Date Started: Jan 8, 1996
Status:In Progress

Project Description

The Curriculum Development Initiative was developed as part of the University's long term strategic plan in response to a need for a program that would not only assist faculty with the integration of technology into their course work but would sustain course development going forward. The Curriculum Development Initiative (CDI) is an internal granting program that provides significant multi-year support to academic departments who elect to undertake technology-enabled curriculum development to enhance the teaching and learning in large undergraduate enrollment courses.

CDI projects are typically funded anywhere from $30,000 to $50,000 over two years with the possibility of a third year of funding. The grant can be used for faculty release time, stipends, consultant fees, and travel and conference registration related to the project. The grant may also provide for software and other non-hardware resources necessary for the proposed integration, for example multimedia assets to incorporate into an online learning environment.

The CDI program is advised by a steering committee composed of the deans of Arts & Sciences, School of Business, and Education along with representatives from the Faculty Senate, the Office of the Provost and the Director of the TLTC. In April of each year the committee reviews proposals and selects recipients. All CDI proposals undergo a two-stage review process:

1. Review by an academic outside the university who has considerable experience with the instructional applications of information technology
   
2. Review by an internal review team consisting of faculty, administrators and students.
   

An Instructional Designer in the TLT Center serves as the project manager for each CDI and works with the faculty to ensure the appropriate integration of technology into the curriculum and tracks the budget and timeline for the project.

TLTC supports and administers each CDI project with its Instructional Design, Digital Media, and Classroom and Event Support teams. As part of its leadership training, the Student Technology Assistant program is also involved in the process.

The first iteration of CDI was in the Spring of 1996, providing multiyear support to academic departments that undertook technology based re-design of their core required courses with high enrollment. CDI is still in existence today continuing to support the integration of technology into the curriculum by providing the resources to our faculty to ensure the success of their projects and the sustainability of the changes.

Related Projects:

CDI 8
The eighth iteration of CDI took place in 2005 and awarded two grants.

CDI 7
The seventh iteration of CDI took place in 2004 and awarded three grants.