Frequently Asked Questions

Instructional Design Assistance Program (Formerly Distance Education [DE] Grants) FAQs

• What is the purpose of the Instructional Design Assistance Program?

1. 1. • The primary purpose is to assist faculty and staff with developing and refining academic credit courses offered in an online, distance, or blended education setting.
      • Since the grant funds come from the distance education budget, courses offered through extension and outreach modalities are ineligible for participation.
      • Overall, the program endeavors to achieve the following:
        • Provide instructional design assistance to faculty and staff members who teach FS-related courses
        • Align with FBNS strategic plan in providing innovative food, bioprocessing, and nutrition sciences education
        • Utilize new, interactive, and engaging instructional technology for student achievement
        • Increase student learning outcomes
        • Allow FBNS faculty the opportunity to work with Jessica directly in order to place courses online, redesign existing courses, blended courses, and add innovative teaching strategies/instructional technologies
        • Provide FBNS faculty opportunity to receive funds that can be used to assist them in building online courses, attending conferences, and researching technologies to utilize in face-to-face and online courses

• Is this still a grant-based program?

1. 1. • Using the Distance Education (DE) budget, the FBNS DE staff support the creation of online courses for food science, nutrition, and bioprocessing students, which includes exploring new technologies for teaching, developing new online courses and programs, assisting in the redesign of online and face-to-face courses as well as updating older courses.  The grants are part of a competitive awards program and include the option of New Course Development (NCD) or Course Redesign (CR).  
      • The money provides and promotes the innovative use of instructional design and technology in online teaching and learning by providing support in the form of an on-site instructional designer and departmental funds.  Through the grants, the distance education department of FBNS endeavors to cultivate instructional excellence through the utilization of new ideas and technologies.

• What are the DE staff looking for in these grant submissions?

1. • The DE staff of FBNS encourages the submission of projects that align to the department’s strategic goals and are consistent with the university’s initiatives.  
   • More specifically, the FBNS DE staff are looking for the following to be included in any FBNS DE Grants RFP:
     • Alignment to the FBNS Strategic Plan and program objectives
     • Anticipated project timeline, course outcomes, possible deliverables
     • Faculty commitment
     • Problem statement and how course development or course redesign will improve student learning
     • Project management plan for working with instructional designer
     • Collaboration with other faculty and staff members, and students
     • Potential for impacts beyond FBNS
     • Evaluation plan
     • Justification for grant money
     • Continuity plan for who will be teaching the course and when
     • PLEASE NOTE: Selection to participate in a grants project will require courses developed or redesigned to be taught within the academic year

• I teach a course that’s offered as a Distance Education course.  Am I eligible for an FBNS grant?

1. 1. • Yes.  If you would like to revise your course or build more interactive components to make it more robust, then you can apply for a Course Redesign grant for assistance in redesigning the course, developing course materials, and determining how to utilize new technologies in the course.
      • Yes.  If you are in the process of building a new course to be taught online, you can apply for a New Course Development grant for assistance in designing the course, developing course materials, and determining best practices for utilizing technology in the course.

• Are there limits to the number of grants awarded in each category?

1. 1. • Yes.  There are two categories of grants.  We anticipate selecting approximately two projects to work on per calendar year.  To achieve this goal, we anticipate working with two faculty/staff members separately for about six months at a time (not concurrently).
      • The two types of grants we currently offer are the following:
        • New Course Development
        • Course Redesign

• How much is each of the grant awards worth?

1. 1. • Each grant award is worth up to $5,000.  Awarding of funding is at the discretion of the Distance Education Coordinator.

• Can I receive funding for an extension or outreach course?

1. 1. • The Instructional Design Program Grant funding comes from the distance education budget with the primary purpose of developing and refining academic credit courses provided in a distance education format only (not blended courses); therefore, proposals for extension and outreach courses are not permitted to be submitted and will not be reviewed. That said, it is conceivable to repurpose certain materials from an academic distance education course for extension or outreach programs.

• How do I submit a proposal?

1. 1. • For the 2020-21 grant year, submissions will be accepted from Monday, April 6, 2020, through Friday, May 22, 2020, via a Google Form.  Proposals will not be accepted after 5 p.m. on Friday, May 22, 2020.

• When will I know if I have been selected?

1. 1. • It is anticipated that Jessica White (Instructional Designer) will make all notifications regarding grant recipients by mid-to-late June 2020.

• Can I receive assistance on redesigning or developing my online course if I am not selected for a grant?

1. 1. • Absolutely!  Jessica (and others within FBNS DE department) is available for consultation.  We ask that you schedule consultation appointments with her at least one week in advance by emailing her at jlwhite6@ncsu.edu.  I (Jessica) can provide 1:1 consultations and workshops by offering knowledge regarding best practices in relation to online course design, instructional design, and teaching strategies.

• Approximately how much time will it take to create an program proposal?

1. 1. • The time to complete the proposal application will vary depending on the complexity of the grant and the information you need to gather to complete your application.  The estimated time for compiling and preparing a strong proposal is approximately 1-5 hours over about two weeks.
      • You can see and download the grant proposal questions with this link
        • 2020-21 Instructional Design Assistance Program Application – Google Forms

• Who do I contact if I have questions about the FBNS DE Grants program?

1. 1. • Jessica White, Lead Instructional Designer, at jlwhite6@ncsu.edu
      • Dr. Clint Stevenson, Assistant Professor and Distance Education Coordinator, at cdsteve3@ncsu.edu.

• Who is eligible the Instructional Design Assistance Program?

1. 1. • Any member of the FBNS faculty or staff who teaches may submit proposals.

• What is the process for review with the FBNS DE Staff?

1. 1. • During the review process, FBNS DE staff will review proposals for their potential to strategically impact student outcomes in addition to online and distance education courses within the FBNS department at NC State.  At any time during the review process, FBNS DE staff may contact you for more information related to your project.

• What timeline by which should I plan to complete my project?

1. 1. • The timeline by which projects should be complete or near complete is within six months.  We plan to work with faculty and staff based on the schedule that works best for them.
      • Proposals received and awarded time to work 1:1 with Jessica will receive approximately six months of dedicated time where she will work with you to assist in developing course material, placing things within your Moodle course, and ensuring the course is aligned for student success.  
      • For example, a grant selected to start work in August 2020 will receive assistance from August through December 2020.  A grant selected to start work in January 2021 will receive assistance from January through June 2021.

• How much time am I expected to commit to my project if my proposal is selected?

1. 1. • It is expected that faculty/staff members will work in partnership with the instructional designer who will assist faculty/staff members in best practices for course development and redesign.
      • Ideally, faculty/staff members can expect to put in approximately 5-10 hours per week into their course.
      • It is expected that Jessica will meet with faculty for approximately 1-2 hours on either a weekly or biweekly basis throughout the duration of the project.
      • Please ensure you’re able to block off time on your calendar and in your schedule to work on course development or other tasks.

• What may I use the grant funds for if my proposal is selected?

1. • The funding may be allowed to pay for salary release, student workers, teaching conferences, etc. The funds will be coming from the DE budget, which is state-appropriated funds; therefore, all spending must comply with state and university policies.