Teaching and Learning at the Synapses of the Brain

A Request for Proposals from faculty workshop participants

December 1999

This request for proposals is extended to faculty members who participated in the workshop on Saturday, October 23, 1999. Proposals are sought for teaching and learning research projects during the 2000-2001 academic year. Support to faculty will be made available from two funding sources: the Bush-Hewlett faculty development grant and the Mellon Technology faculty development grant. Two levels of support will be made available: 3-hours of release time for one semester and a $500 stipend for the second semester OR $500 stipends for two semesters. Faculty members may indicate the level of funding considered appropriate for the project.

Bush-Hewlett grant support

This grant will support projects that involve a community of two or more faculty and two or more students. At least one of the faculty members must have attended the workshop.

The University Faculty Development Committee will review the proposals, including the level of funding requested.

Mellon grant support

This grant will support projects by individual faculty members that make substantial use of technology.

Faculty members who serve on the Teaching, Learning, and Technology Roundtable will review the proposals, including the level of funding requested.

The teaching and learning classroom research projects should be built upon information provided in the workshop. A project, for example, might compare a teaching method that is based on Kolbs learning cycle with one that is not. The project would involve developing, implementing, and evaluating these teaching methods. Other projects might be based on the role of emotion in memory and reasoning, the power of images for learning and teaching, the effects of interactivity or hypertext on learning, or different learning styles of different learners.

General Proposals Guidelines

• List the course(s) that will be affected by the project.
• Describe the research question(s) you will explore or hypothesis(es) you will test.
• Briefly provide a review of the research literature that is applicable to your project, if any exists.
• Describe the research methodology or design you will follow, including the timeline.
• Which level of funding (see above) do you consider appropriate for this project? If release time is requested, please include a letter of support from your chairperson.
• Describe any additional resources that the Center may provide which would assist you in this project.
• Feel free to add any additional information.

The proposal deadline is Friday, February 25, 2000. Please submit seven copies of the proposal (and letter of support from your chairperson, if necessary) to the Center for the Advancement of Teaching, P.O. Box 73A.