APPLICATIONS FOR FUNDING ARE Now OPEN
Focus on Supporting and Highlighting the Value of Teaching and Learning Enhancement within Higher Education Institutions
This T&L Initiative funding stream responds to identified needs of higher education institutions, specifically from those with responsibility for driving teaching and learning enhancement at a local level. The aim of this T&L Initiative funding stream is to stimulate small-scale local enhancement initiatives, providing an opportunity for those who have had limited engagement to date.
The funding will be used to seed fund a number of small-scale learning enhancement projects (LEPs) to support engagement with teaching and learning enhancement by individuals or small teams within an institution.
How many projects will be funded?
The allocation for ‘Type 001’ projects as part of CIT’s funding from the National Forum totals €25,000 and we plan to fund approximately 5 projects (each approx. €5,000).
What types of projects will be funded?
We are interested in all projects that will support the enhancement of Teaching, Learning, Assessment and Student Engagement. We are particularly interested in projects that support one of the following key themes/approaches:
- Assessment and Feedback
- Learning Spaces
- Student-Staff Collaboration
- Inter/Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration
These projects will plan to deliver innovative practice that will impact students and staff in a particular discipline or across multiple disciplines
In addition, we would strongly advise those interested in applying to consider the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education policy and framework documents when composing their application:
What types of projects would be considered ‘Assessment and Feedback’ related?
The TLU has commissioned a series of activities, workshops and resources to support Assessment and Feedback including:
- Our TACIT (Teaching and Assessment at CIT) Guides
- Workshops:
- Developing Assessment Literacy in Students – Intentional Interventions, Prof Margaret Price, Professor Emerita of Assessment and Learning, Oxford Brookes University
- Recent Developments in Assessment & Feedback Methodologies, Professor Sally Brown, Emerita Professor of Higher Education Diversity in Teaching and Learning at Leeds Metropolitan University, Visiting Professor at University of Plymouth, Adjunct Professor at University of the Sunshine Coast, and James Cook Universit
- A Masterclass in Assessment, Prof Sally Brown, Emerita Professor of Higher Education Diversity in Teaching and Learning at Leeds Metropolitan University, Visiting Professor at University of Plymouth, Adjunct Professor at University of the Sunshine Coast, and James Cook University
Projects would be encouraged to build on these resources, to innovate into new areas of Assessment and Feedback, particularly in collaboration with students.
What types of projects would be considered ‘Leaning Spaces’ related?
“Space, whether physical or virtual, can have a significant impact on learning. Learning Spaces focuses on how learner expectations influence such spaces, the principles and activities that facilitate learning, and the role of technology from the perspective of those who create learning environments: faculty, learning technologists, librarians, and administrators.”
(https://www.educause.edu/research-and-publications/books/learning-spaces)
In our quickly changing environment, we would value projects that seek to develop the physical and/or virtual learning spaces that our students and staff inhabit. How could you design, reconfigure or enhance your learning spaces in collaboration with your staff or student colleagues?
What types of projects would be considered ‘Student-Staff Collaboration’ related?
CIT has a long-standing reputation for its innovation in a number of areas relating to Learning and Teaching activity. It has a well-developed programme of Student Engagement and we anticipate the applications to this fund will continue to develop this area of work, seeking new ways for students and staff to work together to enhance the learning experience.
What types of projects would be considered ‘Inter/Cross-Disciplinary collaboration’ related?
While engaging in inter/cross-disciplinary collaborations can be challenging, our experience has shown there is huge potential when this approach to teaching and learning enhancement is employed and it can significantly benefit all involved. Therefore, we would welcome projects that explore how we’re preparing students and staff for an inter/cross-disciplinary world. Projects might involve the sharing and development of good practice between groups and programme teams, within and across disciplines, based on their collective knowledge and expertise.
How will project outputs be disseminated?
As with all projects, TLU/AnSEO will encourage project leads to seek a variety of dissemination opportunities to demonstrate the impact of their projects from internal promotion/conferences, national/international conferences and by publication. Projects funded as part of the Strategic Alignment Fund will also be shared by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, receiving national recognition.
Is there anyone I can talk to informally before applying?
If you have any queries or would like to discuss your application prior to submitting, then you can contact:
- William Carey, TLU, Ext. 5799 or william.carey@cit.ie
Can this funding be used to buy out lecturing time of staff?
On this occasion, the answer is yes due to the nature and source of the funding as described above.
