Useful Guidance

• • • Writing a mentoring plan, from the National Postdoctoral Association
    • STELAR on Writing ITEST Proposals (not everything is relevant to RETTL)
    • CADRE Proposal Development Resources (not everything is relevant to RETTL)
    • CAISE on Broadening Participation
    • In our experience, a conjecture map is a nice element to include in a proposal of this type.

Relevant CIRCL Reports

RETTL supersedes the cyberlearning programs. These earlier reports provide useful analysis of characteristics of successful cyberlearning projects.

• • • Ambitious Mashups: Reflections on a Decade of Cyberlearning Research
    • Cyberlearning Community Report: The State of Cyberlearning and the Future of Learning With Technology
    • Cyberlearning Workshop Reports: Principles for the Design of Digital STEM Learning Environments
    • Although these documents are from previous solicitations, and are NOT current, we believe some of the insights may be still relevant to RETTL proposers
      • Common Reasons Cyberlearning Proposals are Not Recommended for Funding
      • Guiding Questions for Cyberlearning Proposal Reviewers

Prior Projects

Knowing what has been funded in the past can help you analyze the ingredients of a successful proposal and build on prior accomplishments in the field.

• • • Search NSF cyberlearning awards: element code = 8020 and reference code = 8045
    • Search the outputs of awards via NSF Project Outcome Reports. In the advanced tab, enter “cyberlearning” for program and mark “Show Only Awards with Project Outcomes Reports”
    • Browse past projects by the CIRCL tag map
    • Explore the STEM for All Video Multiplex with the program keyword “cyberlearning” (you can also try “cyberlearning” in the general keyword field)
    • In general, look at the CIRCL Projects Page

CIRCLS Thoughts

Although we cannot predict how peer reviewers for this competition will score proposals and we have no influence on NSF award decisions, we observe that past successful projects have envisioned a teaching or learning scenario that cannot be achieved using today’s commonplace technology applications; they explore emerging learning technologies for a future that is 5-10 years away. As research proposals, they produce knowledge — whether the resulting technological product will be further developed or scaled is less important. The knowledge arises from a convergent or interdisciplinary team addressing research questions that could lead to contributions to the three fields: learning sciences, computational sciences, and diversity, equity and inclusion in education. The methods used to address the research questions emphasize exploratory and design research methods ( research methods that estimate effect sizes or that seek to establish efficacy are not essential). The research may result in opening up a new type of educational application that few were considering or generate the knowledge that will make designs of emerging learning technologies much more equitable, safe, and/or effective.

Other Funding Programs

• • • EHR – Education and Human Resources
      • DRK12: Discovery Research K–12
      • IUSE: Improving Undergraduate STEM Education
      • AISL: Advancing Informal STEM Learning
    • ITEST: Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers
    • ECR: EHR Core Research
    • Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE)
      • HCC: Human-Centered Computing
      • RI, III, and other CISE programs
    • SBE – Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences
      • SL:Science of Learning and Augmented
        Intelligence
    • Cross-Directorate:
      • NRI: National Robotics Initiative
      • CS4All (joint with EHR)
    • Department of Education
    • For a list of many programs that, similar to RETTL, could involve social and computer scientists working together, see the Dear Colleague Letter: Opportunities for Collaboration between CISE and SBE Researchers.