More than 50 new and continuing projects dedicated to advancing eLearning, experiential education, and internationalization at York University will receive a portion of $1.5 million in funding from the Academic Innovation Fund (AIF). William Gage, associate vice-president teaching & learning, announced the successful project roster today.
Will Gage
“I am delighted to announce that 54 projects in total have received funding in this third year of the second phase of AIF,” said Gage. “My office received a wide array of very high quality and detailed project proposals and each was carefully considered by the committee charged with adjudicating the proposals.”
Of the 54 projects funded this year, 27 multi-year projects addressing major initiatives will receive up to $100,000 per year in funding available through Category I. As well, 27 Category II projects proposed by faculty members will receive a one-time $5,000 Curricular Innovation Grant.
The success of AIF initiatives funded thus far has allowed York to build pan‐University strategies and systems supporting the further growth and development of curricular innovation through various forms of eLearning, experiential education and the first-year experience. York students are currently benefiting from these innovations.
“We have continued to take a focused approach in supporting projects that address the priorities contained in the University Academic Plan (2015-2020), the Strategic Mandate Agreement and the Institutional Integrated Resource Plan,” said Gage. “This year, the AIF projects advance institutional priorities in eLearning, experiential education, and internationalization and extend current initiatives in new and interesting ways.”
Some of the notable projects in Category I to receive funding include a Las Nubes Experiential Education and Field Research Program that will be developed at York University’s new EcoCampus in Costa Rica. Another project will address movement and its roles in social justice through experiential learning. Numerous projects will address eLearning, including one that will develop eLearning best-practice guidelines for instructors, under the auspices of the Teaching Commons. The Glendon campus will see the creation of a digital media laboratory. A project in the Faculty of Health will see the development of a simulated experiential teaching learning initiative.
York U students participate in a field course activity in the Las Nubes Rainforest in Costa Rica
In Category II, funding has been awarded to a wide array of projects offering both blended learning and experiential education opportunities. One project will focus on global career management and will feature a timely study of professional migrant integration into work and society. A number of fully online courses will be developed using Category II funding and will expand York University’s already significant and high-quality roster of online courses. One such course will explore design and Inuit culture, another features the intriguing title “Dance Like No One’s Watching”.
“My thanks to everyone who prepared and submitted these detailed and innovative project proposals,” said Gage. “All of these projects will help advance teaching and learning priorities at York University. I would also like to thank those on the review committee for their thoughtful deliberations. It is a true testament to the dedication of York University faculty and staff to academic innovation and I am very proud of all the projects we have announced.”
To learn more about the projects, visit the AIF website at http://aifprojects.yorku.ca/.