Request for Assistance (RFA)
FY16American English (AE) E-Teacher Course RFA02
RFA #: FY16-AECD-RFA02
Issued on: May 5, 2017
For: Development and delivery ofuniversity-level online courses for non-native English speaking teachers (NNESTs) outside the United States related to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), under the American English (AE) E-Teacher Program
Estimated
Period of
Performance:October 2, 2017 - September 28, 2018
Application
Deadline:July 3, 2017
______
FHI 360 Brief Background:
FHI 360 is a nonprofit human development organization dedicated to improving lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions. Our staff includes experts in health, education, nutrition, environment, economic development, civil society, gender, youth, research and technology, creating a unique mix of capabilities to address today's interrelated development challenges. FHI 360 serves more than 70 countries and all U.S. states and territories.
Table of Contents
Note to Applicants
Purpose
Description
Course Adaptation
Guidelines and Standards
Intellectual Property
Course Design
Technical Requirements
Period of Performance
Scope of Work (SOW) and Deliverables
Budget
Instructions to Applicants
RFA Response Information
Submission Requirements
Eligibility
Criteria/Qualifications for Evaluation
Terms and Conditions
Certification of Independent Price Determination
Withdrawal of Applications
Right to Select/Reject
Disclaimer
Request for Application Firm Guarantee
Offer Verification
False Statements in Offer
Conflict of Interest
Reserved Rights
Attachments
Note to Applicants
Thank you for your interest in working with the American English (AE) E-Teacher Program. Please read this RFA carefully, as some information, such as submission requirements, have changed significantly from previous RFPs and RFAs issued under the E-Teacher Scholarship and AE E-Teacher Programs. Applications that do not respond to the specific requirements and submission instructions included in this RFA will be disqualified.
Purpose
FHI 360 is soliciting applications for partners to adapt and deliver online courses for English language teaching professionals worldwide under the AE E-Teacher Program, sponsored and funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA/A/L). Selected courses will be developed and delivered as Global Online Courses (GOCs) with cohorts of up to 25 students per section, and then adapted for delivery as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) with unlimited enrollment. Following a scheduled and instructed MOOC delivery, the MOOC courses will undergo a final adaptation to be offered as on-demand courses. Both GOCs and MOOCs will introduce participants to the most current methods and evidence-based approaches to teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language (ESL/EFL)
Description
The AE E-Teacher Program offers a variety of online professional development opportunities in addition to GOCs and MOOCs, including Webinars, Scheduled Online Events (SOLEs), a Community of Practice (COP), and Open Educational Resources (OER). Resources are made available to participants online via the AE E-Teacher portal, and are delivered by a network of providers. This network provides direct access to experts with whom participants might not otherwise have the opportunity to interact. Program resources expose participants to the latest educational technology, U.S. student-centered teaching techniques, and American culture and values. Participants are selected through U.S. Embassies, and nomination, program registration and course enrollment is managed by FHI 360.
AE E-Teacher Program participants are expected to become agents of change by sharing the knowledge they gain from the program with their colleagues. Courses incorporate lessons related to “Cascading New Knowledge” to support participants in this effort. A Practice Group related to this theme and moderated by FHI 360’s TESOL Technical Officer provides further opportunities to explore strategies for sharing experiences, methods, and techniques within wider teaching and learning communities.
The E-Teacher Scholarship Program was piloted in 2004, offering five courses, and expanded over the years to offer a variety of courses to participants in over 155 countries. The AE E-Teacher Program is currently offering the following courses, delivered by a consortium of academic partners: Integrating Critical Thinking Skills into the Exploration of Culture, Teaching Grammar Communicatively, and Using Educational Technology in the English Language Classroom. Courses in development include Teaching English to Young Learners and Professional Development for Teacher Trainers. Selected participants are enrolled in the American English (AE) E-Teacher Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and administered by FHI 360. Participants are not considered to be enrolled in or students of any partner institution providing course content or instruction under grants funded by the Program.
This RFA supports adaptation of existing online course content and design to meet the needs of the target audience. Applicants must be able to offer courses on a flexible schedule, regardless of the institution’s academic calendar. The following is an illustrative calendar of tentative term dates during 2018.
TermBeginEnd
Winter 2018Tuesday, January 9Tuesday, March 6
Spring 2018Tuesday, April 3Tuesday, May 29
Summer 2018Tuesday, July 3Tuesday, August 28
Fall 2018Tuesday, September 25Tuesday, November 20.
