Building Educational Excellence Through Scholarly Activity

The Ed Crafters Community Connection (EC3) is a virtual professional learning community supporting educational excellence through the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). Our community brings educators from diverse backgrounds and disciplines to collaborate, share ideas, and engage in professional development activities to enhance educational research.

Our goals are to build early confidence and capacity in SoTL:

  • Introduce SoTL Concepts and Practices: Support faculty in orienting to and applying the principles of SoTL in their teaching.
  • Foster Inclusive, Interdisciplinary Dialogue: Create space for educators from all disciplines to exchange perspectives on teaching and learning.
  • Guide the First Steps of Educational Research: Help participants generate research questions, consider study design, and navigate the basics of IRB and scholarly writing.
  • Encourage a Scholarly Mindset: Empower faculty to view their teaching as a site of inquiry, reflection, and potential publication.
  • Prepare for Next-Step Opportunities: Lay the groundwork for further engagement in initiatives like the AI Studio, writing groups, or pilot studies.

  • Opening Framing (15–20 minutes):

We begin by surfacing a few ideas, examples, or resources to set the stage for shared exploration and conversation.

  • Open Discussion (15–20 minutes):

Participants are invited to share their experiences, ask questions, and engage in informal dialogue around the session’s theme.

  • Wrap-Up Activity (15–20 minutes):

Each session ends with a brief activity (i.e., a prompt, reflection, or small-group task) to reinforce key points and encourage continued thinking.

The meetings are scheduled for the third Friday of each month, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm, and will be conducted via Zoom. This year's schedule, organized by date and corresponding topics: 
Academic Year 2025-2026
Date Topic Details
Sept. 19, 2025

SoTL Orientation & Overview

Learn what SoTL is, how it differs from traditional research, and how EC3 will support your development throughout the year. 
Oct. 17, 2025

Digging Deeper into SoTL

Explore key SoTL frameworks, methodologies, and examples of published projects across disciplines.
Nov. 21, 2025

Crafting SoTL Research Questions

Learn how to turn teaching challenges or curiosities into researchable questions.
Dec. 19, 2025

Open Meeting Check-In & Educational Myths 

Mid-year open session to check in on progress, share ideas, and explore common educational myths and pitfalls to avoid when crafting SoTL studies.
Jan. 16, 2026

Fall Recap & SoTL Study Design

Reflect on the fall semester and begin outlining your own study with support for design, ethics, and feasibility.
Feb. 20, 2026

SoTL Data Analysis

Introduction to analyzing SoTL data (qualitative and quantitative) with practical strategies and tool suggestions.
March 20, 2026

SoTL Writing & Peer Review

Tips and tools for turning your work into a manuscript, and what to expect in the peer review process.
April 17, 2026

SoTL Collaboration Strategies 

Explore how to co-author, co-research, or team up across disciplines to strengthen and sustain your work.
May 15, 2026

SoTL Funding & Future Planning

Learn about internal and external funding opportunities, planning timelines, and next steps beyond EC3.

 

Register for the Academic Year 2024-2025 Meeting Series:

To register for the meeting series for the academic year 2025-2026, please fill out the form below. Registering will enable you to conveniently add all meetings to your calendar. Attendance at all sessions is not mandatory; feel free to attend as many as your schedule permits. We hope to see you there!

Register for the meeting series

For general inquiries or questions regarding the Ed Crafters Community Connection (EC3) virtual professional learning community, please feel free to contact the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning at facultycenter@umaryland.edu. Additionally, you can reach out to our community co-coordinators: Eric Belt, EdD, at eric.belt@umaryland.edu, and Scott Riley II, PhD, at scott.riley@rx.umaryland.edu.