The Center for Teaching & Assessment of Learning 2017- 2018 Instructional Improvement Grant submittal period will open on March 1, 2017 and close on May 15, 2017, or until all funds are expended.
Instructional Improvement Grants (IIG) provide funds (up to $5,000) for one-time, small-scale projects to improve existing courses, develop new courses, evaluate instruction, and assess curricular needs. The grant funds also can be used to support larger innovative projects that will directly and significantly affect teaching and learning, such as developing materials for new and existing courses and developing new modes of instruction. All submissions will be considered on a rolling basis from the grant opening date in March through the grant closing date in May, or until all funds are expended, whichever comes first. If you would like a consultation to prepare for a submittal, please email CTAL-info@udel.edu with the subject line “IIG Consult Requested”.
The IIG program has the following priorities for the 2017-2018 academic year:
- Multi-disciplinary or team-taught projects, projects that involve large lecture classes, particularly at the lower division level, classes that have multiple sections, or classes that are normally very popular and fill up quickly.
- Proposals that seek to address the rising cost of course materials through use of open textbooks and open educational resources are also encouraged. Individual faculty members or groups who wish to transition a course from a commercial textbook to an OER textbook that maintains high quality education and is more affordable (or free) to students are encouraged to apply. Successful proposals will emphasize the link between effective teaching practices and the use of open resources.
- Faculty groups who wish to meet regularly create faculty learning communities (FLCs) of between 5-10 faculty members interested in researching a teaching, learning, or assessment topic that has the potential to impact our UD community. Typically, FLC members are each awarded $500 for one semester($250 at the beginning and $250 at the end) during which they all regularly meet to conduct research and create a white paper.
- Potential topics for 2017-2018 may include:
- Redesigning a course with colleagues to incorporate free and open educational resources.
- How to create engaged learners in very large classes (>100 students)
- High-impact teaching practices for equity and inclusion
- Learning to teach: Best-practices for new instructors
- Challenges and Opportunities when Teaching in the Associate in Arts Program
Finally, we welcome proposals that do not fit into the priorities outlined above but are still focused on improving teaching and learning at UD. For example, other projects might involve service learning and civic engagement, enhance educational equity in the classroom, encourage study groups, promote active learning and engagement, focus on speaking or writing skills, or improve classroom assessment.
Please submit the completed application to this site: http://www.udel.edu/003685
Mini-grants of less than $1,000 are also available under this funding category for small-scale projects that improve or enrich existing undergraduate courses. Contact CTAL at 831-2027 or send email to CTAL-info@udel.edu. to discuss a small-scale project and receive application details.
