Teaching Excellence Development Fund Guidelines

Broad aims and principles

The Teaching Excellence Development Fund (TEDF)is for all staff who are involved in teaching at Curtin. It isdesigned to support development activities and capacity-building approaches that foster excellence and scholarship in teaching and learning[1]. The scheme accommodates new Academic roles and is aligned with Curtin’s Teaching, Learning and Student Experience Plan 2013 – 2017.

The broad aim of the TEDF is to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in alignment with the aspirations of the Transforming Learning and Teaching at Curtin(TL@C) agenda and associated initiatives such as the Assessment, Review and Transformation project (ART 2015).The TEDF provides an excellent opportunity for teaching staff to improve learning and teaching outcomes through the provision of additional resources and funding. Outcomes of the projects/activities are expected to have a positive impact on student learning or the student experience.

The following principles underpin this scheme:

Principle 1: Projects/Activities funded by the TEDFwill align with Curtin’s Strategic Plan and key institutional strategic teaching and learning projects.

Principle 2: The TEDFwill be inclusive and equitable for all Curtin teaching staff.

Principle 3: The TEDF application process and reporting requirements will be manageable for claimants and those processing applications.

Principle 4: The TEDF will be subject to annual evaluation and review to ensure the scheme remains fit-for-purpose.

The TEDF is overseen by the DVC (Education). It is accountable to the University Teaching and Learning Committee (UTLC) and managed by Curtin Teaching and Learning.

Strategic Priorities of the Teaching Excellence Development Fund

The TEDF will support Curtin’s vision for 2017 to:

•be the most sought after tertiary education provider in the GMT+8 time zone;

•provide an innovative, richly interactive, personalised, learning experience;

•have highly satisfied students and employers;

•develop national thought leadership in higher education teaching and learning.

Teaching Excellence Development Fund applications should be directed to one or more of the following priority areas, which are drawn from the Transforming Learning at Curtin initiative and in particular the Assessment, Review and Transformation (ART) project.

  • Projects/activities that seek to foster teaching excellence in the following development priority areas are welcomed. In particular, we encourage applications that support:
  • the development of engaging, interactive and personalised approaches to learning;
  • the improvement of assessment practices;
  • the development of teaching with a global reach;
  • improved student outcomes and retention; and
  • the advancement and scholarship of teaching and learning.
  • There are two additional areas of focus for 2014, and proposals that address the following issues are also welcomed:
  • The development of processes of peer review of teaching; and
  • The development of English language proficiency.

Examples of TEDF funding opportunities include but not limited to:

  • Teaching resources including iPads, laser pointers, in-class response systems & tools, software, video production & podcasts, mobile device and web application development, developing teaching exemplars;
  • Curriculum enhancement including instructional design and development, improving accreditation, benchmarking and employability outcomes, enhancing collaborative teaching spaces;
  • Technical or research assistance with T & L projects, pedogogical tools, assessment practices, student engagement activities, social systems, work integrated learning initiatives and practices, and evaluation practices;
  • Innovation projects including student personalisation, interactive games, visualisation and dashboards, benchmarking tools etc;
  • Scholarship of Teaching & Learning including conference and dissemination support for activities at regional and national level, transcribing and professional editing, video production of scholarship activities;
  • Professional Development activities including individual training, discipline and teaching area support, peer mentoring, cultural and interdiscipline development, and community of practice education;

Eligibility

Individuals or teams: Full-time, part-time and sessional academicstaff who are actively involved in teaching and learning related activities are eligible to apply for development funds.Teaching areas can apply for TEDF for program support of broader teaching excellence initiatives.Applicants should discuss with their Head of School or Department where there are workload implications of proposed activities or projects to ensure that they have support for the application.

The TEDFis competitive and successful applications will be selected on merit according to the following criteria:

  • Relevance to strategic priorities of the TEDF
  • Academic merit and clarity of the proposal
  • Impact, transferability and sustainability
  • Budget sustainability

Application is by a short Expression of Interest (EOI) in the first instance. Proposals for funding up to $2,000 may be approved directly at the discretion of the TEDF review panel, without Full Proposal being submitted. Other EOI’s judged to be successful will be invited to submit a more detailed proposal.

All projects/activities must complete within a 12 month period.Applications for once-off purchases or short term initiatives are also welcome.

Staff in their first year of a teaching-focused role may also wish to note that the Curtin Learning Institute also offers seed grants of up to $10,000. Note that applicants are not able to receive funding from the Teaching Focused Seed Grant - Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and the Teaching Excellence Development Fund for the same project.

Allocation of Funding

There will be two funding rounds for 2014.

A total of $360,000 is available for individuals or teaching teamsvia a competitive bid for funds. Projects/activities are limited to a maximum of $20,000 funding.

Funding is to be committed in July2014 for all successful proposals, and any remaining funds will be distributed within a second round by October 2014. All disbursement of funds to individuals, teams and teaching areaswill be completed during the 2014 financial year.Curtin Teaching and Learning will be the TEDF cost centre and manage all administrative and financial transactions. All successfully funded projects will need to maintain accurate accounting and reporting processes.

Access and use ofdevelopment funds

Expenses will be paid out of the CTL cost centre when appropriate financial and progress reporting has been provided.

Submissions

Two submission rounds are available in 2014.

