DELTA Offers Express Grants for Spring 2023

If you need help with incorporating dynamic technology tools into your course design, DELTA Express Grants are back to assist you with creating innovative and collaborative strategies to improve your course design.

Similar to our traditional DELTA Grants program, which is offered every year in the spring, DELTA Express Grants provide support, key services and financial resources to increase student success through faculty partnerships and research-based best practices.

DELTA Express Grants differ from DELTA Grants in that they are shorter and more directed course improvement grants which will last a semester as opposed to the traditional year. 

We are excited to offer two grant types this spring — Course Essentials and Instructional Tools.

Course Essentials Express Grant

If you are interested in obtaining a Quality Matters (QM) certification for your online or hybrid course, the Course Essentials Express Grant (CE) is the express grant for you! This grant is structured as a predominately asynchronous online course which takes place between January and June. Recipients will work independently to apply research-based, nationally recognized best practices for online course design. In addition, recipients of this grant will be a part of a small faculty cohort who are invited to attend a few group meetings and individual consultations with a DELTA Course Quality advisor.

The CE grant was formerly known as Quality Matters Essential Standards Program (QMESP). While the name has changed, the course objectives remain the same:

• Recognize the foundational concepts of Quality Matters
• Apply the Essential Specific Review Standards of the Quality Matters Rubric to the design of an online course.
• Align the critical components of an online course.
• Apply improvements to an online course in preparation for an internal course review.

Note: In order to qualify for this grant you must have taken the Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR) workshop in the past or sign up for the course that starts on November 30. You can register for the APPQMR course here.

The Value of the CE Grant

Two instructors who completed the QM process share their experiences below. Their journeys relied upon support from DELTA Course Quality Advisors. Together, they guide members of the CE cohort through the (estimated) 60 hours of work. In addition, cohort members support each other with open discussion and idea exchange during meetings throughout the semester. 

Teaching Assistant Professor Peter Hessling, Ph.D., College of Education

“I was in the QMESP (now the Course Essentials Express Grant) program during the spring semester of 2022. A few weeks ago, I received word that my graduate online qualitative research class met QM standards and will officially be a QM certified course. One of the reviewers wrote to me stating, ‘When I picture the perfect qualitative class, this is what it would look like. It was a pleasure doing the QM review for your class.’ I was delighted to hear this, but my students and I have already been enjoying the benefits of the changes I made. 

Course Essentials introduces instructors to the Quality Matters Standards and how to apply them to an existing hybrid or online course. It was a lot of work, to be sure, but now my students and I have a logically connected, cohesive class that aligns objectives, assignments, and assessments. This semester, I find that I can spend more time giving feedback to my students. The course is also accessible for all students.  

I strongly recommend that anyone interested in making their online class an exceptional experience for students (and instructors!) sign up for the Course Essential Express Grant. The experience involves instruction, but there is also discussion and sharing of ideas with other teachers from across campus, so you will learn in multiple ways. You will also receive personal attention and guidance from DELTA instructors throughout the process. You will end up with a course that makes sense in an online environment, is engaging for students, and will give you more time to interact meaningfully with your students.” 

Teaching Professor/VetPAC Director Shweta Trivedi, Ph.D., Animal Science 

“When I applied for the QMESP (named so at the time) for improving the hybrid offering of my ANS 205 Physiology of Domestic Animals course in the fall semester of 2020, I had no idea how transformational a journey it would become for me and ultimately my students.

Through the program, I attended online group meetings and individual consultations, designed and applied improvements to my course, and submitted the course for internal review.  My QM mentor Christine Cranford and QM facilitator Arlene Mendoza-Moran were tremendously supportive and greatly assisted in getting the course submitted for an internal and external review ultimately.

I would highly recommend the Course Essentials Express Grant to any faculty who is motivated to provide their students with a well-structured online or hybrid course where learning objectives and assessments are aligned and its content accessible.

Participating in the QM program opened doors to the professional development opportunities I didn’t know existed including becoming a certified QM peer reviewer, QMESP [now Course Essentials] Faculty Lead, CQ Faculty Fellow to co-present at national meetings and conduct research leading into manuscript submission in under two years.

This partnership with DELTA helped me critically reflect on making the variety of improvements in my teaching that I constantly aspire for. I sincerely hope to continue making a high-quality impact on engaging and inspiring students so they become our future creators, innovators, thinkers and leaders within animal science and beyond.”

Instructional Tools Express Grant

Are you a fan of using instructional tools in your teaching, but want to apply them more effectively in your course? Meet the Instructional Tools grant. 

The Instructional Tools grant assists faculty who want to create effective learning activities using the following tools and concepts: accessibility, Universal Design for Learning, gamification, Google Assignments, Gradescope, H5P, Moodle quizzes, Moodle rubrics and grading guides, Panopto, PlayPosit, Top Hat, Turnitin PeerMark and WordPress.

This grant is meant for faculty who want to integrate effective learning strategies aligned with their course goals and delivery methods but seek assistance designing effective and pedagogically appropriate activities using technology. 

Recipients of this grant will receive $2,000 as well as DELTA  support, including but not limited to workshops, consultations, action plan templates and additional resources.

Previous recipients have used DELTA Grants to adapt to the challenges of COVID-19, ensure online physical education classes are just as rigorous as their in-person counterparts and increase student engagement.

Ready to apply? 

Visit go.ncsu.edu/delta-express-grants for more information about each grant type and other important dates.

View our DELTA Express Grants FAQ page for information about grant eligibility, the review process and general inquiries. The proposal submission system opens Nov. 1 and closes on Nov. 21.

Email deltaexpressgrants@ncsu.edu with specific questions.