POEETS: A Simple Way to Understand SoTL 

POEETS – no, it’s not a typo, an IKEA wardrobe name, or a brand of European beer. It’s an acronym – yes, higher education loves them! POEETS explains the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), particularly for those new to teaching. 

It stands for: 

• Problem or Opportunity  
• Enquiry  
• Evaluation  
• Talk & Share 

Let’s break it down: 

Problem or Opportunity 

This is the starting point for SoTL, acknowledging the problem you want to solve or the opportunity you want to seize. 

The word problem often implies something negative: poor student pass rates, increasing withdrawal rates, or attainment gaps. These examples are the very definition of a problem, which is something difficult, unwelcome and needing to be dealt with. 

Opportunity, on the other hand, is about making something that is good even better: increasing student placement rates, trialling how technology can improve flipped learning, or doubling engagement in student peer mentoring. All of these ideas and statements are initially grounded in a sense of positivity. 

If we only used the word problem, it could position SoTL in a negative way; and equally if we only use the word opportunity it ignores the reality of the world and sector we operate in. Together, they help you define the starting point for your project – essentially, the question you want to answer. 

Enquiry

Enquiry is the act of asking questions about your problem or opportunity. In SoTL, it includes a few key steps: 

1. Start with a clear question. It can be small (module or course-level), medium (subject-level), or large (university or sector-wide). Eg: how do I increase the engagement with my module Blackboard site? 
2. Do a knowledge-scope. Don’t stress about a formal literature review. Scoping out what others are saying on blogs and podcasts, asking colleagues in team meetings, listening to student feedback, and online CPD are all valid knowledge sources. 
3. Design an intervention or innovation. This could be introducing a screencast assessment brief, piloting the use of podcasts for learning, or embedding an online game on your Blackboard site. Consider ethics and proportionality at this stage (in many cases you don’t need formal ethics approval) and please avoid widening equality of opportunity gaps. 
4. Include students. As co-creators or partners, students can help scope knowledge, design interventions, and test ideas. Their involvement broadens perspectives and adds value to your project. 

Enquiry is not about becoming a full-time educational researcher it’s about curiosity in your own teaching and your students’ learning. 

Evaluation 

Evaluation checks the impact of your intervention. It doesn’t have to be intimidating. It should be linked to your original problem or opportunity and your stated enquiry. Plan evaluation from the start of your project so you can capture relevant data. Some low-intensity examples that are easy to access: 

• Students: mid-module feedback, NSS/PTES comments, Blackboard engagement/comments. 
• Peers: observed teaching sessions, team discussions, external benchmarking. 
• Quantitative data: attendance, pass rates, retention rates. 
• Professional reflections: your own insights/feelings after considering all feedback. 

Even low-intensity, pragmatic evaluation strengthens your project, supports professional development, and will nurture your own self-confidence as you develop from an early-career SoTLer to a SoTL superstar! 

Talk & Share 

Sharing your findings increases impact. Talk and share means dissemination, but that word is often loaded to lean towards journals or conferences, but it can be other, less intense options: 

• Team meetings – sharing insights with colleagues. 
• Internal blogs, podcasts, or development days. 
• External platforms like the Association for Learning Development in HE blog or articles in WonkHE. 

Sharing builds confidence, networks, and influence. It also rewards the work you’ve done and can spark ideas for future projects and collaborations. 

POEETS in summary

SoTL and POEETS can be simply described as: asking curious questions, trying new ideas, checking what works, and then sharing what you’ve learned. 

For early-career SoTL colleagues, it’s a way to turn everyday teaching into something purposeful and exciting. SoTL is a chance to experiment, involve students as partners, and see your ideas grow beyond your own classroom. A small innovation, carefully explored and shared, can inspire change far wider than you imagine. 
 
Four more expansive versions of this short blog are available here: 
 
Problem or Opportunity 

Enquiry 

Evaluation 

Talk and Share 

Author

Joel Gray, Associate Dean Learning, Teaching & Student Success in the College or Business, Technology and Engineering