BEGIN:VCALENDAR PRODID:-//github.com/rianjs/ical.net//NONSGML ical.net 4.0//EN VERSION:2.0 BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:The Central University of Technology\, Free State (CUT)\, Sout h Africa\, invites scholars\, academic developers\, postgraduate research ers\, and higher education leaders to submit contributions to the 12th In ternational Conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) . The conference theme\, Advancing Student Success through SoTL and Curri culum as Praxis\, positions SoTL as a rigorous\, evidence-informed vehicl e for enhancing learning through curriculum renewal\, purposeful pedagogy \, and context-responsive educational innovation. SoTL&rsquo\;s distincti ve contribution lies in making teaching and learning public\, transparent \, and improvable through theoretically grounded inquiry that is both dis ciplinary and interdisciplinary. A coherent conceptualisation of SoTL is therefore essential to strengthen the quality\, communicability\, and imp act of scholarly teaching investigations across diverse fields (Miller-Yo ung &\; Yeo\, 2015). Within this frame\, curriculum as praxis emphasis es curriculum as lived\, enacted\, and continually reworked through refle ctive action that links what is valued\, what is taught\, how learning is supported\, and how success is interpreted in real institutional context s.Download the Call for PapersDownload the Call for Full Papers (PDF) | 0 4 August 2026Download the Call for Papers - special issue (PDF) | 27 May 2026AbstractDownload the Call for Abstracts (PDF) | 13 August 2026Student success is not produced by curriculum structure or teaching technique al one but emerges through an educational interface in which institutional c onditions\, learning design\, relationships\, student identities\, and ac ademic emotions interact to shape engagement and achievement (Kahu &\; Nelson\, 2018). This conference foregrounds the value of SoTL as a rigor ous way of making these interacting mechanisms visible and improvable\, p articularly when curriculum is approached as praxis rather than as a stat ic plan. Framing curriculum as praxis strengthens the link between theory \, evidence\, and reflective action\, enabling institutions to design lea rning pathways that cultivate belonging\, academic momentum\, and meaning ful learning. In this sense\, the conference advances a SoTL agenda that moves beyond generic claims about &ldquo\;what works&rdquo\; to develop t ransferable principles\, context-sensitive evidence\, and actionable impl ications for module\, programme\, and institutional improvement.Assessmen t for learning and feedback are positioned as central levers in this prax is-oriented approach because they powerfully shape what counts as knowled ge\, how standards are interpreted\, and how students regulate their lear ning over time. Throughout the learning process\, students are formativel y assessed to give them and their lecturers information that promotes bet ter learning and student growth. The importance of this focus is amplifie d by the recognition that feedback only becomes educationally valuable wh en students can interpret\, evaluate\, and use it to improve future work. Strengthening student feedback literacy is therefore integral to advanci ng student success\, as it supports learners&rsquo\; capacity to engage p roductively with evaluative information and to develop agency and judgeme nt in their learning (Carless &\; Boud\, 2018). By elevating assessmen t and feedback as curriculum\, the conference highlights how SoTL can rec onfigure assessment practices to support progression\, deepen learning\, and build sustainable learning capabilities.The conference also treats AI -enabled teaching and learning as a pedagogical and curricular question t hat requires scholarly scrutiny rather than instrumental adoption. While AI tools are rapidly entering educational spaces\, systematic evidence su ggests that research in this area has often been technology-driven\, unde rlining the need to reconnect AI applications to educator perspectives\, robust pedagogy\, and ethical considerations (Zawacki-Richter et al.