Center for Faculty Excellence / Lenovo Instructional Innovation Grants

The Center for Faculty Excellence at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was awarded a gift by computer maker Lenovo as one of four Lenovo Innovation Centers worldwide. The primary work of the Innovation Center at UNC focuses on the implementation and evaluation of a new generation of professional development strategies for faculty and graduate instructors.

The CFE has set aside a portion of the gift for instructional grants that are being used to promote innovation in specific areas of focus: collaborative learning, global education, and engaging large class sections.

Grant Tracks

Collaborative Learning Track. Technology-enabled strategies for promoting interdependent learning among students in either small or large classes. The innovation could be used for in-class learning activities, out-of-classroom activities, or both.

Global Education Track. Promote new learning opportunities across international boundaries using technologies such as web-based conferencing, virtual worlds, and Web 2.0 tools. Innovative technology use under this track will be used to connect UNC students and faculty with peers and educational partners around the world.

Large Classes Track. Focus on improving learning opportunities in course sections with 75 or more students. Examples include using technology to promote engagement within the classroom, to build community outside the classroom, to replace lecture time with other instructional activities, and to provide students with more personalized feedback on progress in the course.

How to Apply

The Request for Proposals for this program is usually announced during the spring.

 

Funded Projects

2010 Funded Projects

• Introductory Biology for Students with Diverse Backgrounds
  Kelly Hogan, Biology Department
• Mapping a Geospatial Approach to Public History
  Anne Whisnant, History Department
• Developing North-South Perspectives on Development and Conservation in the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador
  Stephen J. Walsh, Department of Geography
• Undergraduate Scholarly Publishing Program
  Katie Rose Guest Pryal and Leslie Frost, Department of English and Comparative Literature
• Re-thinking Communities of Practice for Education Students
  Janice Anderson, Julie Ellison Justice, Sharon Palsha, Leigh Hall, and Becky New, School of Education

2009 Funded Projects

• Students Writing beyond the Classroom
  Daniel Anderson and Ashley Hall, Department of English
• Lumbee Indian History: Using Technology to Tell Our Own Stories
  Malinda Maynor-Lowery, History
• Enhancing Collaborative Music Education
  Evan Feldman, Music
• Preparing Pharmacy Students for Complex Clinical Environments through Online Simulation
  Peter Gal, School of Pharmacy
• Using Virtual Worlds to Make Poster Presentation an Iterative Process
  Peter Koval, School of Pharmacy
• Improving Dental Competency Evaluations
  Carlos Barrero, School of Dentistry

 

For more information:

Bob Henshaw, Instructional Technology Consultant

bhenshaw@email.unc.edu or (919) 962-9969

 

Todd Zakrajsek, CFE Executive Director
tzak@email.unc.edu or (919) 966-4838