News

Academic Partnerships Awards Grants for Distance Ed Research

• By Joshua Bolkan
• 11/17/15

Academic Partnerships (AP) has selected 16 faculty members from five universities as the recipients of its latest round of Academic Research Grants.

Currently in its second and final round for 2015, the grant program has disbursed a total of $300,000 to more than 90 faculty at about 20 universities since launching in 2011. "Grant funds are targeted for research and development areas such as course-content design, faculty-student interaction, instructional technology and competency-based learning," according to a news release.

Institutions receiving grants and the winning projects include:

• University of West Florida, for Online Discussion Forums and Student Anxiety;
• University of South Carolina, for Online, Cohort-Formatted EdD Program: Doctoral Student Perceptions;
• Lamar University, for Faculty Presence and Interactivity in Online Course Delivery;  e-Portfolios: Factors Contributing to Long-Term Usage; and Enhancing Student Learning via Value Added Engineering Education (VAEE);
• University of Texas at Arlington, for Competency-Based Geometry Methods; and
• University of Texas of the Permian Basin, for Project UnTIE: Unplugging Technology, Increasing Engagement.

The grants are managed by AP's Faculty eCommons (FeC), a social learning site designed "to provide ongoing support from its expert academic consultants to faculty partners around the world," according to information released by the company. "FeC offers industry research, best practices, and guidance and professional development with respect to online education and pedagogy. AP's goal is to offer resources that disseminate practical and evidence-based insights about online learning as well as the tools and templates that faculty can deploy to enhance their online courses."

"Online education has opened doors for countless students around the globe to expand their knowledge, enhance their job skills and, ultimately, create better lives for themselves and their families," said Jennifer Scott, AP's senior vice president of academic products and services, in a prepared statement. "We know that education is absolutely vital to the future of our economy, and online degree programs play an indispensable role in our ability to provide more opportunities for students to achieve their dreams."