By Lillian Moran, Senior Educational Technologist, NYU College of Dentistry
With the semester in full swing, let’s take a moment to reflect on a success. Two cohorts of NYU Dentistry faculty recently undertook research through the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and the Scholarship of Educational Leadership (SoEL) program. These initiatives have yielded key insights that can enrich the broader NYU faculty community.
Inspired by Dean Charles Bertolami’s vision for faculty advancement through “everyday scholarship” (see presentation series), the Office of Educational Technology set out to identify new ways to cultivate educational scholarship, particularly within SoTL and SoEL. A pivotal collaboration with the Hilary Ballon Center for Teaching and Learning (HBCTL) at NYU Abu Dhabi, which developed the SoTL/SoEL program, facilitated an inaugural cohort from NYU Dentistry in Fall 2023, followed by a second in Fall 2024.
With the support of Dean Bertolami, Senior Vice Dean for Research Development and Academic Affairs Brian Schmidt, and department chairs, faculty members in the program formulated research questions designed to critically evaluate their curricula to improve teaching and enhance student learning. Institutional and departmental advocacy played an essential role in fostering faculty engagement and ensuring the program’s principal outcome—the development of an IRB-approved research project.
Over the past two years, our office has provided continuous mentorship, guiding faculty in refining their research questions, in structuring collaboration and methodologies, and in implementing projects. The establishment of enduring partnerships between faculty and support teams has been paramount to the success of SoTL/SoEL projects. This collaborative framework extends beyond structured training and helps sustain momentum to ensure a long-term impact.
Through these collective efforts, research concepts have blossomed into substantive projects, with some already yielding preliminary findings. The ultimate goal is to disseminate findings through peer engagement and scholarly publication. Four program exemplars are outlined below; the first two faculty members have already completed IRB-approved data collection.
Fall 2023 cohort:
- Dr. Lisa Lopez took a case-study approach to her SoTL/SoEL research project, Pedagogical integration within a large anatomy course: Student and faculty perspectives. This research explores the integration of topics taught in the D1 Head and Neck Anatomy course from the perspective of current students, previous students, and faculty members.
- Dr. Marjan Moghadam took an appreciative inquiry approach to her SoTL/SoEL research topic, Transitioning from analog to digital model design in dental education at a US dental school: Challenges and opportunities. This research identifies contextual factors, best pedagogical practices, and existing institutional supports that will facilitate a successful transition from a traditional to a digital modality for learning partial denture design.
Fall 2024 cohort:
- Dr. Abeer AlHadidi is applying an appreciative inquiry approach to her SoTL/SoEL project, Strategic development of a post graduate training program in Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology at NYU. This research explores best practices and key organizational support essential for establishing comparable programs at NYU Dentistry.
- Dr. Asma Almaidhan plans to utilize an action research approach in her upcoming course. Her project, entitled Enhancing dental education: Integrating simulation-based learning for clear aligner case selection, evaluates the efficacy of integrating the Invisalign® Outcome Simulator into the selection of cases suitable for clear aligner therapy. This project seeks to incorporate simulation-based training into the curriculum and evaluate its effectiveness in improving the case selection abilities of students.
Beyond advancing pedagogy through scholarly inquiry, participation in the SoTL/SoEL program has fostered new opportunities for collaboration and discussion among faculty. Research dialogue continues across departments and between colleagues at NYU Dentistry and NYU Abu Dhabi, broadening the scope of idea generation and infusing cross-disciplinary perspectives. These discussions have provided valuable insights into shared teaching and learning challenges and encouraged feedback from diverse perspectives.
Feedback from both cohorts on the training program has been overwhelmingly positive, especially regarding in-person engagement with NYU’s global campuses and exposure to cutting-edge instructional methodologies. Nevertheless, challenges endure; foremost among them is the precarious balance between teaching, administrative duties, and research obligations. Another challenge lies in sustaining momentum throughout the critical phases of analysis and publication, ensuring that research efforts translate into meaningful scholarly contributions. Faculty commitment and motivation have been key in sustaining progress. The experience of faculty, both during and after the SoTL/SoEL program, underscores the necessity of continued institutional investment to maintain long-term academic projects in the face of competing professional responsibilities.
The primary imperatives for sustaining excellence in teaching through scholarship include the following: robust institutional and departmental sponsorship; sustained faculty alliances with academic support teams such as educational technologists; and the cultivation of peer engagement at local and international levels. The past two years have been tremendously rewarding and we eagerly anticipate mentoring a new cohort in the Fall 2025.