SciFER grants were advertised to the email list and on the web site. A selection committee of Peter New, Siegbert Schmid, Angela Brew and Mary Peat (Chair) was set up and this group met on 21 April - (Angela sent her comments on the applications as she was unable to attend the meeting).
There were five applications that together requested a total of $31,274. The Acting Dean had indicated there was $15,000 available. The table summarises the projects and the comments below indicate the level of funding for each project.
Title Team Leader School Team Members School Decision Incorporating student centered approaches to learning within a lecture-based earth science course Dr Melissa Neave Geosciences Dr Eleanor Bruce Geosciences This project was not funded. It was not considered to be a research proposal but a proposal for teaching development and as such was not eligible. However, the group was asked to consider applying to the Faculty Teaching Development fund later in the year, and to consider developing a research proposal for 2005. To help with developing a research proposal the committee offered $1,000 towards this. The $1,000 was accepted. Examining approaches for addressing student diversity encountered in cross-disciplinary postgraduate courses: A Geographic Information Science (GIS) case study. Dr Eleanor Bruce Geosciences Dr Carmin Gaina, A/Prof Geoff Clarke, Dr David Chapman Geosciences The committee sought clarification of the research question and the nature of the data that were to be collected. After re-submission of the proposal the committee agreed to fund $4,250 towards the project. Dr Sanjay Chawla Information Technology A Study of the effects on student learning of integrating on-line problems and assignment questions into a Junior Physics unit Dr John O'Byrne Physics Dr Manjula Sharma Physics The committee agree to funding this project without amendments but on the understanding that the School of Physics be asked to make a contribution to the budget. This was readily agreed to by the Head of Physics. The funding is $4,350 from SciFER and $4,350 from the School of Physics. Chris Stewart History and Philosophy of Science Encouraging reflective learning: Determining the effect on student performance and learning of integrating a draft-writing and feedback cycle into the report-writing task in second-year physiology Dr Meloni Muir Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences Ms Helen Drury Learning Centre The committee noted that this project is being done mostly in the Faculty of Medicine and suggested that the Faculty of Medicine or Department of Physiology be asked to fund the consultancy money that was being asked for the Learning Centre. The project is funded $2,783 by SciFER. Dr Charlotte Taylor Biological Sciences Comparing student approaches to learning science in a pure science faculty and a health sciences professional faculty Dr Manjula Sharma Physics Laura Minasian-Batmanian, Jennifer Lingard Biomedical Sciences, Health Science This project spans across two Faculties and the committee agreed to fund $2,800 towards the project if there is an equal commitment from the Faculty of Health Sciences. This was agreed by Health Sciences Mike Prosser Institute for Teaching and Learning Chris Stewart History and Philosophy of Science The committee also made a slight change to the criteria for applying for grants. It was agreed that in future the project team leader must be a member of the devolved Faculty of Science.
Mary Peat
July 2004
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