CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Guidelines and regulations for financial support of digital learning and teaching projects at Technische Universität Dresden in 2022/2023

INTRODUCTION

Since 2006, TU Dresden has provided centralized financial support for digital learning and teaching methods. Over 140 projects have been sponsored over the past seven funding periods. Currently, 10 projects focused on digital teaching and learning are receiving a total €123,000 in funding. Teaching has taken place online to a large extent the past few semesters due to the pandemic. As a result, the focus of this call for applications has shifted from the proliferation of e-learning to the didactic adaptation of (partially) digital teaching and the continuity, development and quality assurance of the core elements of teaching.

01. SUBJECT AND OBJECTIVE OF THE FUNDING

Based on the resolution of the University Executive Board from December 8, 2020, projects that support TU Dresden’s e-learning strategy are eligible for funding. Funds of up to €95,000 will be available until September 30, 2023 for the realization of these projects. Up to €75,000 will be allocated pursuant to the customary criteria-based application evaluations. In addition, up to €20,000 will be awarded this year to two “digital pioneer” projects with trend-setting potential. The jury may nominate projects emanating from a justifiable challenge that respond with a novel or venturesome approach, which has not yet been attempted in this context.

The following strategic goals must be pursued via the didactically justified use of digital media in teaching:

• Promotion of individuality and interaction (individualization of learning processes),
• Teaching support (promotion of digital teaching skills),
• Creation or enhancement of a course as open educational resource or practices (OER/OEP) in consideration of diversity and accessibility so that the course can be expanded to include more people.

02. ELIGIBLE INITIATIVES

Initiatives which primarily strive to achieve the above-mentioned strategic goals through digital teaching and learning will receive funding. Plans with the following emphases can receive priority:

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Establishing independent learning materials for bolstering self-regulated and informal learningHere are exemplary ways that the above objectives can be achieved in practice (see the Implementation Plan for the E-Learning Strategy available in German):

• Developing and holding trial and supplementary courses for new students
• Developing and testing (self-)assessment materials suited to a specific target group
• Developing strategies for improving e-assessment
• Integrating virtual group work in teaching
• Strengthening interactive forms of learning in courses
• Training and using e-tutors
• Supporting (international) cooperative teaching across various locations
• Entrenching the interdisciplinary topic of digitalization as a subject of teaching
• Redeveloping innovative (partially) digitalized content

In addition to financial support, the ZiLL will offer continual didactic and organizational advice and networking opportunities with all the funded applicants. Interested applicants should indicate this by writing “didactic advice” below the title of the project. Your choice in this matter will not affect the funding decision in any way.

03. APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications must be submitted electronically via email to by April 15, 2022. You are encouraged to use multimedia such as videos or presentations to illustrate points 1 to 4 of your project (see below).

Applications must include the following information:

Project and personal information:

• Project title and duration
• Applicant and project coordinator (name, postal address, telephone number, email address)

Description of the project (anonymized):

• Background; reason for and objective of the project,
• Motivation for/potential offered by using digital media,
• Brief summary of the project incl. execution plan (in terms of technicalities, organizational matters and time frame),
• Additional benefit for students (brief classification of the project in TU Dresden’s e-learning strategy),
• Outline of quality assurance and sustainability concept,
• Timeline and financial calculation (staff and material resources).

Submissions may not exceed 2,500 words, including annexes. Please use the above breakdown as a guide. Videos or presentations submitted should not exceed 10 minutes. The E-Learning Officer of the Faculty, Department or School must inspect, approve and sign off on the application prior to submission. Approval is granted on the basis of the development prospects and goals defined in the e-learning strategy of TU Dresden, or at the level of the schools, the departments or the faculties.

04. TIME SCHEDULE

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05. ASSESSMENT AND DECISION PROCEDURE

Each application will be anonymized and randomly assigned to two experts for peer assessment. If the assessments differ greatly, a third reviewer will be called upon to issue another assessment. Multiple applications may be submitted as long as their central ideas are clearly delineated and do not build on one another. However, applicants may only receive funding for one application.

The following evaluation criteria provide the basis for assessment. The first three criteria are each worth three times as much as the others:

• Didactic implementation planning and feasibility
• Technical implementation planning and feasibility
• Novelty of the ideas or implementation as well as relevance in line with the e-learning strategy’s goals
• Longevity planning and feasibility
• Consideration of accessibility and diversity
• Completeness, proportionality and clarity of the project description
• Realistic costs projection and timeline

“Digital pioneer” projects are chosen by the jury based on the following criteria in particular. Not every criterion must be addressed in the application.

• Experimental character: The project should demonstrate a particular experimental or highly innovative character (novel approach in the relevant teaching context)
• Professionalization: The project should promote quality-assured skills development and transfer with a view to professionalization
• Transferability and scalability: Following initial trials, the project should be either transferable to other teaching contexts or applicable on a larger scale (e.g. through the qualification of multipliers). Alternatively, the project application could include a convincing statement about how a tested approach could be transferred to another teaching context with promising success.

06. GRANT CONDITIONS

• All teaching staff at TU Dresden who are officially responsible for leading a course are eligible to apply.
• The funding term will begin on September 1, 2022, and extend through August 31, 2023, pending allocation of the financial resources. Shorter terms with a flexible start date are possible.
• Parallel developments to existing centralized IT infrastructure systems and services are not eligible to receive funding.
• Personnel and material costs may be claimed. Basic equipment is excluded from funding. The funds may only be used within the proposed time frame and for the purpose defined in the application. The funds are budget funds and must be spent by September 30, 2023. Funds may be re-designated via written application in justified cases.
• Subsequent to the conclusion of the project, a summary report and a spreadsheet detailing the application of the funds must be submitted by October 31, 2023, unprompted. The ZiLL will provide the appropriate templates upon request.
• The persons responsible for the funded projects are obliged to provide updates on the status of their projects upon request and to present their (interim) results at e-learning networking events at TU Dresden.
• Project managers are encouraged to publish their experience and report on their results.
• The project managers undertake to participate in the introductory and concluding workshops as well as at least one of the networking events hosted throughout the year. There, funding recipients can present their ideas and results, and can share their experiences with other project leaders.
• Portions of the summary report (incl. project information) are documented on TU Dresden’s website as well as the educational portal Bildungsportal Sachsen pending approval. In keeping with the values of Open Education and Open Science, project results should be published under an open license. In collaboration with the ZiLL, the SLUB offers advising services on the matter, which can be booked at any time via the Knowledge Bar.
• There is no legal entitlement to funding.

© Anne Jantos

Research Associate

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Anne Jantos Dipl.-HDL.

Fonds DLL, E-Learning Coordination, virTUos

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