Individuals, teams and teaching areasare invited to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) outlining a proposed development activity or project. EOI’s should address the TEDFpriorities and applicants may submit proposals for up to $20,000 as a maximum submission.

Successful EOI’s will be invited to submit a more detailed proposal for the initiative.

How to apply for development funds

Round 1

  • Complete the individual/team Expression of Interest by close of business on 20June 2014
  • Invitations for a full proposal will be announced 27 June 2014
  • Full proposals must be submitted by close of business on 18 July 2014
  • Successful proposals will be notified on25 July

Round 2

  • Complete the individual/team/teaching area Expression of Interest by close of business on 5 September 2014
  • Invitations for a full proposal will be announced 12September 2014
  • Full proposals submitted by close of business on 26September 2014
  • Successful proposals will be notified 10 October 2014

Submission of Applications (EOI and Full Application)

Application forms should be submitted to

Reporting

Successful applicants will be expected to produce a final report no later than one month following completion. For larger projects, a brief interim report may be appropriate.

The proposed dates for the interim report (if appropriate) and the final report must be specified by the applicant in the full proposal.

Interim reports are to include a statement of progress. Final reports must include a summary report showing expenditure, and details of the outcomes achieved.

Recipients of development funds will also be expected to participate in dissemination activities such as Curtin’s annual Festival of Learning.

Further information and assistance

For enquiries, contact TEDF Coordinator - Dr Patrick Halloran() telephone 9266 3275.

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Teaching Excellence Development Fund: Expression of Interest

Project/Activity Information
Description of Project / Activity
Lead Applicant
Telephone
Email
Faculty & School/Department
Names of other applicant(s)
(where appropriate)

1.Project / Activity overview(150 words)

(Explain what the project is aiming to do)

2.Outline how the development activity aligns to faculty priorities within the broader strategic priority areas of the Teaching Excellence Development Fund (100 words maximum)(100 words)

3.List the major anticipated project/activity outcomes(350 words maximum)

4.Budget

Item (type of cost) / Breakdown of item (e.g. staff FTE and level) / Value
Signature of Applicant/s:
Signature of HOS:

Please email as a scanned attachment to:

Teaching Excellence Development Fund 2014Page 1

Teaching Excellence Development Fund: Full Application

Project Information
Project / Activity Description
LeadApplicant
Telephone
Email
Faculty School/Department
Names of other applicant(s)
(where appropriate)

1.Overview (500 words maximum)

(Explain what the development activity/project aims to achieve, approach to be undertaken and how will it be evaluated for its success? i.e. critical success factors)

2.Strategic Significance / Impact (200 words maximum)

(How does the development activity align with faculty priorities within the broader strategic priority areas of the TEDF?)

  1. Personnel

(Who will be needed and what is their role?)*

Team / Role and responsibility
Indicate any team members external to Curtin / Time commitment required

*Applications for $5000 or greater, please include a maximum 2-page CV for each person

4.Anticipated Outputs andOutcomes

Output / Outcome Type
(e.g. outcomes, software, resources created,publication) / Brief Description / Date
InterimReport / If applicable, interim reports would normally be expected to be scheduled around the mid-point of the funded period) / DD/MM/YYYY
Final Report / The final report should be submitted within one month of the end date. / DD/MM/YYYY

5.Risk Management

(What risks do you anticipate and how will they be managed?)

6.Budget

Item (type of cost) / Breakdown of item (e.g. staff FTE and level) / Value

7.How will you disseminate/share your outcomes?

(i.e. Festival of Learning, workshops, T & L Forums etc)

Signature of Applicant/s:
Signature of HOS:
Signature of Stakeholder Support (if deemed necessary)

Please email as a scanned attachment to:

Who will decide on the applications?

The operation of the scheme is overseen by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Education). Selection panels for proposals will consist of a minimum of four members drawn from the following areas:

Faculty Deans Teaching & Learning

AssociateDeputy Vice Chancellor Teaching & Learning

Student Guild

Curtin Teaching and LearningDirector

TEDFcoordinator from Curtin Teaching and Learning

What are the selection criteria?

Note that proposals with any criteria judged to be as ‘unsatisfactory’ are unlikely to be funded.

Evaluation Criteria / Unsatisfactory / Acceptable / Desirable
Relevance to Strategic Priorities of the TEDF / Relevant to learners and strategic priorities is unclear. / Relevant to many learners and a strategic priority / Relevant to a wide range of learners and across strategic priorities
Academic merit and clarity of the project / The proposal lacks sufficient detail and/or clarity.
The underpinning rationale or conceptual basis of the proposal is unclear. / The rationale for the project is explained.
The conceptual framework for the proposal is clear. / The rationale for the project is clearly and concisely explained. The conceptual framework for the proposal is clear and demonstrates a high standard of scholarship.
Impact, transferability and sustainability / The project outcomes have low or unclear potential impact in the project setting; are unlikely to be transferable to new settings; and are likely to require high ongoing costs. / The project outcomes have moderate potential impact in the project setting; may be transferable to new settings; and are sustainable without further resourcing. / The project outcomes have high potential impact in the project setting; are readily transferable to new settings; and are likely to generate further income.
Budget sustainability / The budget details are insufficient and/or appear inappropriate for the proposed activities. / The budget is sufficiently detailed and appears appropriate for the proposed activities. / The budget is sufficiently detailed and is clearly appropriate for the proposed activities.

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[1]Scholarship of Teaching and Learning is defined at