\, 20 19). A SoTL lens is essential here because it anchors AI adoption in evid ence\, values\, and educational purpose\, and it supports principled appr oaches to curriculum design\, learning activities\, assessment practices\ , feedback processes\, academic integrity\, and student support. In doing so\, the conference frames AI not as a substitute for teaching expertise \, but as a site for scholarly inquiry into how learning can be enhanced in equitable\, transparent\, and human-centred ways.Conclusively\, the th eme &lsquo\;Advancing Student Success through SoTL and Curriculum as Prax is&rsquo\; explicitly connects student success to decolonising and divers ifying learning\, recognising that epistemic access and belonging depend on whose knowledge is legitimised\, whose languages are valued\, and whic h identities are recognised in curriculum and pedagogy. Decolonising the university requires confronting the politics of knowledge and the institu tional conditions that shape what can be taught and learned (Mbembe\, 201 6). From a complementary perspective\, SoTL framed through social justice insists that scholarly teaching must attend to equity\, recognition\, an d participation\, not only to effectiveness in the abstract (Leibowitz &a mp\; Bozalek\, 2016). Through bringing these concerns into conversation w ith curriculum as praxis\, the conference positions SoTL as a vehicle for transforming learning environments so that student success is advanced t hrough inclusive\, context-responsive\, and socially just curriculum and pedagogy.Submissions are invited under the following sub-themes:SoTL and Curriculum Renewal: Exploring how scholarly inquiry informs curriculum tr ansformation\, coherence\, alignment\, and responsiveness to diverse stud ent needs.High Impact Pedagogy: Investigating evidence-informed teaching strategies that promote deep learning\, engagement\, belonging\, and acad emic momentum.Assessment for Learning: Reframing assessment and feedback as curriculum practices that develop feedback literacy\, agency\, and sus tainable learning capabilities.Student Success Pathways: Examining instit utional\, programmatic\, and classroom-level interventions that strengthe n retention\, progression\, and epistemic access.AI Enabled Teaching and Learning: Critically exploring AI integration through a SoTL lens\, inclu ding pedagogy\, assessment\, AI ethics\, governance and policy.Decolonise and Diversify Learning: Interrogating curriculum\, pedagogy\, and assess ment practices to advance epistemic justice\, inclusion\, and socially ju st student success.We welcome research papers\, reflective practice paper s and posters that clearly articulate a teaching and learning problem\, s ituate it within relevant theory\, present appropriate evidence\, and off er implications for curriculum and pedagogy that advance student success in diverse higher education contexts. Please contact the SoTL office if y ou would like to conduct a workshop during the conference. \;Submissi ons \;DeadlinesDatesCall for Abstracts15 March 2026Closing date for A bstract09 May 2026Notification for Accepted Abstracts17 &ndash\; 20 June 2026Registration closing date15 August 2026Conference Dates7 - 9 October 2026Full Papers for Special Issue20 October 2026Conference Registration F eeCategoryPhysical AttendanceOnline AttendanceAcademic Staff / Profession alsR3750R1500Postgraduate Students (Full-time or Part-time)R1500R1500Trav el: where to stay\, sightseeingCommunication LogisticsFor any inquiries\, please contact Ms Dineo Mopeli  \;sotlconference@cut.ac.za \; DTEND:20261009T160000 DTSTAMP:20260823T012410Z DTSTART:20261007T090000 SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:12th International Conference on Scholarship of Teaching and Learn ing (SoTL) UID:0e5781f2-cc84-42a5-a7f5-d81415794d64 X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

The Central University of Technology\, Fre e State (CUT)\, South Africa\, invites scholars\, academic developers\, p ostgraduate researchers\, and higher education leaders to submit contribu tions to the 12th International Conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). The conference theme\, Advancing Student Success th rough SoTL and Curriculum as Praxis\, positions SoTL as a rigorous\, evid ence-informed vehicle for enhancing learning through curriculum renewal\, purposeful pedagogy\, and context-responsive educational innovation. SoT L&rsquo\;s distinctive contribution lies in making teaching and learning public\, transparent\, and improvable through theoretically grounded inqu iry that is both disciplinary and interdisciplinary. A coherent conceptua lisation of SoTL is therefore essential to strengthen the quality\, commu nicability\, and impact of scholarly teaching investigations across diver se fields (Miller-Young &\; Yeo\, 2015). Within this frame\, curriculu m as praxis emphasises curriculum as lived\, enacted\, and continually re worked through reflective action that links what is valued\, what is taug ht\, how learning is supported\, and how success is interpreted in real i nstitutional contexts.

Download the Call for Papers

Downloa d the Call for Full Papers (PDF) | 04 Au gust 2026

Download the Call for Papers - special issue (PDF) | 27 May 2026

Abstract

Download the Call for Abstracts (PDF) | 13 August 2026

Student success is not produced by curriculu m structure or teaching technique alone but emerges through an educationa l interface in which institutional conditions\, learning design\, relatio nships\, student identities\, and academic emotions interact to shape eng agement and achievement (Kahu &\; Nelson\, 2018). This conference fore grounds the value of SoTL as a rigorous way of making these interacting m echanisms visible and improvable\, particularly when curriculum is approa ched as praxis rather than as a static plan. Framing curriculum as praxis strengthens the link between theory\, evidence\, and reflective action\, enabling institutions to design learning pathways that cultivate belongi ng\, academic momentum\, and meaningful learning. In this sense\, the con ference advances a SoTL agenda that moves beyond generic claims about &ld quo\;what works&rdquo\; to develop transferable principles\, context-sens itive evidence\, and actionable implications for module\, programme\, and institutional improvement.

Assessment for learning and feedback ar e positioned as central levers in this praxis-oriented approach because t hey powerfully shape what counts as knowledge\, how standards are interpr eted\, and how students regulate their learning over time. Throughout the learning process\, students are formatively assessed to give them and th eir lecturers information that promotes better learning and student growt h. The importance of this focus is amplified by the recognition that feed back only becomes educationally valuable when students can interpret\, ev aluate\, and use it to improve future work. Strengthening student feedbac k literacy is therefore integral to advancing student success\, as it sup ports learners&rsquo\; capacity to engage productively with evaluative in formation and to develop agency and judgement in their learning (Carless &\; Boud\, 2018). By elevating assessment and feedback as curriculum\, the conference highlights how SoTL can reconfigure assessment practices to support progression\, deepen learning\, and build sustainable learning capabilities.

The conference also treats AI-enabled teaching and l earning as a pedagogical and curricular question that requires scholarly scrutiny rather than instrumental adoption. While AI tools are rapidly en tering educational spaces\, systematic evidence suggests that research in this area has often been technology-driven\, underlining the need to rec onnect AI applications to educator perspectives\, robust pedagogy\, and e thical considerations (Zawacki-Richter et al.\, 2019). A SoTL lens is ess ential here because it anchors AI adoption in evidence\, values\, and edu cational purpose\, and it supports principled approaches to curriculum de sign\, learning activities\, assessment practices\, feedback processes\, academic integrity\, and student support. In doing so\, the conference fr ames AI not as a substitute for teaching expertise\, but as a site for sc holarly inquiry into how learning can be enhanced in equitable\, transpar ent\, and human-centred ways.

Conclusively\, the theme &lsquo\;Adva ncing Student Success through SoTL and Curriculum as Praxis&rsquo\; expli citly connects student success to decolonising and diversifying learning\ , recognising that epistemic access and belonging depend on whose knowled ge is legitimised\, whose languages are valued\, and which identities are recognised in curriculum and pedagogy. Decolonising the university requi res confronting the politics of knowledge and the institutional condition s that shape what can be taught and learned (Mbembe\, 2016). From a compl ementary perspective\, SoTL framed through social justice insists that sc holarly teaching must attend to equity\, recognition\, and participation\ , not only to effectiveness in the abstract (Leibowitz &\; Bozalek\, 2 016). Through bringing these concerns into conversation with curriculum a s praxis\, the conference positions SoTL as a vehicle for transforming le arning environments so that student success is advanced through inclusive \, context-responsive\, and socially just curriculum and pedagogy.

Submissions are invited under the following sub-themes:

We welcome research papers\, reflective practice papers and post ers that clearly articulate a teaching and learning problem\, situate it within relevant theory\, present appropriate evidence\, and offer implica tions for curriculum and pedagogy that advance student success in diverse higher education contexts. Please contact the SoTL office if you would l ike to conduct a workshop during the conference. \;

Submission s \;

DeadlinesDates
Call for Abstracts15 March 202 6
Closing date for Abstract09 May 2026
Notification for Accepted Abstracts17 &ndash\; 20 June 2026
Registration closing date15 August 202 6
Conference Dates7 - 9 October 2026
Full Papers for Special Issue2 0 October 2026


Conference Registr ation Fee

CategoryPhysical AttendanceOnline Attendance
Academic Staff / ProfessionalsR3750R1500
Postgraduate Students (Full-time or Part-time) R1500R1500


Travel: where to stay\, sightseeing

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Communication Logistics

For any inquiries\, please contact Ms Dineo Mopeli  \;sotl conference@cut.ac.za \;

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