Applications submitted for topics already being offered by the AE E-Teacher Program (Critical Thinking, Teaching Grammar, Educational Technology, Professional Development and Teaching Young Learners) will be disqualified. Only one submission per applicant will be reviewed; please choose one topic from the list below and prepare your application after carefully reading this RFA. If more than one submission is received from the same applicant, the submission received first will be reviewed, and all others disqualified. If the submission addresses the development of more than one of the topics below, it will be disqualified. Applications for topics other than those listed below will be disqualified.
- Techniques of Teaching Reading and Writing
Tools and techniques discussed in this course will include selecting and adapting materials, promoting reading fluency and comprehension through pre-, during, and post-reading activities, building vocabulary, teaching the steps of the writing process, everyday writing activities and different types of essays, and reading and writing assessment.
- English for Specific Purposes (ESP) -
The goal of this course is to give teachers the tools they need to prepare their students for working in specific professional environments. Participants will be exposed to tools and techniques for finding and adapting authentic materials and developing their students’ communication skills through content- and task-based activities relevant to their professional sphere.
- Content Based Instruction (CBI) -
This course will explore methods and tools for teaching content courses (science, history, etc.) in English, focusing on making both academic content and language accessible for all students.
4. TESOL Methodology
This comprehensive course will include theory and practice in Communicative Language Teaching methods, including teaching using contextual examples, designing collaborative classroom activities, and promoting fluency over grammatical accuracy.
5. Special Needs
This course explores strategies and best practices for supporting ELLs with special educational and physical needs. Participants in this course will gain experience with identifying learners’ needs and learning styles, and practice differentiated instruction techniques for reaching students of different learning and language abilities.
All awards are contingent upon availability of funding, and FHI 360 reserves the right to award for the development of as many or as few courses as are determined to meet the needs of the program.
Course Adaptation
Guidelines and Standards
Program-specific and ECA-approved guidelines and standards will be included as part of the grant agreement, and must be used throughout the period of performance to ensure that adapted courses and corresponding resources meet the requirements of the funder. Some of these guidelines and standards include TESOL Content Standards, Instructional Design & Online Learning Standards, and Materials Content Best Practices. Additionally, FHI 360 will provide Creative Commons Guidelines and a Creative Commons Manual related to the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY) licensing requirement described in the next section.
Intellectual Property
The AE E-Teacher Program represents an investment in the next generation of open educational resources (OER) by requiring that all new intellectual property, including all digital content, be openly licensed for free use, adaptation, and improvement by others. OER are teaching, learning, and research materials in any medium that reside in the public domain or have been released under an open license that permits their free use and re-purposing by others. “Educational materials” can be but are not limited to the following:
Courses, course materials or modules, textbooks, handouts, videos, assessments, multimedia applications, audio, games, lesson plans, curriculum maps, teaching guides, training and certification materials, and any other explanatory materials used to support access to knowledge.
All materials and resources built or revised with grant funds must be openly licensed and made publicly available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license (CC BY). The purpose of the CC BY licensing requirement is to extend the reach of the AE E-Teacher Program. CC BY licensing allows participants to retain, reuse, revise, and remix course materials as fits their teaching contexts, as well as redistribute materials within their classes or teaching networks. For more information about Creative Commons licensing, please visit
Course Design
GOC and MOOC design should reflect basic pedagogical and andragogical strategies that are effective for a global, asynchronous audience of adult learners, as well as account for specific characteristics of the target audience.
AE E-TEACHER PARTICIPANT PROFILE
CHARACTERISTICS / APPROACHESLanguage Level / ➢TOEFL iBT 70-80/IELTS 6 -6.5/CEFR B2
➢May be higher or lower
➢Language level is not verified by the AE E-Teacher Program / -Target course materials to CEFR B1
-Provide extension materials/activities for higher level participants
-Scaffold instruction to reach lower level participants
Educational Background / ➢Most hold a BA
➢May not have advanced degrees
➢Degrees may not be related to English or Education / -Do not assume prerequisite knowledge
-Use needs assessments to gauge participants’ background knowledge and experience
Technical Environment / ➢Asynchronous environment
➢Low bandwidth constraints limit the reliability and frequency of Internet access
➢Participants in low-resource environments (including refugee camps) may not have consistent access to equipment, internet connection, or commonly used applications / -Structure course activities so that participants can interact with materials on a schedule that works for them locally
-Do not design course such that daily login is required; provide downloadable packets of course materials
-Keep video segments short and provide transcripts as backup for low-bandwidth participants
Learning Environment / ➢Global audience with varied teaching contexts and goals
➢Significant work/family commitments may impact ability to devote time to coursework / -Emphasize EFL- specific outcomes and use participants’ experience as a springboard for activities
-Limit median time required to complete weekly coursework
BEST PRACTICES FOR AE E-TEACHER COURSE DESIGN
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS / COMMENTSHours of instruction: +/-3 hours of presentation, +/-5 to 7 hours per week of activities / The combination of presentation and interaction (reviewing course instruction, reading course materials, participating in course activities, and completing productive activities) should not exceed 10 hours per week.
