Are you interested in learning how to use learning data to better understand how students are engaging with your online content? Are you interested in exploring student success by gaining insights into how students are interacting with your online course materials?
The Learning Analytics Center of Excellence (LACE) and the Division of Teaching and Learning (DTL) are offering microgrants to help explore how data empowered education practices (DEEP) help UW–Madison faculty and instructional staff gain insights into how to support student success.
Application due: May 22, 2025
Grant Amount: $2000
This year’s microgrant program focuses on a critical question: How does engagement with online course content impact student performance? We delve into the following areas:
- Content Engagement: What online materials are students interacting with? Videos, readings, discussion forums—each click matters.
- Assignment Outcomes: Does engagement correlate with better assignment grades? We’re uncovering a possible link between content consumption and academic success.
- Preparation Strategies: Are students using course content to prepare for assignments or to help study for quizzes and exams? Explore how students are preparing for key course work by looking at where they spend their time in Canvas.
Benefits:
- Collaborate closely with a data architect to understand data in your online course content. This can be a course in any mode of instruction (online, hybrid or in-person) as long as content from the course is used by students in Canvas, the LMS (Learning Management System).
- Leverage course data for evidence-based decisions that support student success.
- Engage with other grantees in three meetings and via asynchronous connection throughout the semester.
- Learn about teaching and learning data, data literacy, data governance, and data visualizations via an asynchronous Canvas course.
- Share your learning with campus colleagues beyond the grant cycle to support data empowered work for student success.
Time Commitment:
Microgrant awardees meet over the course of one semester during the 2025/2026 academic year and require a time commitment of: 1 hour of self-paced learning in the DEEP Microgrant Canvas course per month, 3 one-hour virtual meetings, at least 2 one-hour meetings with the microgrant support team to complete project work with more meetings as needed, and a poster presentation to share with campus colleagues. In total, the required time commitment should be roughly 5-6 hours a month.
How do I apply?
Start by downloading the application packet and learn about expectations, time commitment and readiness of your course. Applications will be reviewed by a team and scored using the rubric available in the information packet. Please make sure your application is submitted by May 22 for full consideration. Questions? Email the project team.
Join us on this journey. Together, we’ll build a stronger, more data informed UW–Madison community.