UWRF DoTS -Online Course Redesign Mini-Grant

Online Course Redesign Mini-Grant

The Online Course Redesign Mini-Grant provides funding and instructional support for faculty and instructional academic staff members interested in reconstructing a significant portion of a course currently offered online.

Applicants should clearly identify a significant teaching or student learning challenge that currently exists in an online course and provide a detailed plan for redesigning the course to address this issue.

FY 2013 Focus: University Core Value, Academic Excellence

“We help students attain their full potential as critical thinkers, effective communicators, leaders, and committed life-long learners by providing engaged and integrated learning educational experiences.”

Identification of the Teaching or Learning Problem

Examples of changes to an online course may include, but are not limited to,

Emphasis on authentic assessments — prepare opportunities in which students learn through complex problems and real-world challenges
Developing collaborative assignments and projects – creating problem based learning activities or other “high impact practices.”
Adopting Different Technology Tools - a technology that provides a relative advantage to existing methods used in the course.

Applications addressing elements of the Liberal Education and America's Promise (LEAP) initiative are preferred. Go to http://www.aacu.org/leap/ link for more information on the LEAP initiative.

Who Can Apply?

Faculty members and academic staff members who have offered the same course online at least three times are eligible to apply for funding.

If you have received received funding from the Online Course Redesign Grant, it is requested that you teach the course at least three more times before submitting an additional proposal.

Available Funding

Ten applications will be funded this fiscal year. Participants will receive $750 per credit for the course being redesigned. If required for the project, additional one-time funding (under $250) is available for equipment (microphone, digital camera, etc) or software (screen recording software, etc). All funded proposals should be implemented by June 30, 2013. Funding is provided when the project is submitted and reviewed in accordance with the assessment plan provided.

Instructional Designer Assistance Provided

The University's instructional designer is available to provide individual assistance to each faculty member's proposal.

How will applications be evaluated?

The Faculty and Academic Staff Development Board will review all applications. Applications will be evaluated on the connection to the grant's focus and the total anticipated impact on student learning. Applicants will be notified by email on the status of their application by Monday, October 15, 2012.