Designed for Learning
FULL GRANT ANNOUNCEMENT (Word, PDF)
Designed for Learning is a project to focus course redesign on courses that have an impact on large numbers of students and in program areas where improvement of student learning outcomes is a critical challenge (e.g., foundational preparation of students in mathematics and the natural sciences, or in written and spoken English).
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities has significant investments in instructional redesign and innovation. The system also has a strong infrastructure for ongoing instructional improvements, including committed faculty and campus leadership, experience in technology integration, system data collection frameworks, accredited online curriculum delivery, and a systemwide instructional management system (Desire2Learn). Students in more than 300 courses benefit from faculty members' efforts to redesign their course structures, teaching methods, assessment, and evaluation.
2007-2008 Designed for Learning Materials
Required Forms and Format. The following forms were submitted with all proposals.
2) (PDF) Handout of PPT Slides from the January 27, 2006 Required Workshop, Developing the Proposal (Minneapolis Community and Technical College). The following URL will lead you to NCAT's "Course Planning Tool" and "Course Structure Form," as well as links to other relevant planning resources. http://www.thencat.org/PlanRes.htm
3) Video clips of January 27, 2006 Workshop
4) The Call to Participate (deadline passed). This was the initial stage in applying for a Designed for Learning grant.
5) Slides from the October 14 workshop, Designed for Learning: Redesigning Multi-Section Introductory Courses: Redesigning Campus Learning Environments (PDF format; opens in new window)
PREVIOUS AWARDS
2006-2007 Designed for Learning grantees
See the statewide press release at http://www.mnscu.edu/media/newsreleases/2006/062306Grants.html
Tony Greenfield (team leader), Southwest Minnesota State University – $19,200 to redesign Biology 100: Biology of the Modern World by adding software that makes class lectures available online for review by students. In addition, the redesign will incorporate online review and assessment, peer tutoring and more lab time without increased faculty load.
Debra Japp (team leader), St. Cloud State University – $20,000 to redesign CMST192: Introduction to Communication Studies, a required course for all students who graduate from the university. The redesigned course will use undergraduate teaching assistants leading small group discussions and a communication center with a full-time director and teaching assistants who will help students individually. Online materials will provide supplemental course materials and quizzes to give students immediate feedback.
Randall McClure (team leader), Minnesota State University, Mankato – $20,000 to improve students’ information literacy skills in English 101. The intended result is to increase class time for writing instruction while providing highly interactive online modules, created by English and library faculty, that enable students to better research, evaluate and present information.
Maureen Tubbiola (team leader), St. Cloud State University– $20,000 to redesign Biology 151: Cell Function and Inheritance by incorporating online materials, testing and a biology tutoring center. An in-class student response system or classroom “clickers” also will be added to assess students’ understanding during lectures and discussion.
RELATED NCAT RESOURCES AND LINKS:
NOTE: Several of the links to the NCAT site contain deadlines and dates that are NOT relevant to this project. However, the NCAT resources are very useful and nearly all content is relevant to the CTL/NCAT Designed for Learning project.
Improving Learning and Reducing Costs: New Models for Online Learning
A recent overview of the 5 design model options with several case studies incorporated into the text.
Improving Learning & Reducing Costs: Redesigning Large-Enrollment Courses," by Carol A. Twigg
An excellent overview of all relevant topics and issues related to course redesign. Provides a useful analysis of both the abstract philosophical assumptions and pragmatic processes in course redesign.
The Roadmap to Redesign (R2R): Planning Resources
This site is composed of links to several key resources that will be addressed during the required workshops. (Attendance at both the October 14 and January 27 workshops is required of those submitting a grant proposal.)
