Research Areas:
- Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: early career researchers, SoTL Leadership, SoTL Theories & Frameworks; Mid-Career Faculty (engagement, retention, and professional development); Academic Integrity ethics & professional development; Curriculum development, revision, and renewal
About
Dr. Melanie Hamilton is the Director of the Jane and Ron Gramham Centre for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and an Associate Faculty member of the College of Graduate and Post-Graduate Studies at the University of Saskatchewan. She is a Registered Nurse (RN) by disciplinary background and spent over 20 years teaching in Bachelor of Nursing programs in Alberta. Dr. Hamilton has an expertise on curriculum development, revision, and renewal. Currently, Dr. Hamilton serves at the Director of the SoTL Centre, where she oversees graduate programming (Grad certificate, MSOTL, and PhD in Education-SoTL focus). Her teaching focuses on the history of SoTL, the SoTL research processes, and research lenses (epistemologies and ontologies). Her research focuses on a variety of scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) including supporting early career researchers, leadership (national & International), as well as developing theories and frameworks. She works closely with students and faculty to develop and engage in SoTL research. She also studies mid-career faculty, to explore the experiences of MCF, retention strategies, professional development, and tenure and promotion. Dr. Hamilton is actively engaged in SoTL research at the national and international levels. She has been an invited keynote speaker and presenter on numerous SoTL topics internationally. Dr. Hamilton holds significant leadership roles including the current President-Elect for the International Society of Teaching and Learning (ISSoTL) and Past-Chair of SoTL Canada and the membership on the Board of Directors for the Society of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE). Her commitment to teaching and leadership has earned her both institutional and provincial awards. In 2020, she was honored with an ISSOTL Fellowship for her outstanding work in supporting, developing, and engaging in SoTL initiatives at the international level.
Education:
- EdD in Educational Leadership (Higher Education Context). University of Western Ontario, 2022
- Scholarship of Educational Leadership (SoEL) graduate Certificate. UCB, 2018
- Master of Nursing (Nursing Education), University of Southern Queensland, 2004
- Bachelor of Nursing (BN). University of Lethbridge, 1997
- Diploma in Nursing (RN). Foothills School of Nursing, 1995
Teaching
Graduate Teaching
- SoTL 801 – Research Methods in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
- SoTL 804 – Research Experiences in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
- SoTL 990 – Graduate Seminar in SoTL
- ERES 898 – Research Lenses: Epistemologies and Ontologies in Higher Education
Research
- SoTL
- Mid-Career Faculty
- Academic Integrty and Ethics
Selected Publications
Steiner, H., & Hamilton, M. J. (forthcoming). Your worldview as a SoTL practitioner. SoTL Workbook.
Acai, A., Hamilton, M. J., Maher, P., Mistak-Frake, M., Verwood, R., & Woolmer, C. (forthcoming). Seven guiding principles for building fellowship in SoTL. Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
Frake-Mistak, M., Friberg, J., & Hamilton, M. J. (2023). Reimagining the 4M Framework in Educational Development for SoTL. Teaching & Learning Inquiry, 11 (April). https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.11.14
Hamilton, M. J., & Simmons, N. (2021). How educational developers can re-engage midcareer faculty (MCF) using SoTL. Imagining SoTL, 1, 58-76. https://mrujs.mtroyal.ca/index.php/is/article/view/523/373
Hamilton, M. J., & Wolsky, K. L. (2022). The barriers to faculty reporting incidences of academic misconduct at community colleges. In S. E. Eaton & J. Christensen Hughes (Eds.), Academic integrity in Canada: An enduring and essential challenge (pp. 467-485). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-83255-1_24
Selected Presentations.
Hamilton, M. J., Webb, A., VanLuween, C., Normbro., E, Korpan, C, Kim, A., & Nowell, L. (2023). Exploring SOTL Writing: Understanding the What, How, and Why. Preconference Workshop, presented to the participants of the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) Conference. Charlottetown, PEI, Canada.
Hamilton, M. J. (2024). Navigating the Landscape of SoTL Research. A Deeper Dive into Research Lenses. Workshop, presented to the participants at the 2024 SoTL Commons Conference. Savannah, Georgia, USA
Hamilton, M. J., & McCollum, B. (2023). I take the 6th. Adding one more Principle to Felten’s Principles of “good” SoTL Practice. Pre-Conference Workshop, presented to the participants at the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL). Utrecht, Netherlands.
Hamilton, M. J. (2023). Developing SoTL Leadership through Graduate Level Programming. Oral presentation, presented to the participants at the 2023 SoTL Commons Conference. Savannah, Georgia, USA
Webb, A. S. & Hamilton, M.J. (2022). Transforming your SoTL into SoTL Leadership. Workshop presentation, presented to the participants at the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL). Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.