Dr. Linda Henderson

Because of my keen interest in effective teaching and learning, my major research area is the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. I have been able to share my work in this area locally, nationally and internationally. I am also actively pursuing research that looks at the intersection of Sport and a concept I have developed called “SGS” (i.e., the complex interplay of “Sex” assigned at birth, “Gender” and “Sexuality,” that can be used to illustrate the diversity of peoples’ realities as embodied, gendered, sexual beings.) One of my current projects in this area is an investigation of mixed-sex sport (i.e., where men and women compete together and/or against other men and women.)

Currently Teaching:

SOCI 201 – An Introduction to Sociology
SOCI 303 – Gender and Gender Relations
SOCI 313 – Introduction to Research Methodology
SOCI 393 – Sociology of Sport

Previous Courses at St. Mary’s

SOCI 343 – Sociology of Media
SOCI 371 – Sociology of Families

15 years of teaching experience at the University of Calgary including:

SOCI 311 – Introduction to Social Statistics I
SOCI 315 – Introduction to Social Statistics II

Linda J. Henderson. Fall 2018. “A Research Note on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.” Illuminate, St. Mary’s University.

A Research Note on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

By Linda J. Henderson

In 1990, in response to the findings of a national study of the research activities and career goals and achievements of college and university faculty in the United States, Ernest Boyer made a passionate plea to the Academy to broaden its definition of “research” in his now renowned book Scholarship Reconsidered. He argued that there was an urgent need for “a more creative way to view the work of the professoriate” (Boyer, 1990:xii). He proposed that four different types of scholarship should be recognized and valued: (1) the scholarship of discovery – traditional research that contributes to the advancement of knowledge; (2) the scholarship of integration – synthesis of ideas across disciplines or time; (3) the scholarship of application – using research findings to address real life problems; and (4) the scholarship of teaching – the systematic study of teaching and learning processes. Boyer’s close colleague, Charles Glassick (2000:879) points out that all four types of scholarship share common standards of clear research goals, adequate preparation, appropriate research methods, significant results, effective presentation and reflective critique.

For the past twenty years (or so), my primary research interests have been centred on the fourth type of scholarship described by Boyer – the scholarship of teaching. Sometimes called the scholarship of pedagogy, the most current descriptor of this type of scholarship is the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning or SoTL. As

Kathleen McKinney (2007:10) states, SoTL “goes beyond scholarly teaching and involves the systematic study of teaching and/or learning and the public sharing and review of such work.” She further indicates that SoTL can serve many functions in addition to enhancing classroom teaching and learning including involving students in research, adding publications, presentations and performances to faculty accomplishments, contributing to the development of teaching policies and procedures, and improving reflection on the importance of understanding teaching and learning processes at the post-secondary level.

SoTL is a multi- and inter-disciplinary endeavor, and one that in my own discipline of Sociology is practiced and embraced as a “field” of inquiry. The American Sociological Association has published SoTL research in their journal Teaching Sociology for over 40 years. They also have an online data base of teaching resources called TRAILS (including sample course outlines and classroom exercises and assignments), and along with the Canadian Sociological Association and many regional Sociological Associations, have special membership sections and organizational committees on teaching and learning.

The activities and products of SoTL are very diverse and can include the following:

• studying effective teaching and learning processes by reviewing the extensive literature on SoTL and/or building on it by conducting your own original research
• producing or evaluating course resource materials such as writing or evaluating textbooks and/or supplementary textbook materials such as practice questions, test banks and web-links
• conducting book and or video reviews for academic journals
• creating and evaluating effective classroom practices and techniques including teaching and learning styles and strategies, course outlines, classroom exercises, writing assignments, examinations and other assessment tools
• contributing to academic program, policy and curriculum review and development
• taking or conducting teaching workshops
• training and advising teaching and research assistants
• becoming involved in a membership section or committee on teaching and learning in a professional academic organization
• organizing, presenting and/or participating in teaching and learning sessions at academic conferences
• giving public SoTL presentations in various academic and lay settings
• contributing to teaching and learning newsletters and online data bases
• writing a teaching workshop manual or a book on SoTL best practices
• publishing SoTL research in traditional academic journals

