Connecting the dots between knowledge mobilization, knowledge translation and the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning: A conversation with Erika Smith, PhD, and Richard Hayman, MA & MLIS

By Anju Kakkar, MBA, and Saran Davaajargal, BA 

In early 2024, our team at Humber Press and the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (SoTL) had the opportunity to participate in a workshop on Knowledge Mobilization/Knowledge Translation led by Erika Smith, PhD, Educational Development Consultant (SoTL) at the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, University of Calgary, and Richard Hayman, MA & MLIS, Associate Professor & Digital Initiatives Librarian at Mount Royal University.  
 
This session proved revelatory, offering insights into the dynamics of knowledge sharing within the SoTL realm. The workshop's focus on alternative metrics and digital presence broadened our understanding of academic value beyond traditional measures and spurred us to continue exploring new avenues for sharing and measuring the impact of our work.

To further explore these topics and continue the conversation, we interviewed Erika and Richard to hear more of their insights on knowledge mobilization, knowledge translation, open access and SoTL.

Differences between knowledge mobilization and knowledge translation

Knowledge mobilization (KM) traditionally refers to a range of knowledge dissemination activities wherein researchers and academics share their research findings, often through publishing journal articles and books, presenting at academic conferences, and other forms of formal knowledge sharing. Richard states that, more recently, KM activities have expanded to include sharing datasets, publishing infographics, and using multimedia formats such as websites and podcasts.  

Importantly, he notes that KM helps continue the research lifecycle by ensuring others can discover and use the knowledge created in one project, often by integrating and building upon that knowledge into another project and informing future research in the ​process. 

 

When asked about knowledge translation (KT), Richard explains that it attempts to take the awareness and use of that research beyond traditional academic circles to enable the understanding and application of that knowledge to be broadly available to different audiences in the general public. This could be interpretation and sharing of findings not just with practitioners in the field but with all people who could benefit from using that knowledge. “Knowledge translation processes often seek to form partnerships between the research community and those most impacted by the issues being investigated (e.g., community organizations, public schools, NGOs, businesses) and other stakeholders affected by that research and who benefit or are positively impacted from the information gained,” says Richard.

Equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) and the role of open access in the process of KM and KT

Since both KM and KT are about the creation, production and dissemination of knowledge, to further information exchange and promote its use, open access becomes key to ensuring that the knowledge acquired reaches as many people as possible. Richard notes that open access promotes equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility (EDIA). “The truth is that the vast majority of the public does not have easy access to research articles and databases. Open access seeks to change that such that everyone can benefit by having research and other quality information openly available to them,” says Richard. For Erika and Richard, adopting a Students as Partners (SaP) approach that intentionally integrates EDIA values fosters collaborative relationships with their student research partners.

As well, digital communications technologies continue to play a key part in KM and KT processes for sharing key findings in ways that can be easily found, understood, and used by partners, communities, and stakeholders. “At any stage of a career, learning and applying digital literacies that enable us to effectively communicate and co-create ideas and insights – and extend these online through accessible web artifacts, including websites, infographics, videos, and more – is a continuous process that deserves our attention and time,” says Erika.

As more technological developments get incorporated into the teaching and learning process, Erika emphasizes the importance of researchers and educators staying abreast of these developments in the technology landscape.

Strategies for effectively integrating social media into scholarly practices 

To fully realize the potential of KM and KT, recognizing ways to connect, share, and collaborate is an important aspect of being a well-rounded scholar in today’s digital information environment. For this, Erika recommends the “Choose, Connect, Interact” framework.

For “Choose,” Erika suggests choosing a few platforms that work well for the partners, colleagues and audience one is aiming to reach. For “Connect,” she recommends connecting with individuals and organizations that align with one’s interests and affinities. Finally, as part of “Interact,” Erika recommends finding ways to actively interact with one’s network.

When asked about advice for educators looking to build their digital academic profile, Erika and Richard advise, “It’s OK to start small when developing your online presence. Focus on one or two tools to get comfortable, whether it’s on social media or through other platforms like Google Scholar or ORCID.”

More helpful strategies on networked scholarship strategies can be found in the chapter “Strategic digital engagement for impact: Building your academic presence online,” written by Erika and Richard as part of The Impactful Academic. 

“What does Scholarship of Teaching & Learning mean to you?”

