The Ministry for Training, Colleges and Universities has announced the call for the 2015 round of funding for online course development through the $4.75 million Shared Online Course Fund.

Universities can apply for up to $60,000 in funding per course for designing, developing, or redesigning online course and learning modules.

“Windsor did extraordinarily well in last year’s round, with 10 projects funded, the second highest number awarded in the province,” says Nick Baker, director of UWindsorʼs Office of Open Learning.

These projects were developed with faculty from across the University, and the team of online learning and multimedia specialists in the Office of Open Learning. The newly developed courses will be available to students in the current academic year.

Baker says the access to significant external funds has also helped to raise the profile and quality of online learning, and to expand the infrastructure needed to develop and support it at UWindsor.

“Faculty now have access to equipment and expertise through the Office of Open Learning to design and develop highly professional, creative, and engaging online courses,” he says. “If you can dream it, we can help you achieve it!”

He promises his office will provide support from start to finish.

“It is a truly collaborative process, and one of the few times that faculty get to truly explore all the possibilities for expanding their teaching,” Baker says.

Preliminary expressions of interest (which are not compulsory and require only a title and a paragraph with rough ideas for the project) are due October 5, with full proposals due November 13. All proposals require the approval of the provost at each partner institution; interested faculty, heads and deans should contact the Office of Open Learning as soon as possible with any ideas for courses or modules that might fit in their programs.

Find more information on its website or contact Baker at 519-253-3000, ext. 4925, or e-mail nbaker@uwindsor.ca.