Assessment:
Pre- and post-course knowledge / Diagnostic and post-course assessment must be included and aligned to learning objectives.
Retention Strategies / The first two weeks are a critical period. Retention strategies, above and beyond outreach to participants who have not logged into the course, is critical.
“Cascading New Knowledge” lesson/module / Incorporate project-based design to embed aspects of “Cascading New Knowledge” requirement throughout the course. An Action Plan should be required as a culminating assessment.
Existing Department of State teaching resources (americanenglish.state.gov) / Encourage participants to interact with and adapt existing resources.
American culture / Provide participants with relevant information about the American education system, and highlight pertinent American Culture resources available on American English.
Digital literacy skills / Provide instruction and practice in identifying reliable online sources and examples of adapting web-based materials to the classroom.
Intellectual property rights / Explicitly define and teach intellectual property rights. Draw attention to the CC BY licensing of course materials and explore how they can be used by participants.
Independent learning strategies and critical and creative thinking skills / Course content and activities should encourage analysis, synthesis and evaluation of a variety of input; participants should ultimately arrive at a plan for both amending their teaching approach and acting as a catalyst for change in their community.
Technical Requirements
Both GOCs and MOOCs will be delivered using the AE E-Teacher Program’s Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) platform. For more information about Canvas, please visit Course content must be fully downloadable, accessible to users with limited bandwidth, universally adaptable and transferable between various platforms and learning management systems, compliant with section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and completely accessible to FHI 360 and ECA/A/L at all times.
Period of Performance
The Estimated Period of Performance is October 1, 2017 to September 28, 2018. The selection of courses to be offered each quarter and the number of sections required will be determined during on-going post-award conversations with FHI 360, in collaboration with ECA/A/L.
Scope of Work (SOW) and Deliverables
The agreement(s) negotiated under this award will be issued as cost-reimbursable grants or Fixed Amount Awards (FAA). Detailed work statements, reporting guidelines and invoicing requirements will be provided in grant agreements.
WORK ORDERS / SCOPE OF WORK / DELIVERABLESGlobal Online Course (GOC) Adaptation / Adapt existing course material following guidelines provided by the program and in consultation with FHI 360 and ECA/A/L / -CC BY licensed 8-week, university level online course, including all related materials and resources, built into a Canvas course shell provided by FHI 360.
Instructed and On-Demand Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) Adaptation / Adapt GOC course following guidelines provided by the program and in consultation with FHI 360 and ECA/A/L for delivery as an instructed MOOC. Adapt instructed MOOC for on-demand delivery. / -CC BY licensed 5-week, university level online courses designed for delivery to an unlimited number of participants.
Global Online Course Delivery / GOC instruction, assessment and feedback, provided by a qualified instructor, on an as needed basis (refer to Attachment A for an illustrative schedule of terms). / Assessment and feedback; course grades and certificates (for GOCs). Digital badges will be provided by FHI 360 to MOOC participants.
Identification of high-performing alumni for mentoring for MOOC and COP roles.
Instructed MOOC Delivery / Instruction of the facilitated MOOC by a graduate teaching assistant. / -Initial report
-Final Report
The awardee(s) must designate a main point of contact (POC) to interact with FHI 360’s project manager to discuss design, development, implementation and evaluation of all components of the course(s). All inquiries must be answered in a timely fashion and within no longer than two working days. The awardee(s) must collaborate with FHI 360 to develop a detailed Work Plan for each Work Order. FHI 360 will provide final approval of all Work Plans, and all instructors associated with course delivery. Any changes, if required, will be negotiated with all parties.
Budget
FHI 360 will issue awards with a maximum award ceiling of $200,000. Global Online Course (GOC) and Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) development will be awarded as cost-reimbursable grants. Course delivery will be awarded as Fixed Amount Awards (FAA). Awards will be administered in accordance with the applicable donor regulations.