It is interesting to note, that in spite of the fact that all SoTL activities meet standard research criteria of public sharing and peer review, and Boyer’s advocacy for embracing the “mosaic” of research interests of university faculty almost 30 years ago, academic research on teaching and learning is still often dismissed or devalued in decisions about promotion and tenure and the awarding of research grants – even at post secondary institutions that claim to be “teaching focused.” It is encouraging that certain disciplines, post-secondary institutions and organizations, including CAUT (The Canadian Association of University Teachers), are joining in the call to recognize the importance of this vital area of scholarly research.

Boyer, Ernest L. 1990. Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Glassick, Charles E. 2000. “Boyer’s Expanded Definitions of Scholarship, Standards for Assessing Scholarship, and the Elusiveness of the Scholarship of Teaching.” Academic Medicine 75(9): 877-880.

McKinney, Kathleen. 2007. Enhancing Learning Through the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: The Challenges and Joys of Juggling. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Linda J. Henderson. 2016. “SGS: A Sensitizing Concept for Teaching Gender Diversity.” Pp. 63-71 in Teaching Gender and Sex in Contemporary America, edited by K. Haltinen and R. Pilgerem: Springer Publishing.

Linda J. Henderson. 2016. “Book Review: Hyper Sexual Hyper Masculine?: Gender, Race and Sexuality in the identities of Contemporary Black Men.” Teaching Sociology 44(4): 305-306.

Linda J. Henderson. 2016. “Book Review: The Cultural Encyclopedia of the Penis.” Teaching Sociology 44(4):307-308.

Linda J. Henderson. 2016. “Book Reviews: Start Talking: A Handbook for Engaging Difficult Dialogues in Higher Education and Stop Talking: Indigenous Ways of Teaching and Learning and Difficult Dialogues in Higher Education.” Teaching Sociology 44(1): 56-60.

Conference Presentations and Workshops

“Recipe for Success: A Technique to Enhance Student Performance on Essay Questions.” For the session Sharing Excellent Assignments at the Pacific Sociological Association Annual Meeting, Vancouver, British Columbia, March 2019.

“The Athlicians: Presenting Marching Band as High Performance Sport” for the session Bodies and Soul: Thinking through the Embodied Musician at the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport, Vancouver, British Columbia, October/November 2018.

“Some Thoughts on Make Introductory Sociology ‘Sociological’.” For the session Best Practices in Building Memorable and Meaningful Learning Experiences in “Introduction to Sociology” at the Pacific Sociological Association Annual Meeting, Long Beach, California, March 2018.

“The Library Adventure: A Multi-Purpose Exercise.” For the session GIFTS: Great Ideas for Teaching Sociology at the Pacific Sociological Association Annual Meeting, Long Beach, California, March 2018.

“What is ‘Sport’?: An Unexpected and Effective Definitional Demonstration.” For the session Deepening Sport Sociology/Studies: Teaching with Sport Practice at the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Meeting, Windsor, Ontario. November 2017.

“Strategies for Building Rapport in the Post-Secondary Classroom.” For the session Teaching Sociology: Creative Pedagogy: Innovative Teaching Strategies and Techniques at the Pacific Sociological Association Annual Meeting, Portland, Oregon, April 2017.

“Watch Your Language: The Role of Effective Communication in getting the Sociology of Sport into the ‘Real World.’” For the panel session Consulting and Activism: Publicly Engaged Sociology of Sport, North American Society for the Sociology of Sport, Tampa Bay, Florida, November 2016.

“Getting Down to Sociological Brass Tacks: One Approach to Teaching Introductory Sociology.” For the session Teaching Introductory Sociology Classes at the Canadian Sociological Association Annual Meeting, Calgary, Alberta, June 2016.

“Complex and Controversial Conversations: ‘SGS’ as one Strategy for Talking about ‘Gender’ Diversity.” For the session Teaching and Learning Strategies at the Canadian Sociological Association Annual Meeting, Calgary, Alberta, June 2016.

