1. education
2. distance learning

MITx GRANT PROGRAM
CALL FOR PROPOSALS: MITx ONLINE MODULES
The Office of Digital Learning1 is seeking proposals from MIT faculty and departments for development
and operation of online modules (also called learning units—see definition on page 2) that leverage
the edX platform for global and residential audiences in support of the digital learning strategies of
MIT schools and departments. Statements of Interest should be submitted as soon as possible but
no later than May 15, and full
proposals are due May 31.
MITx Grant Program at a Glance
Focus on MITx modules
Objective
Develop and teach online modules (see definition on page 2)
Previously, MITx courses were typically
designed as traditional semester-long
courses offered on the edX platform for
global audiences. Most courses were
modeled on existing residential MIT
courses. They required a significant
commitment of time and effort from
course teams both to develop and to
teach.
With this MITx Grant Program, we are
shifting our approach to shorter online
modules (learning units) with different
design objectives. Our goals are to a)
reduce barriers to faculty participation,
b) better meet the needs and preferences of global and residential
learners, c) experiment with and adopt
teaching and learning techniques that
may improve learning outcomes, and
d) ensure that our efforts and
investments align with Institute and
departmental priorities and directions.
Accordingly, we have new criteria for
awarding funds for MITx projects,
detailed in “Requirements and selection
criteria” on page 2 of this document.
The most important requirements are
that a proposed module:
1
that leverage the edX platform for global and residential
audiences in support of departmental digital learning strategies.
Grant
Award
• Typically $10K-$100K to support content creation, media
production, tool development, a part-time TA (if needed) or
other students, and a department-based project coordinator
• MITx support services from ODL as needed (media training,
technical/platform support, IP, accessibility)
Eligibility
Open to all MIT faculty; no limit on number of applications. See
“Requirements and selection criteria” on page 2.
Capacity
ODL plans to award 5 – 10 grants per cycle, depending on
availability and mix of resources required. We anticipate two
award cycles per year.
Application Step 1
Process
Step 2
Step 3
Key Dates
for this
Cycle
Contact
Info
Submit Statement of Interest
Meet with ODL representative to discuss course
parameters and develop project budget
Submit Full Proposal
Statements of Interest should be submitted as soon as
possible and no later than May 15.
Full Proposal
Deadline
Decisions
Announced
Development
Begins By
Target
Launch
May 31
July 1
Sept 1
Spring 2016
Statements of interest, proposals, letters of support, and other related
documents should be emailed to mitx-grant@mit.edu.
For questions or clarification, contact MITx Associate Director Caroline
Soares at csoares@mit.edu.
•
Specifically support school and departmental digital learning strategies
•
Incorporate rich student assessment features that can provide automated
feedback to students
•
Be consistent with recommendations of the Institute-wide Task Force on the
Future of MIT Education including exploration of modularity and other new
pedagogical approaches and tools that enhance student learning
For information about ODL and its mission, visit the ODL web site.
MITx Grant Program
April 7, 2015
Page 1
What is a module?
A module is a learning unit or segment that can be studied on its own or in sequence with other
modules. We use the definition offered in the Task Force report: a self-contained unit comprising a
set of outcomes, where an outcome is what the student will know or be able to do as a result of a
learning experience and is a driver of the instruction and assessment for the module. To this we add
that a module developed for the edX platform would be no more than 1-6 weeks in length (total run
time or module duration) and result in a unit reusable by other faculty teaching the same course or
another course.
Requirements and selection criteria
The following requirements must be met in order for a proposal to be considered:
•
Lead faculty. The proposal must be submitted by, and the project must be overseen
by, an MIT faculty member(s) who will be responsible for the accuracy and quality of
content, adherence to MIT academic standards, and effectiveness of teaching. The
lead faculty member(s) will typically teach the material represented in the module as
part of a residential MIT course. The lead faculty member participates throughout the
project although development and teaching may also involve students and staff.
