Case Study
The NUS Learning Innovation Fund
Submitted by:
Tan Eng Chye, National University of Singapore
Intervention Types
Process
In 2012, the National University of Singapore (NUS), through the leadership of President Tan Chorh Chuan, created a $5 million Learning Innovations Fund-Technology (LIF-T) to seed faculty TEL projects across the institution. LIF-T is overseen by the Provost and a twelve-member Technology Task Force, as well as a Project Review Committee to award the grants. To date, 26 grants have been made in four granting rounds, with funding ranging from a few thousand dollars to more than $200,000. The project also supports MOOCS and blended online/in person course development. In 2014, NUS allocated an additional $5 million to the project. As an NUS report noted: “LIF-T has played a significant role in allowing for innovation [in TEL at NUS]….It has contributed in a big way to building a technology-enhance culture of teaching and learning at NUS.”
- University leadership can provide resources for seed funding to encourage faculty initiatives to build a learning culture receptive to evidence-based TEL innovation.
- A significant number of faculty members are enthusiastic about instructional experimentation and sharing their results, resulting in many benefits to the institution.
