teaching-learning

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Conference

The SoTL Conference is EHL’s premier annual event dedicated to advancing scholarly teaching practices. It brings together educators, researchers, and academic leaders to explore evidence-based strategies that enhance teaching and learning in hospitality and beyond.

Through paper presentations, interactive workshops, and keynote addresses, the conference creates a platform for rich exchange between EHL faculty and global experts from institutions such as the HES-SO and beyond.

Event Description

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) invites professionals to share their own experiences, so that others may reflect on their findings and build upon teaching and learning processes. This conference brings together faculty members and researchers from Switzerland and beyond who are interested in conducting research on teaching and learning, with a particular emphasis on the importance of collaboration between faculty and students to ensure academic success.

Have you ever felt like you were truly aligned with your students, that the line between you and them had blurred, resulting in learning beyond your expectations? Come along to share your experiences and be prepared to learn about new ways to reinvent the faculty/student relationship.

The objective is to share research projects or innovative activities with others in order to help improve future teaching and learning practices.

Latest Edition

February 4, 2025

Location

EHL Campus Lausanne

Partner

HES-SO

Scholarship of Teaching & Learning 2025

2025 SoTL Conference Thematic

The theme for this event was the inclusion of many versions of partnerships in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) that contribute to student success. The partnerships could be faculty-student, faculty-faculty, or faculty-technology.

The Evolution of EHL’s Teaching and Learning Conference

At the dawn of the 7th edition of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) conference at EHL Hospitality Business School, we take a moment to reflect on the motivations for participating in SoTL and the rich lessons we take away from each edition.

This comprehensive retrospective delves into the evolution of SoTL conferences in Swiss Romande, exploring its impact on educational methodologies, assessment strategies, and the overall learning experience. By examining key insights gleaned from our annual SoTL conferences and initiatives, we can trace the trajectory of this influential movement and its role in preparing a new generation of lifelong learners.

evolution-ehl-teaching-and-learning-conference


Latest Edition Speakers

professor-zizka-laura

 


Dr. Laura Zizka

With more than 20 years of international teaching experience, Dr. Laura Zizka has been a faculty member at EHL since 2002. As an Associate Professor, she teaches Academic Writing and Crisis/Strategic Communication to undergraduate and graduate students. Her teaching philosophy revolves around lifelong learning, application of transferable ‘soft’ skills, and positive social change. Dr. Zizka is the Chair of the Examination Board and is a Peer Pedagogical Coach. She animates seminars and workshops with students and staff on teaching and learning topics. Dr. Zizka is a member of the Swiss Faculty Development Network (SFDN), British Academy of Management (BAM), and Academy of Management (AOM).
sharon-flynn

 


Dr. Sharon Flynn

Dr. Flynn is a successful hybrid academic with more than 27 years of experience working in
higher education in Ireland. She is currently the National Coordinator of the ambitious N-TUTORR programme, an innovative collaboration across the Technological Higher Education sector to transform the student experience, funded to almost €40m through the European Union. Between 2019 and 2022, she was project manager of the Enhancing Digital Teaching and Learning (EDTL) project, working with senior academic leaders across seven universities in the Irish Universities Association. She was also the Assistant Director at the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching at the University of Galway, where she focused on academic staff development and led a team of learning technologists.
professor-earlerpelding-karen

 


Karen Earl Erpelding

Karen is a Senior Lecture at EHL and has been teaching for 28 years. She obtained a Master’s in Educational Psychology in 2021, as well as the HES-SO Pedagogical Counsellor certification in 2024. She has been part of the Pedagogical Peer Coach (PPC) program at EHL since the beginning, and has actively supported numerous colleagues in their teaching adventure since then. She is also part of the EHLsmile association (www.ehlsmile.org) that develops hospitality vocational training centers in developing countries for underprivileged youths, bringing quality hospitality training to those most in need.
guillaume-tschupp

 


Guillaume Tschupp

Guillaume Tschupp is a lecturer at the Haute École Pédagogique du Valais, specializing in digital education and elearning. He explores the potential of artificial intelligence to support teachers, engage students, and enhance pedagogical practices. Guillaume is dedicated to providing practical and accessible ideas to address the challenges of modern education.
sebastien-fernandez-1

 


Dr. Sébastien Fernandez

Sébastien Fernandez, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at EHL since 2011. He received his BSc and MSc in Psychology from the University of Lausanne and his PhD in Differential Psychology from the University of Geneva. He is part of the team of peer pedagogical coaches at EHL and is keen on developing new pedagogical approaches in his teaching and on sharing those with his colleagues
gaby-probst

 


Gaby Probst

Gaby Probst is head of pedagogical development at the School of Management in Fribourg, where she teaches Business German. Besides, she provides targeted training and support for numerous lecturers at HEG-FR and HES-SO and began publishing articles on distance learning and teaching methodology in 2020 together with Dr. Laura Zizka.