•
Residential/global audiences. The module should support both residential
education at MIT and global outreach (MITx on edX). In limited circumstances, ODL
may fund modules designed only for global audiences.2
•
Scope. The project must contemplate initial development and at least one run of the
module (or sequence of modules) on the global edX platform, and on the residential
MITx platform if applicable.
•
Department support. A letter of support from the department head must accompany the Statement of Interest.
•
Link to department’s digital learning strategy. The module must support the
digital learning strategy of the school or department. If the department does not yet
have a digital learning strategy, it is less likely that the proposal will receive funding.
In future cycles, such a strategy will be a prerequisite for funding; however we realize
that not all departments have yet developed one. ODL welcomes the opportunity to
work with departments to help develop strategies where needed.
•
Project coordination. Projects must identify a department-based project coordinator
to oversee the project (funded by the MITx grant). Experience has shown that
involvement of a department-based coordinator greatly enhances project success and
timely completion and reduces the burden on lead faculty. ODL provides training,
cross-department forums, and a growing digital learning community in which they
participate.
•
IP agreement. Course authors must sign an MITx Intellectual Property Agreement.
•
Lessons learned. The lead faculty member(s) must submit a brief report that
summarizes learnings and findings for each run of the module.
•
Timeline.
Proposals
due by
Proposals
approved on
Development should
begin no later than
Module(s) should be
ready to launch in
May 31, 2015
July 1, 2015
Sept 1, 2015
Spring 2016
Jan 31, 2016
Mar 1, 2016
June 1, 2016
Fall 2016
2
If you are interested in developing a residential-only module, which lies outside the scope of this call, ODL is still
interested in working with you. Please contact Sheryl Barnes, Program Manager for Residential Digital Learning
(sherylb@mit.edu), or Sanjoy Mahajan, Director of Residential Digital Learning (sanjoy@mit.edu).
MITx Grant Program
April 7, 2015
Page 2
Preference will be given to proposals that:
•
Explore and incorporate modularity and other teaching/learning concepts put forth
in the Task Force report.
•
Include significant attention to student assessment and course evaluation.
•
Incorporate other innovations in teaching and learning, including tools that enrich
the learning experience.
•
Help to round out the portfolio of MITx courses on edX so that the offerings are
representative of the breadth of subjects and instructors at MIT.
Application process
Step
Process
1 Submit
Statement
of Interest
Please use the MITx Grant Program Statement of Interest form (one page, 10-15
minutes to complete), and email it along with a letter of support from your
department head to mitx-grant@mit.edu. Statements of Interest should be
submitted as soon as possible but no later than May 15.
2 Meet with
ODL
When you submit a Statement of Interest, ODL will contact you to schedule an inperson meeting to discuss and help you with your proposal, including reviewing the
course development process and developing a project budget.
3 Submit
Proposal
Please use the MITx Grant Program Proposal form, and email it to mitxgrant@mit.edu. The submission deadline is May 31. Please attach a project
budget.
MITx grant awards
The number of grant awards in any given cycle varies depending on the availability and mix of funding
and staffing resources. An approved course typically will be supported by:
•
10K-$100K in funding to support content creation, media production, tool development,
part-time TA (if needed), undergraduates, and a department-based project coordinator.
Funding is determined on a case-by-case basis, and varies primarily according to the length of
the module and what pre-existing pedagogical resources (problem sets, video clips, etc.) may
already be available for use on the project. Department-based project coordinators ensure
that projects adhere to plans and timelines and arrange required support services as
needed. The coordinators must participate in the MITx training program and in periodic MITx
meetings and conferences.
•
MITx support services as needed for media training, technical/platform support,
intellectual property consultation and clearance, and accessibility compliance.
For more information
Please visit the Submit a Proposal page on the ODL web site to read more and to download editable
versions of the Statement of Interest and Full Proposal forms. For specific questions about the process
or its requirements, please contact MITx Associate Director Caroline Soares at csoares@mit.edu.
