Course Redesign Grants
A Course Redesign grant funds the partial or entire redesign of a course using learner-centered pedagogical principles supported by interactive, computer-based materials and activities. Instructional designers do this by using best practices in pedagogy and instructional technology to enhance teaching and learning, redesigning efforts in order to examine different methods to create more consistent learning experiences, motivating students to become active learners, and promoting educational efficiency.
Course Redesign Grants receive support from FBNS Distance Education personnel. The type and level of involvement depend on the complexity and nature of the instructional solutions to be developed and the grant recipient’s existing skill set. Grant recipients will be directed to useful course development resources and assisted with designing effective and pedagogically appropriate learning solutions. Depending on the availability of resources and the need within the course, FBNS DE staff may also create web-based and multimedia learning materials.
All supported projects begin with collaboration between the grant recipient and the designated department FBNS instructional designer (Jessica White) to complete a comprehensive analysis of the identified challenges in the current course so that a project plan founded in best pedagogical practices may be created. This plan helps ensure that the project remains focused on developing quality solutions that impact student success.
Grant recipients are expected to commit time and energy to the project (approximately 5-10 hours per week) and to actively collaborate with FBNS staff to co-develop materials and activities that support learning objectives. This work includes exploring technology-supported strategies to help students develop higher-order thinking skills, such as critical evaluation, creative thinking and reflection (see the NC State Th!nk Program), and professionalism and success skills.
Materials are developed for the following areas:
- Content delivery, which can include:
- Structure an engaging framework for content developed by the faculty using the many tools available in Moodle.
- Activities, which can include:
- Writing stimulating discussion board questions;
- Structuring technologies to encourage student collaboration;
- Using Google Docs for group work on projects or assignments;
- Employing social media applications for team-building, information distribution, or group data collection;
- Using synchronous communication tools;
- Designing individual and group learning activities;
- Constructing or adapt interactive activities.
- Assessment of learning mastery, which can include:
- Designing or developing appropriate self-checks, quizzes or surveys;
- Building assignments and assessments that measure achievement of learning objectives.
Funding
Course Redesign Grant recipients can receive financial assistance toward the completion of their projects with the hope the course receives QM certification. Part of our goal as a department is to design quality online courses to enhance the departments’ distance education (DE) offerings. In order to do so, we design courses that follow QM standards and best practices of online learning. FBNS staff support is not paid from the award. During the course of the project, FBNS may provide additional funding to support video production, captioning, part-time labor or other services as needed.
Eligibility
Any FBNS faculty or staff member is eligible to apply for a Course Redesign grant. The applicant must have experience teaching the course at least once and be actively involved with teaching the proposed course. The course is expected to be taught at least once during between the Spring 2021 and Fall 2022 academic semesters.
Proposal Requirements
The submission portal will ask you for the following information:
Principal Investigator:
- Name
- Title
- Email Address
- Phone Number
- Names of Additional Participants
Summary:
Provide a short summary of the project proposed. This summary should include how the course is currently being taught, why you wish to redesign the course, challenges you are facing, issues/concepts with which students struggle, methods by which you’ve attempted to address these struggles, and solutions that worked.
Project Details:
Sections in the portal will ask you to provide the information requested below.
- Course Information
- Prerequisites
- Associated Labs
- Anticipated number of students in the course and their current academic performance
- Current/expected student population
- Additional Information
- Alignment to FBNS Strategic Plan
- Collaboration with Other Faculty/Staff
- Anticipated Timeline
- Impact Beyond FBNS
- Working with FBNS DE Staff
- Project Participants
- Discuss who will be involved in the project and their anticipated role. For instance, if additional faculty members or graduate assistants will be involved, describe what each person’s role in the project will be.
Plan for Award:
Because awarded funds vary depending on the project, Course Redesign Grant proposals must include an itemized budget, detailing how the applicant(s) plan to use the award, including specific personnel needs.
All funds must be spent within accordance to all deadlines established by the university, CALS and FBNS. Please note that awards are state-appropriated funds and are subject to all applicable university, college, and departmental rules for such funds. Applicants should contact their unit’s budget officer for specifics on spending.
Instructor Materials:
Submit a link to a copy of your current course syllabus, or if there are multiple faculty working on the course redesign, submit a link to a copy of each instructor’s syllabus.
Grant Requirements
- For Credit Course: The course for this project must be a credit-bearing course at North Carolina State University.
- Course Delivery and Assessment:
- Courses must be delivered at least once between Fall 2020 and Spring 2021.
- Funding: All funds must be spent within the current fiscal year and in accordance with all deadlines established by the university and the respective college and department. Please note that awards are state-appropriated funds and are subject to all applicable university, college, and departmental rules for such funds. Applicants should contact their unit’s budget officer for specifics on spending.
- Accessibility: The accessibility of online educational materials to the broadest possible audience is an important goal for FBNS and is ethically and legally required. If you receive a FBNS Grant, we will develop course content in compliance with accessibility guidelines. At times, this may limit the types of learning materials we create in the course of meeting your learning objectives and finding solutions to your challenges.
Review Process
FBNS reviews proposals for their potential to strategically impact Online and Distance Education courses within the FBNS department at NC State. At any time in the review process, FBNS staff may contact you for more information about your project. FBNS will prioritize proposals based on the degree to which the proposed project addresses:
- Departmental strategic initiatives
- Potential impact outside NC State and FBNS
- Benefits of new learning opportunities to the primary target audience of non-campus, “true” Online and Distance Education program students
- Collaboration between faculty/staff members
- Faculty/staff commitment to working on project
For questions about this grant, please email Jessica White at jlwhite6@ncsu.edu.
Submit a Proposal
FBNS Grant Proposals must be submitted electronically from the FBNS Grants RFP (completed in Google Forms). Once you have filled out the application form and clicked “Submit,” your proposal will be sent to the appropriate reviewers for consideration. If for any reason you have to stop filling out the form and start again later, the form will not retain the information previously submitted. It may be best to print a copy of the RFP, draft your answers in a Google or Word Document and then copy them over to the Google Forms portal.