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Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education:
Small Grant Program

Call for Proposals - 2007-2008 FY08

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Overview

The Cross Endowed Chair in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning requests proposals for the "Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Small Grant Program." The program provides funding for small grants, at Illinois State University, in the area of scholarship on teaching and learning (SoTL) as it relates to teaching and learning at the college level.

At Illinois State University, through our work with the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) Campus Program, we have developed the following definition of SoTL, “systematic study/reflection on teaching and learning made public.” This definition allows for work in any discipline and the use of various methodologies and epistemologies.

All SoTL work must be made public and peer reviewed in some way via presentation, performance, juried show, and/or publication. The work may be quantitative or qualitative in nature. For FY08, projects must focus on the topic of promoting learner autonomy and helping students become scholars of teaching and learning in their discipline. Autonomous learners are students who take responsibility for their learning, are willing to collaborate, partnering with faculty and peers in their learning, are reflective about their learning, and are involved in shared governance.

Awards up to $5,000 are available. Funds may be used for any budget category (e.g., printing, commodities, contractual, travel, student help, and salary) of which a maximum of $3,500 may be faculty/staff salary. We expect to award about 4 grants. All awards, however, are subject to the availability of funds. If the University sustains budget cuts in FY08, all programs, including URG Awards, will be reviewed which may result in their reduction or elimination.

Eligibility

All tenured and tenure-line faculty, non-tenure line faculty, faculty associates, graduate teaching assistants, and AP staff with teaching or teaching support responsibilities at Illinois State University are eligible to apply. EACH proposal, however, MUST be from a team of at least one faculty/staff member and at least one student (graduate or undergraduate).

Requirements

All award recipients (as teams) must meet five requirements over a span of 18 months:

  1. Submission of an IRB protocol form and receipt of IRB approval before starting the project (as this research will be made public);
  2. Participation by at least one team member in a research/writing group, meeting regularly (about three times per semester) in FY08 to discuss the SoTL projects;
  3. Presentation of their SoTL research project (in progress or completed) in any format (poster, paper, panel…) at the CTLT Teaching-Learning Symposium held in January 2008 or January 2009;
  4. Creation of a web snapshot (brief, on-line “poster” of your project) using the Carnegie KEEP Toolkit to be added to our repository of ISU SoTL project snapshots at http://www.sotl.ilstu.edu/examples/KEEPShots.shtml by September 2008.
  5. As appropriate to the discipline and the project, submission of an article to a teaching newsletter, website, or journal or an application for a show or performance by December 2008 with a copy to the Cross Chair.

Selection Criteria

Three volunteers with expertise in SoTL will review the proposals using these criteria.

  • Project clearly fits SoTL related to college teaching and learning as defined above.
  • Project focuses on promoting learner autonomy.
  • Project clearly involves at least one student as an active member of the research team.
  • Proposal clearly states the teaching-learning issue or problem to be considered.
  • Proposal includes a relevant literature review: theory, past research. (Journals on college teaching and higher education practices are available at both Milner Library and CTLT.)
  • Project uses appropriate methodology for reflecting on/studying the teaching-learning issue or problem posed.
  • Project is ethically appropriate in terms of the use of human subjects.
  • Proposal lists specific, possible presentation, performance, or publication outlets.
  • Proposal contains an appropriate and detailed budget with budget justifications.

Application Materials and Procedure

Please send four copies of the following materials to Kathleen McKinney, Cross Chair in SoTL, Campus Box 6370 by April 6, 2007.

  1. A cover page with name, department and email address of applicants, project title, and signature of department chair;
  2. A narrative addressing the first 8 bullet points above under criteria (maximum of 5 double-spaced pages);
  3. A reference page/bibliography;
  4. A budget as described above including a budget justification; and
  5. Optional appendices (e.g., draft of questionnaire or focus questions or course portfolio outline).

Time Frame

  • Proposals due to Cross Chair before 4:00 p.m. on Friday, April 6, 2007.
  • Notification of awards in mid-May 2007.
  • Funds available (budget permitting) July 1, 2007 (or as soon as FY08 budget is approved).
  • Funds MUST BE SPENT by June 15, 2008.