Erika and Richard’s emphasis on the benefits for researchers to cultivate a digital presence resonated deeply with Humber Press’s mission to break down barriers to research and innovation and foster the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning. 

At Humber’s Office of Research & Innovation, we support and celebrate the journey of SoTL researchers from across various fields while acknowledging that SoTL can have a unique meaning for each researcher.  

We concluded our interview with Erika and Richard by asking what SoTL means to them; here is what they had to say:

“I see the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning as a field where a community of educators and scholars engage in investigating critical questions and grappling with complex problems in order to enhance, extend, and promote valuable transformations that can be realized through impactful learning and teaching. To me, the SoTL community is a place where rich relationships and partnerships with students – doing our work with rather than simply for learners – are foundational to making positive and generative changes to educational practices, processes, and systems.”  
—Erika Smith, PhD 

“SoTL is often characterized as a direct or systematic inquiry into teaching and learning and typically focuses on student learning and effective teaching practices. It is often perceived as being secondary to or of lesser value than discipline-based discovery research. But as a librarian, I’m responsible for supporting the learning and research needs of my entire academic community, which includes students, educators, researchers, staff, administrators, and others within and beyond my institution no matter their disciplinary focus. This necessarily means my teaching must constantly change, requiring a nuanced approach that depends on audience, topic, and individual needs. I’m at my best when research informs my instruction and when my teaching experience blends into my research.”  
—Richard Hayman, MA & MLIS  

Get to know Erika and Richard a little more. Here are a few things to know about them:

What are some books, publications and/or articles you recommend for our readers? 

Erika Smith: The Impactful Academic , edited by Wade B. Kelly, includes our chapter on “Strategic digital engagement for impact: Building your academic presence online,” and it has a number of great chapters that provide insights and tips in the context of a holistic, career-wide approach to making an impact through research and scholarship. 

For anyone interested in getting started with or expanding their work in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, I also recommend the recently published book SoTL Research Methodologies: A Guide to Conceptualizing and Conducting the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning by our colleagues Michelle Yeo, Janice Miller-Young, and Karen Manarin, which provides a great overview of the field along with practical examples and scholarly advice. 

Richard Hayman: Anyone wanting an introduction to open access can’t go wrong with Peter Suber’s Open Access, available from MIT Press. (The book itself is OA, so you won’t have any trouble finding it.) A more recent work that addresses some of the changes since then is Peter Baldwin’s Athena Unbound: Why and How Scholarly Knowledge Should Be Free for All, also open access from MIT Press. 

What do you read in your free time?  

Erika Smith: In my free time, I love to read fiction, and I recently finished Canadian author Anne-Marie MacDonald’s book Fayne, which was a vivid exploration of identity mixed with love, magic, and science set in the 19th-century moorlands of Scotland and England. 

Richard Hayman: I grew up reading science fiction and fantasy, and that continues today, with a mix of dystopian, cyberpunk, space opera, and military sci-fi being my usual fare. Before training as a librarian, I studied comparative literature, so occasionally, I like to dip back into literary fiction and the canon. 

About Erika and Richard

Erika Smith (PhD; she/her) is an Educational Development Consultant (SoTL) in the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning at the University of Calgary. She has an interdisciplinary background in digital humanities and completed her PhD in Adult, Community and Higher Education at the University of Alberta. Erika supports curriculum, pedagogy, and technology innovations and initiatives under the umbrella of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. She is Senior Associate Editor and a founding member of Imagining SoTL, a peer-reviewed open access journal, and co-PI on a SSHRC-funded SoTL initiative that integrates students-as-partners in knowledge co-creation. She has written for The Conversation and widely shares and translates knowledge via videos, infographics, and social media. Her research interests include educational development, digital literacies, and emerging technologies in higher education.

Richard Hayman (MA, MLIS; he/him) is an Associate Professor and Digital Initiatives Librarian with Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta. As researcher-practitioner with interests that include open access and scholarly communications, educational technologies, and evidence based practice in academic (library) settings, his expertise engages multidisciplinary modes of knowledge exploration, creation, mobilization, and translation. He is committed to open practices in research and ensuring his publications are available via open access, and supporting others seeking to do the same. Richard is currently co-PI on a scoping review project funded by a SSHRC Explore grant and a Mokakiiks Centre for Scholarship of Teaching Collaborate grant exploring the use of social media technologies in undergraduate teaching and learning.