Students benefit from active and collaborative learning experiences.* That’s why learning.futures emphasises active and collaborative learning, and why we’ve designed the campus with spaces that support student collaboration.
How to apply
Designing new active and collaborative learning experiences can take time. So we’re offering learning.futures learner experience design grants to help you take the next step. You can apply for up to $2000 to design or refine active and collaborative learning experiences for your students. In the spirit of active and collaborative learning, applying for these grants (and carrying them out) involves some active and collaborative activity. Here’s what you need to do:
1. Read the guidelines. They’re in a google doc which you can access with your UTS google account (not your private account).
2. Propose an idea, using this form. You’ll find the password in the guidelines. We’ll assess the proposal for eligibility.
3. Pitch your eligible idea to a group. We’ll invite you to a pitching session.
What can I apply for?
Grants could focus on designing and/or developing resources for a wide range of active and collaborative experiences. These could include: inquiry-based, research-based, problem-based, studio-based scenario-based, case-based or issues-based activities; simulations of work place practices; industry or community engaged activities. But they could also involve making traditional lectures more active and collaborative. You could design or refine better ‘clicker’ questions for students to think-pair-share in your classes, or get students to design them for you. You’ll find some existing ideas from UTS on the learning.futures website, including some examples from large classes.
Feedback is another key feature of environments that support learning, so for these grants we’ve built in opportunities for feedback. You’ll need a team, including a student and a peer, to prototype and test out your idea, then give peer feedback when you try it in a class.
You’ll need to spend your funds by the end of 2017, and applications can be accepted by September 27, October 6, October 24 or November 24.
Start thinking now!
*Good evidence to broadly support this claim can be found in reviews of literature, like the widely cited ‘Does active learning work?’ Prince (2004) and meta-analyses, like Freeman (2014), referred to in Shirley’s popular post from earlier this year.
Feature image credit: Chris Shain