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TIME SENSITIVE
Due April 20, 2012
Fresno State Teaching Innovations Academy Minigrant
Overview and Application
Invitation: Title V, in collaboration with the Deans’ Council, invites faculty to participate in an
institutional program that will explore ways of increasing the quality, effectiveness, and learning
experience of undergraduate students. Faculty teaching large enrollment, multi-section, or especially
challenging courses are strongly encouraged to participate, however, faculty teams from any department
or program are invited to apply to take part in this summer’s Teaching Innovations Academy. During
the Academy, faculty will re-envision and restructure a course in ways that will enhance student learning
using active learning methods, technology, and other innovations. Stipend funds and tablet computers
will be provided by Title V. Technical support will be provided by Technology Innovations for Learning
and Teaching staff.
Project Teams: Teams of two or three faculty members per course will work with a support team that
includes an instructional designer and assessment facilitator. Individual faculty members teaching a high
enrollment or especially challenging course will also be considered. Part time faculty members may
participate as part of a team, but each team must have at least one full time faculty member. Also
instrumental in your team’s success will be your department chair and college dean who will have active
roles. The 2012 Academy will be limited to a maximum of 10 teams.
Problem Statement: Large enrollment or multi-section courses on our campus are being placed under
continuing stress to serve more students with fewer resources. This stress is exacerbated by the
following constraints:
Current teaching practices often fail to help faculty develop new strategies to cope with
increasing class size without increasing their daily teaching and class support activities.
Many faculty members, for various reasons, would like to incorporate newer technologies into
their teaching, but are unfamiliar with the resources available and how to leverage specific
technologies for the greatest benefit.
Fresno State is beginning to evaluate course redesign models that demonstrate effective practices
while preserving or enhancing student learning and student/faculty satisfaction. More
information is needed to determine best practices for our campus.
Proposed Solution: There is a growing body of research, from a variety of disciplines,
demonstrating that course transformation increases student learning, provides students with quality
learning experiences, improves the use of learning spaces, and reduces the cost of instruction. Fresno
State’s Teaching Innovations Academy is modeled on the successful work of the National Center for
Academic Transformation (NCAT), www.thencat.org, and successful efforts around the country
including Carnegie Mellon, the University of Massachusetts, Portland State University, and Chico
State. The NCAT website includes case studies and examples to study in preparation for our own
Teaching Innovations Academy.
Purpose: The purpose of the Teaching Innovations Academy is to provide an intensive learning and
planning experience with fellow faculty and support staff. Together we will transform a part of your
selected course that will improve student learning and engagement.