Educational Technology Collaborative

Project RITE: 2007 Call for Proposals

Final Deliverable

A completed, scholarly research pilot/project, presentable at a scholarly conference and/or publishable in an educational or disciplinary journal, that answers a specific question about the effect of instructional technology on student learning.

Proposal Deadline

October 2, 2006. Awardees will be notified on or about October 16, 2006.

Award

Up to $5,000.

Submit Proposal

Proposals should be submitted via email as either a Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF file attachment to etc@itc.utk.edu

Eligibility

University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Martin Faculty

Overview

The Educational Technology Collaborative (ETC) was established in 2001 to benefit faculty by allowing them to learn new processes and practices with the convenience of online learning's anytime, anyplace access. For more information about the ETC, go to http://edtech.tennessee.edu.

The ETC is providing an opportunity for University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Martin faculty to design and conduct their own research regarding the question of how instructional technology affects student learning. Participants will design research pilots/projects to measure the use and effectiveness of technologies intended to enhance both the teaching and learning process. Some examples of such technologies include multimedia presentations during class lectures, class "blogging," and incorporation of such varied technologies as Course Management Systems (such as BlackBoard), "clicker" technology, eJournals, software used to enhance learning / feedback, digital libraries, course websites, online tutorials, web-based collaboration tools (such as wikis), etc.

When designing research projects, it is recommended that participants consider questions such as the following:

What successes or failures have you yourself experienced with incorporating technology in your classes?
What kinds of learning does technology promote?
Is technology helping students learn better? If so, how? If not, why?
What learning activities will improve because of the use of technology?
What learning abilities, attitudes, and skills are best enhanced by the use of technology?
Which technologies are most effective in enhancing the learning process?
How is technology best used in the classroom?
What learning activities do not appear to be enhanced by technology?

If you use technology as a means for connecting and collaborating with students as part of the Ready for the World Initiative you may want to consider this as a topic for research.

Other possible research topics can be found at the Flashlight section of the Teaching, Learning and Technology website: http://www.tltgroup.org/resources/Flashlight/Topics.html

Proposal Format

Proposals should be limited to two single-spaced pages and should include discussion of each of the following five areas:

The Research Problem
State the problem as clearly and concisely as possible so reviewers can easily identify the proposal's focus.
The Project Significance
The problem investigated by your research should be directly related to the larger question of how instructional technology impacts the learning process for students of higher education. Be sure to describe any significance your research may have for University of Tennessee specifically, or for higher education as a whole.
The Methodology
Clearly describe how the research will be carried out, the data that will be collected, and the plan for analyzing data.
The Timeline
Provide an estimated timeline for the research pilot/project, with a June 15, 2007 completion date.
The Proposed Budget
Budgets for research must remain within the grant limit. NOTE: If you are using this opportunity to enhance funding you have already secured, please state your other funding source and indicate how this funding would be used.

Statement of Institutional Support

Submit a brief statement of support from your department head as part of the proposal. These may be emailed to etc@itc.utk.edu or faxed to (865) 974-8655.

Requirements

Participants will be required to blog their research experience weekly to the ETC Web site (http://edtech.tennessee. edu) (blog tool will be provided).
Research project reports must be submitted for online publication on the ETC Web site (http://edtech.tennessee. edu) by July 1, 2007.
Participants will conduct a brief presentation on their research results at a faculty brown bag/workshop in fall 2007.
Participants may be asked to serve on the selection committee for future Project RITE grants.

If you have any questions regarding this grant opportunity, please contact Dr. Gina Phipps at (865) 974-7912 or gphipps@utk.edu.

This grant is funded by the Office of Information Technology, Educational Technology.

The University of Tennessee does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status in provision of educational programs and services or employment opportunities and benefits. This policy extends to both employment by and admission to the University. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, or disability in the education programs and activities pursuant to the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.