“’Scavenger Hunt Reading’ and Other Tips to Encourage Students to Read More Effectively.” For the session Teaching Sociology: How Do We Know What They Know? Promising Practices for Assessing Learning at the Pacific Sociological Association Annual Meeting, Oakland, California, April 2016.

“Effective Assessment Strategies: What Happens When Students Make Up Their Own Final Exams.” For the session Teaching Sociology: How Do We Know What They Know? Promising Practices for Assessing Learning at the Pacific Sociological Association Annual Meeting, Oakland, California, April 2016.

“’Seeing’ the Sociology of Sport: Analyzing For the Band” For the session Sport and Visual Culture, North American Society for the Sociology of Sport, Santa Fe, New Mexico, November 2015.

“Thinking inside the boxes: One approach to teaching students WHY they are using social statistics.” For the session Teaching Undergraduate Statistics at the Pacific Sociological Association Annual Meeting, Long Beach, California, April 2015.

“But WHY?: An exercise for helping students learn how to make arguments.” For the session Creative Instructional Strategies and Methods at the Pacific Sociological Association Annual Meeting, Long Beach, California, April 2015.

“Exploring Open Mixed-Sex Sport: The Experiences of Equestrians.” For the session Identity & Meaning in Sports & Leisure at the Pacific Sociological Association Annual Meetings, Long Beach, California, April 2015.

Conference Sessions Organized/Presided

Teaching the Sociology of Sport: Integrating Experience North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Meeting, Vancouver, British Columbia, October/November 2018.

Teaching the Sociology of Sport: Pedagogical Tools North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Meeting, Vancouver, British Columbia, October/November 2018.

Teaching the Sociology of Sport: Critical Insights North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Meeting, Vancouver, British Columbia, October/November 2018.

Using Music to Inspire Sport Performance I North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Meeting, Vancouver, British Columbia, October/November 2018.

Using Music to Inspire Sport Performance II North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Meeting, Vancouver, British Columbia, October/November 2018.

Teaching the Sociology of Sport: Ideas, Issues and Innovations I North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Meeting, Windsor, Ontario, November 2017.

Teaching the Sociology of Sport: Ideas, Issues and Innovations II North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Meeting, Windsor, Ontario, November 2017.

Teaching the Sociology of Sport: Ideas, Issues and Innovations III North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Meeting, Windsor, Ontario, November 2017.

Teaching the Sociology of Sport: Ideas, Issues and Innovations I North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Meeting, Tampa Bay, Florida, November 2016.

Teaching the Sociology of Sport: Ideas, Issues and Innovations II North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Meeting, Tampa Bay, Florida, November 2016.

Tips, Tricks and Techniques for Teaching the Sociology of Sport: Pedagogical Strategies North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Meeting, Santa Fe, New Mexico, November 2015.

Tips, Tricks and Techniques for Teaching the Sociology of Sport: Power and Privilege in the Classroom North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Annual Meeting, Santa Fe, New Mexico, November 2015.

Teaching Undergraduate Statistics Workshop, Co-organized and presided with Patricia Hoffman, Pacific Sociological Association Annual Meeting, Long Beach, California, April 2015.

Invited Talks

“Some thoughts about ‘Research’ at Small, Teaching-focused, Post-Secondary Institutions.” Capstone Address: Burman University Faculty Colloquium, August 30, 2018.

“Can we talk?: Addressing issues about sex, gender and sexuality.” Prof in the Pub Speaker Series, St. Mary’s University, January 26, 2018.

Panelist “Higher Education: Presenting and Networking at the PSA: Tips from Seasoned Members.” Pacific Sociological Annual Meeting, Portland, Oregon, April 2017.

Invited Textbook Reviews

2020

Completed a review of Close Relations: An Introduction to the Sociology of Families 6th edition by Susan McDaniel, Lorne Tepperman and Sandra Colaveccia. For Pearson Education – for consideration in developing a 7th edition of this book.