MITx Grant Program
April 7, 2015
Page 3
MITx GRANT PROGRAM
STATEMENT OF INTEREST: MITx ONLINE MODULES
Please use this form to indicate your interest in developing and teaching an MITx module(s). We will
contact you shortly to schedule an in-person meeting to discuss your proposal. At that time, we will
also work with you to prepare a project budget. Please note key dates:
This Statement of
Interest due by
ASAP but no later
than May 15
Proposals
due by
Proposals
approved on
Development
begins by
Module(s) ready to
launch in
May 31, 2015
July 1, 2015
Sept 1, 2015
Spring 2016
YOUR NAME
YOUR EMAIL
SUBMISSION DATE
TIES TO (COURSE NUMBER)
MODULE TITLE
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF MODULE (OR SEQUENCE OF MODULES), INCLUDING OVERALL LEARNING OBJECTIVES
HOW DOES YOUR PROPOSAL FIT WITH THE DIGITAL LEARNING STRATEGY OF YOUR SCHOOL OR DEPARTMENT?
TEACHING CONTEXT—CHECK ONE
TARGET AUDIENCE(S), INCLUDING RECOMMENDED PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE
RESIDENTIAL AND GLOBAL USE
GLOBAL USE ONLY
DESIRED PROJECT START DATE
DESIRED COURSE LAUNCH DATE
COURSE DURATION IN WEEKS
LIST EXISTING RESOURCES THAT MIGHT BE LEVERAGED (TOOLS, PROBLEMS SETS, EXAMS, VIDEO CLIPS, ETC.)
PROSPECTIVE COURSE TEAM (OTHER FACULTY, STAFF, STUDENTS POTENTIALLY INVOLVED IN DEVELOPMENT OR TEACHING)
Please send your Statement of Interest along with a letter of support from your department head to
mitx-grant@mit.edu. For questions, please contact MITx Associate Director Caroline Soares at
csoares@mit.edu. Thank you for your interest.
4/7/2015
MITx GRANT PROGRAM
PROPOSAL: MITx ONLINE MODULES
Please use this form to propose an MITx online module(s), but feel free to attach separate sheets in
answer to any questions if that would be more convenient. Please note key dates:
Statement of
Interest due by
Proposals
due by
Proposals
approved on
Development
begins by
Module(s) ready to
launch in
ASAP but no later
than May 15
May 31, 2015
July 1, 2015
Sept 1, 2015
Spring 2016
YOUR NAME
YOUR EMAIL
MODULE TITLE
SUBMISSION DATE
TIES TO (COURSE NUMBER)
Please provide the following information. There is no limit on text length—boxes are self-expanding.
YOUR PURPOSE IN CREATING THE MODULE OR SEQUENCE OF MODULES, INCLUDING HOW THESE SPECIFICALLY SUPPORT YOUR
DEPARTMENT’S DIGITAL LEARNING STRATEGY
SCOPE AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES OF YOUR MODULE(S)
DETAILED CONTENT OUTLINE FOR YOUR MODULE(S)
STUDENT ASSESSMENT FEATURES YOU PLAN TO INCORPORATE
OTHER TOOLS AND INNOVATIONS YOU PLAN TO INCORPORATE
YOUR DEFINITION OF SUCCESS AND YOUR PLAN FOR MEASURING/DEMONSTRATING ACHIEVEMENT OF THAT SUCCESS
WHAT YOU HOPE TO LEARN BY DEVELOPING AND TEACHING THE MODULE(S)
OTHER INFORMATION YOU THINK MAY BE RELEVANT TO OUR CONSIDERATION OF YOUR PROPOSAL
Please email your proposal along with the project budget to mitx-grant@mit.edu. For questions,
please contact MITx Associate Director Caroline Soares at csoares@mit.edu. We appreciate your
interest in online teaching and digital learning!
4/7/2015