Learning Innovation Unit - Learning Innovation Inititatives - 2007 Call

Learning Innovation Unit

Learning Innovation Initiatives - 2007-2008 Call

DCU Teaching & Learning Fund (TLF): 2007/2008
The Learning Innovation Fund (LIF) Project Scheme 

Issued: 31 October 2007
Closing: 7 December 2007
Reference: tlf/2007-2008/tlf

Introduction

The Learning Innovation Fund (LIF) is a special fund designated on an annual basis by the DCU Executive Committee to support strategic innovation and enhancement of the University's Teaching and Learning activities. It is augmented by funding for some specific schemes under the HEA Targeted Funding for Special Initiatives mechanism. It is administered by the Head of Learning Innovation with the advice of the Learning Innovation Advisory Panel (LIAP). 


A specific allocation has been made from this fund in the session 2007-2008 to support projects which deliver on priority objectives from the Learning Innovation Strategic Plan and Academic Framework for Innovation. The maximum award from the LIF, under this scheme, will be €15,000 per project*. Total project costs may, of course, be in excess of this if the additional funding is being provided from other source(s).

If you would like to apply for support under this call, please read carefully the detailed application information below and complete the online form as indicated.

* Collaborative projects from more than one discipline area may be considered for a higher amount of funding (up to a maximum €25,000)  in recognition of the increased overhead of interdisciplinary and collaborative working and the benefit to a greater number of areas from a single project.

Application Deadline

This call will close on 7 December 2007.

The outcome of applications under this call should be notified to applicants, via email, by 5.00pm on  21st January 2008.

Awards under this call must be fully taken up by end Dec 2008,  i.e. all expenditure must be completed before Dec 31st 2008.

Eligible Applicants

All categories of DCU staff are eligible to submit applications, i.e. full-time, part-time, permanent, contract, academic, administrative or technical. In the case of contract staff, you should consult with the head of your School or Unit before submitting the application.

Activities that may be Funded

In this particular call under the LI Project Scheme, preference will be given to projects which can be seen to clearly address priority aspects of the Learning Innovation Strategic Plan and Academic Framework for Innovation. High priority areas include:

  • Curriculum reform
  • Student Engagement
  • Mixed Mode and Flexible learning
  • Reflective Learning
  • Learning Technology, in particular: 
  1. reusable learning materials 
  2. uses outside of 'content' delivery  

Applications outside the above areas will be considered however given the limited funding available the above areas will be given higher priority.

Examples of activities which may be funded under this call might include:

  • Developing appropriate T&L materials or resources:
  • Carrying out a pilot project, action research or other initiative to trial a new learning approach
  • Designing (or re-designing) T&L resources and approaches for flexible learning.
  • Activities designed to review current practice with respect to the delivery of the Learning Innovation Strategic Plan (e.g., small surveys / investigations into a recurrent "problem", "away-day"-type activities, initiatives in curriculum design).
  • Running training workshops for staff within a School(s) (in-house or otherwise).
  • Purchase of T&L related materials or equipment.
  • Extra costs associated with facilitating flexible access (in the context of lifelong learning or otherwise) or facilitation of longer-term provision for special needs.
  • Extra costs associated with developing interdisciplinary modules/approaches

Prospective applicants are encouraged to review the awards made under the TLF Project Scheme(s) in previous years prior to submitting an application. You should also feel free to consult with the Learning Innovation Unit while preparing your application.

Please note that these suggestions are illustrative rather than exhaustive. All applications will be considered on their specific merits.

However, activities which are primarily or largely concerned with domain knowledge (as opposed to teaching and learning of that domain knowledge) will not generally be supported.

Intellectual Property

It is important that resources funded under this Scheme, including intellectual property, should remain available to the University. Accordingly, unless agreed otherwise, copyright to materials developed with support under this scheme will be vested in the University, through LIU. Please note that this provision is intended only to protect the legitimate interests of the University, particularly in its use of public funds. It is not intended to discourage or inhibit innovation. If you wish to discuss this further, please contact LIU directly.

Awards Process

You should submit an application by completing the on-line form below.

In order to more closely align submissions with Faculty priorities, and to ensure more equal representation from each Faculty, an evaluation process lead by the Faculty Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning will take place initially. Faculties will then recommend the highest ranked projects for final evaluation by a sub-group of the Learning Innovation Advisory Panel. Submissions from outside of the Faculties will be evaluated by the LIU in the first instance.