Development Costs – GOC, Instructed MOOC and Stand-alone MOOC Adaptation / GOC Delivery / Instructed MOOC Delivery / Total AwardCeiling
$ 60,000.00 / $ 15,000 / $ 5,000 / $ 200,000
8 sections of additional Fixed Award GOC Delivery as needed throughout the period of performance: / $ 120,000
Applicants should present their costs in as much detail as possible, including budget calculations. Please use the budget template provided as Attachment D and submit your budget as an Excel document, including a detailed budget narrativewhich should clearly explain how the costs reflected in the budget were derived.
Instructions to Applicants
RFA Response Information
The key dates for this RFA process are shown below:
May 5RFA released to potential Applicants.
May 15, 2017Questions or requests for clarification need to be submitted in writing via email to .
Please note that inquiries and answers to inquiries will be shared with all Applicants. Please do not contact any FHI 360 employees regarding this RFA. Applicants contacting individual employees will be disqualified.
No Telephone Inquiries Will Be Answered.
May 22, 2017FHI 360’s response to all submitted questions will be posted.
July 3 2017Submission of Applications due by 5:00 pm Washington, DC (EDT) via email to . Applications received after this time will not be considered.
Please note FHI 360 shall, as a courtesy, reply via email confirming receipt of all applications received prior to the closing date. This receipt response shall ONLY be notification that an application email has been received by FHI 360 and is in no way to be construed as suggesting or acknowledging receipt of a valid, complete or otherwise acceptable proposal file.
Submission Requirements
Please use the following checklist to ensure that your application responds to all submission requirements.
Submission Requirement / Format / Page Limit / ComponentsApplication Cover Sheet/
Capability Assessment / Use Microsoft Word Template (Attachment C) and submit in PDF Format / N/A
Program Narrative / Submit in PDF Format / 7 - 12 pages total; see limits for individual sections under Components / ●1 - 2 page description of existing online course: audience, number of weeks, goals, number of times course has previously been offered, how course has been adapted over time, LMS used for course delivery.
●3 - 5 page description of your understanding of low-bandwidth and low-resource environments, how the existing course (materials presentation and activities) will need to be adapted to be accessible in these environments, and how strategies for effective engagement and interaction can be maintained in these environments. Description of how the course will be adapted to be delivered over an 8-week period, requiring no more than 10 hours of work per week.
●1 - 2 page description of your understanding of the purpose of Open Educational Resources (OER) and how non-CC BY or public domain resources can be replaced or supplemented with them to meet the CC BY licensing requirement. This description should go above and beyond a commitment to CC BY licensing and reflect some understanding of how copyrighted material may or may not be used.
●1 page description of how American culture will be incorporated into the course explicitly.
●1 - 2 page description of what “Cascading New Knowledge” means in the context of the program, how you will incorporate the concept into the course, and the structure of the “Action Plan” requirement.
Submission Requirement / Format / Page Limit / Components
Existing Course Syllabus / Submit in PDF Format / N/A / The submitted syllabus must be the syllabus for the existing course that will be adapted for the program. Applicants who submit a proposed syllabus will be disqualified. Screenshots from the existing course that illustrate elements of the syllabus may be included. We do not need to see screenshots of every aspect of the course; please limit those included to a few representative examples that illustrate either pertinent aspects of online course design or scaffolding of content and activities.
Activity Template / Submit PDF Template (Attachment B) / N/A / Follow the instructions in Attachment C.
Timeline / Submit in PDF Format / 1 page / Detailed timeline/calendar for executing development activities.
Staffing / Submit PDF Template (Attachment A) / No more than 3 pages each. / Follow the instructions in Attachment D.
- Principal Investigator (no more than 2 resumes)
- Curriculum Developers (no more than 3 resumes)
- TESOL Content Specialists/Instructors (no more than 3 resumes)
Prior Performance Report / Submit in PDF Format / 1 page / Summary of previous, similar grants related to TESOL teacher training curriculum development and/or online course development, funded by U.S. government agencies. Submit name of grant, funding agency, amount, and brief description of project. Submit no more than 3 projects.
Indirect rate Agreement / Submit in PDF Format / N/A / NICRA, F&A Cost Rate Agreement
Budget / Submit Excel Template (Attachment E) / N/A / See below, and instructions tab in budget template (Attachment E).
Cost Application: