Apply for start-up T&L project funding

This year’s Teaching and Learning Enhancement Projects (TLEP) Scheme, overseen by the Centre for Quality Support and Development, is now open for applications.

Based on the belief that small projects can be significant catalysts for enhancement and improvement, the scheme offers 'start-up' funding of up to £2,500 to encourage and enable staff to experiment and/or develop practice across any area of teaching and learning. The scheme is open to all staff involved in teaching or supporting teaching and learning.

Please visit the scheme page to view the criteria and guidance and to access the application form. The deadline for applications is 17:00 on Monday 15 April 2024. Funding will be made available to successful projects from 1 August 2024.

To find out more about the application process and criteria, book a place on the ‘Applying for Teaching & Learning Enhancement Projects (TLEP) Funding’ webinar on Monday 11 March, 12-1pm. This session will include some tips from previous funding recipients on what makes for a successful project and application.

Update on current TLEP projects

Last year’s winning projects are currently underway. Here is what the project leads of two of these projects said about progress with their work to date and future plans:

ChatGPT: A Conversational Language Study Tool

Jackie Baines and Edward Ross, Department of Classics

“Our project aims to educate staff and students in the Classics Department on the ethical use of generative AI tools and provide guides for their effective use, if staff and students decide to use them to support their teaching and learning.

“So far, we have led several generative AI ethics information sessions for staff and students across the School of Humanities. During these sessions we gathered surveys of student opinions on AI use for supporting ancient language study, and these preliminary findings are currently being published in the Journal of Classics Teaching. Following these surveys, we hired three undergraduate student research assistants to test different AI platforms for their effectiveness and ease of use for Ancient Greek and Latin study.

“We will shortly be publishing the generative AI tool guides and tutorials developed from this research for ancient language students to use alongside their studies. At the end of the academic year, we will be gathering further student opinions about the impact of using generative AI to support their ancient language studies.

"Following this, we will be running a CPD workshop for ancient language teachers on how generative AI can be used to support their teaching and how to educate their students of the ethics of AI use.”

Supporting the professional development and practice of dyslexic trainee teachers

Stephanie Sharp and Dr Alison Silby, Institute of Education

“We were ambitious for the outcome of this project and had the intention to produce a resource: in this case, a pdf booklet with suggested working strategies to support dyslexic trainees during their work-based placements.

“On evaluating the information and data that we have since gathered from participants, expert colleagues in our partnership schools and from University central services, we have quickly recognised the need for a product which will be adaptable to the needs of all users. Also, after sharing initial findings with colleagues at an Institute of Education T&L session, it became clear that a resource of strategies would also support our colleagues’ classroom practice; they asked ‘…but what can we do now?’.

“Our next steps are to work with the creative design team and accessibility experts to develop the most effective way to respond to the lived experiences of dyslexic trainee teachers during their work-based placements. It is hoped that we can extend this resource to support the professional development and practice, not only for these trainees, but for their school mentors, placement supervisors and university colleagues. 

“We will present our findings at the Teacher Education Advancement Network Conference in May 2024.”

If you have any questions about the scheme, please email cqsd-tandl@reading.ac.uk.