It is a condition of awards under this scheme that successful applicants must engage actively and effectively in disseminating the outcomes from the award to the wider University community. In particular, the original information in this completed application will be made available via the LIU website immediately after an award is made; and you will subsequently be required to provide the LIU with one or more reports on the outcome of the activities supported under the award, which will similarly be disseminated via the LIU website.

Application Form

Please read the call for applications under this scheme and the brief document Online Forms: Some Tips n' Tricks before completing this form. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) must be filled in. The information provided should be concise; please respect the indicated maximum word limits.

You are strongly encouraged to review the comments of the TLF Evaluation Panel from previous years which highlight specific shortcomings of applications under the previous round of the Project Scheme. Avoiding these pitfalls should improve your application and increase your chances of success.

In addition, we suggest that you prepare all required information first using a suitable word processing package or text editor, so that you can save this information, and thus protect against any technical problems which may occur during online submission. The information can then be copied and pasted into the appropriate sections below. Note that only "plain" text information will be retained in the form: so any complex formatting (fonts, colours, images, etc.) will be lost. If you have any queries on the use of the form, please contact LIU to discuss them asap.

1. Applicant(s)

*Principal Applicant:
*Faculty/Unit:
If "Other" please specify
*Email Address:

Additional Applicants (if any); please enter only one additional applicant per line, in the format "Name, School/Unit, e-mail address" (specifically including the commas as separators):

2. Summary

*Project Short Title (one line only, no more than 12 words):

*Amount requested from the LI fund (i.e. exclusive of complementary funding from any other sources). Maximum of €15,000. Please enter a bare number (with no € sign or punctuation):

*Summary Description (max. 150 words):

Project URL (if applicable):

3. Strategic Context

*Please explain below the strategic context for this project and how it meets  Objectives of the Learning Innovation Strategic Plan and Academic Framework for Innovation and the appropriate Faculty Plan you identified above. If the project is related to previous initiatives (LIU/ODTL supported or otherwise), please provide hyperlinks (URLs) to relevant reports or other documentation. (Max. 150 words.)

4. Implementation Plan

*Please outline how the project will be implemented. (Max. 300 words.)

Reference should be made to the following:

  • How will the project be carried out, and by whom?
  • What specific objectives of the Learning Innovation Strategic Plan / Academic Framework for Innovation will it address?
  • What is the pedagogical basis for the project? Please include references to relevant scholarly literature.
  • When will the project begin and when will it be completed?
  • Do you foresee any possible obstacles to meeting this schedule?

5. Impact and Evaluation

* Please outline what impact you anticipate for the project, and how this will be evaluated. (Max. 150 words.)

Reference should be made to the following:

  • How will the project improve the learning experience for students?
  • How will you evaluate the extent to which these improvements have taken place?
  • Are there opportunities for feedback at all stages of the project and for all stakeholders?

6. Dissemination and Sustainability

The LIF is a University designated fund. Therefore, it is very important that the deployment of the fund be open and transparent and that, as far as possible, it provides benefits to the wider University community. The Learning Innovation Unit co-ordinates a variety of activities through which the outcomes of LIF awards can be publicised and disseminated. Recipients of awards are expected to co-operate with such activities, including honouring the obligation to submit one or more reports which will be made available via the LIU Website.

* Please indicate here any additional plans or suggestions you have for disseminating the outcomes from this specific project. Also comment on the longer-term sustainability of the intervention, explaining how any future costs that may be involved in maintaining its benefits will be borne. (Max. 150 words.)

7. Detailed Budget

*Please provide a detailed breakdown of the budgeted costs of the proposed project.

You should also address the following issues:

  • If the total is different from the amount being requested from the LIF, please indicate how the balance will be funded.
  • State why this project should not be funded within the budgetary allocation of your own School or Unit.
  • Comment on the overall financial justification of the project.

8. Other Information

If there are other brief points which do not fit under any of the previous headings but which you wish to highlight, please enter them here.

9. Evaluation of the Application Process

Finally, if you have any comments (critical or otherwise) on this application form, or any other aspects of this LIF scheme, please provide them here.