Project: Unfunded Instructional Use of Technology Projects [Draft; requires additional input from COE and GGSE]
Sponsor: Alan Moses, College of Letters and Science
Summary
In UCSB’s distributed computing environment, significant uses of technology in support of the academic mission occur at local levels: in college, divisional, departmental, and individual faculty projects that are defined and implemented to meet the unique needs of specific disciplines and courses rather than general campus-wide or infrastructural needs. Historical funding for these efforts has come from several sources, but funding has not kept up with demand in this area. In the College of Letters and Science, for example, the current departmental proposals for funds in support of their local instructional technology efforts exceeds available funding by more than $2M. (This does not include FTE requests for technical support.) At existing funding levels, emphasis must be placed on baseline tools and services, and maintenance of existing labs and projects upon which departmental curriculum plans are dependant. The funding shortfall is made up of (mostly) reasonable requests for enhancements of successful instructional technology efforts, new projects and labs to address departmental instructional challenges and goals, equipment to bring research tools and methods into instruction, and support for these endeavors.
In particular, there are three areas of local funding shortfalls that should be considered:
- Local instructional projects and labs. For example, production of digital instructional materials; tools and services to support specific instructional techniques (“quiz server”); additional lab seats and new labs; use of research tools in instruction; maintenance of successful projects initiated with one-time funding; etc.
- Local technical support staff. (The general IT staffing shortfall at UCSB is well known; this component of that need is direct support of faculty in achieving their instructional goals using technology.)
- Instruction delivery tools and capabilities in classrooms; network and display tools in general assignment and departmental teaching spaces.
The purpose of this proposal is to encourage the consideration of these unfunded needs in the context of other campus unfunded technology needs. Existing project prioritization and allocation processes in the colleges is the appropriate manner for individual projects and requests to be evaluated and funded. Additional funding to these control points for enhanced instructional uses of technology at local levels should be considered and prioritized by the ITPG along with campus-wide and infrastructure funding needs.
How This Project Supports the Academic Mission
This proposal requests funding that would directly support the University’s instructional mission as defined by the faculty doing the instruction.
Funding Source
Campus funds.
Costs
Any augmentation would be applied towards projects as prioritized by the local control points. Existing funding levels could easily double and still leave valid projects unfunded.
Matching Opportunities
Many faculty are already using Instructional Improvement Grants (via OIC) and extramural funding to initiate the sort of projects described in this proposal. Successful projects need maintenance funding to allow their inclusion in department curriculum planning.
Staff Support Required
Local support staff is a component of this proposal. No additional staff would be needed to administer these allocations.
Existing Resources to Be Used
Existing IUC and other instructional computing funding allocated to the college control points.
Project Timeline
Ongoing.
Life Cycle of Result
Funding in this area should be permanent to allow for planning and strategic allocations. One-time funding for instructional projects does not allow department to build dependencies on these projects into their curriculum planning.
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