2015 Future Educators Association State Leadership Conference, Tucson, AZ
      • Fontenot, J., Carney, K. J., & Hansen, K. (2015). Conspicuous strategies in teaching expressive writing: A quantitative study comparing two approaches to process writing. Journal of Instructional Research, 4, 108-117.
      • Skeen, T. & Zafonte, M. (2015). Teaching APA style documentation: Discovery learning, scaffolding and procedural knowledge. Journal of Instructional Research, 4, 69-75.
      • Patton, C. M. (2015). Employing active learning strategies to become the facilitator, not the authoritarian. Journal of Instructional Research, 4, 134-141.
      • Phelps, Y. V. (2015). Fostering student success through motivational messaging. International Journal of Arts and Sciences.
      • Santos, J. & Raftery, B. (2015). Grammar games: A case for instructionist game models to enhance grammar awareness and accuracy. Journal of Instructional Research, 4, 142-147.
      • Smith, V. and Palenque, S. (2015). Ten tips for more efficient and effective grading practices. Faculty Focus. Retrieved from http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/educational-assessment/ten-tips-efficient-effective-grading/
      • Smith, V. (2015). Five tips for dealing with combative online students. Faculty Focus. Retrieved from http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/five-tips-dealing-combative-students-online-environment/
      • DeCosta, M. & Nipp, M. B. (2015). Clarify, convey, and connect: Offering high quality feedback in the online writing classroom. Connections, 50(1), 9-14.
      • Holbeck, R., Greenberger, S., Cooper, L., Steele, J., Palenque, S. and Koukoudeas, S. (2015). Reporting plagiarism in the online classroom. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching. 11(2). 1-8. Retrieved from http://jolt.merlot.org/currentissue.html
      • Steele, J., Dyer, T., Larson, E., & Holbeck, R. (2015). Integrating technology into the online classroom through collaboration to increase student motivation. Journal of Instructional Research, 4, 126-133.
      • DeCosta, M., Bergquist, E., Holbeck, R., & Greenberger, S. (2015). “A desire for growth”: Online full-time faculty’s perceptions of evaluation processes. The Journal of Educators Online, 13(2). Retrieved from http://www.thejeo.com/Archives/Volume12Number2/DeCostaBergquistHolbeckGreenberger.pdf
      • Palenque, S., & DeCosta, M. (2015). Talking techne: Techniques to establish an active online discussion forum. Journal of Instructional Research, 4, 83-89.
      • Epler, P., Bennett, B., and Ross, R. (2015). Will small-group collaboration increase the number of substantive posting in the online classroom? Journal of Instructional Research, 4, 46-51.
      • DeCosta, M., Bergquist, E., & Holbeck, R. (2015). From CATS to WILD HOGS: Elevating the level of discussion in the online classroom. Journal of Instructional Research, 4, 76-82.

SoTL Process

Research Ready: SoTL

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