 

Partner

hes-so

Browse Previous Conferences

6th edition of the SOTL Conference

I am not a chatbot: SoTL meets technology

Download the 2024 SOTL Conference program

Speakers

  • Dr. Laura Zizka
  • Dr. Iain MacLaren
  • Dr. Estefania Amer
  • Dr. Henrietta Carbonel
  • Ms. Mélanie Bonvin
  • Dr. Jean-Michel Jullien
  • Ms. Gaby Probst
  • Dr. Aurélie Boulos

Partners & Sponsors

Academic Partner

  • HES-SO University of Applied Sciences & Arts Western Switzerland.

5th edition of the SOTL Conference

A New Day has Dawned... The Future of Higher Education

Download the 2023 SOTL Conference program

Speakers

  • Dr. Laura Zizka
  • Dr. Amrita Zahir
  • Dr. Francesco Reale
  • Ms. Gaby Probst
  • Dr. Natascia Petringa
  • Dr. Ingrid Le Duc
  • Dr. Michelle Amos
  • Dr. Dawna Lisa Buchanan
  • Dr. Lauren Hays

Partners & Sponsors

Academic Partner

  • HES-SO University of Applied Sciences & Arts Western Switzerland.

4th edition of the SOTL Conference

The Human Touch: Engagement and Creativity through SoTL

Download the 2022 SOTL Conference program

Speakers

  • Dr. Laura Zizka
  • Dr. Amrita Zahir
  • Ms. Gaby Probst
  • Dr. Sébastien Fernandez
  • Dr. Alain Imboden
  • Dr. Lauren Hays
  • Ms. Lindsay McNiff
  • Dr. Sharon Lauricella
  • Dr. T. Keith Edmunds
  • Dr. Mandy Frake-Mistak
  • Dr. Brian Nairn
  • Dr. Ameera Ali
  • Dr. Patrick Maher
  • Dr. Anita Acai
  • Ms. Roselynn Verwoord
  • Dr. Cherie Woolmer
  • Ms. Melanie Kotowich-Hamilton

 

Partners & Sponsors

Academic Partner

  • HES-SO University of Applied Sciences & Arts Western Switzerland.

3rd edition of the SOTL Conference

Higher Education and Beyond: Promoting Lifelong Learning through SoTL

Download the 2021 SOTL Conference program

Speakers

  • Dr. Judith Boettcher
  • Dr. Sébastien Fernandez
  • Dr. Mandy Frake-Mistak
  • Ms. Melanie Hamilton
  • Dr. Lauren Hays
  • Dr. Jenna Kammer
  • Dr. Patrick Maher
  • Dr. Gail Matthews-DeNatale
  • Dr. Lauren Scharff
  • Dr. Namala Tilakaratna
  • Dr. Andrea Webb
  • Dr. Amrita Zahir
  • Dr. Laura Zizka

Partners & Sponsors

Academic Partner

  • HES-SO University of Applied Sciences & Arts Western Switzerland.

2nd edition of the SOTL Conference

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Student Assessment of Learning

Download the 2020 SOTL Conference program

Speakers

  • Ms. Ruth Puhr
  • Dr. Laura Zizka
  • Mr. Kader Hegedüs
  • Mr. Andrew Keohane
  • Mr. Francesco Screti
  • Dr. Sébastien Fernandez

Partners & Sponsors

Academic Partner

  • HES-SO University of Applied Sciences & Arts Western Switzerland.

1st edition of the SOTL Conference

Reflecting-in and Reflecting-on Teaching and Learning through Research

Download the 2019 SOTL Conference program

Speakers

  • Dr. Denis Berthiaume
  • Dr. Viktor Dörfler
  • Dr. Marc Stierand
  • Mr. Andrew Keohane
  • Dr. Martin Senior
  • Dr. Astrid Schmidhofer
  • Dr. Ingrid Le Duc
  • Dr. Sébastien Fernandez
  • Dr. Hilary Murphy
  • Ms. Ruth Puhr
  • Dr. Laura Zizka

Partners & Sponsors

Academic Partner

  • HES-SO University of Applied Sciences & Arts Western Switzerland.

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