Sample Grant Proposal - Emerging Technologies for Adult Learners

Abstract

The Emerging Technologies Proposal aims to enhance adult learning by incorporating Augmented Reality (AR) into classroom assignments. I am seeking $20,000 to develop and implement the use of AR in selected classes to improve the quality and effectiveness of education at the graduate level and to integrate meaningful educational experiences for adult learners to engage in so they are prepared for real-life scenarios in their professional field.

Need for AR in the Classroom

Graduate-level education involves learning complex concepts that require students to become actively engaged in the material. AR can be used to prepare graduates for the workforce through interactive role-playing, repetition, and correction. Including AR in higher education is a highly effective way to engage a growing and diverse base of adult learners, improve educational outcomes, and meet the demands of employers in the human services field.

Objectives

·      Train educators to properly use AR as part of their instructional method.

·      Facilitate AR lessons for students to complete.

·      Determine the feasibility and effectiveness of AR as an educational tool. 

·      Report findings to funders, project participants, and the academic community.

Methods

Five educators from two universities who are currently teaching full-time, web-based courses in the human services discipline and their students will participate in the project. Educators will have up to three months to complete the necessary training requirements, and educators and students will have six to ten weeks to complete the AR assignments and follow-up surveys. Student participants will be determined based on the educators’ classes. Comparison classes will be selected at both universities by the Project Coordinator.

Outcomes

The effectiveness of the AR Emerging Technologies Proposal Project will be measured by collecting final grades and administering a questionnaire to both educators and students upon completion of an assignment including AR. This evaluation process will be duplicated in comparable classrooms without AR technology, and the results compared. The project’s progress will be communicated on a monthly and quarterly basis, and results will be disseminated accordingly after the project has been completed.Problem Statement

Problem Statement

In today’s academic world, technology plays a significant role in the instructional process. Both instructors and students alike can benefit from the addition of technology in the classroom, whether in person or in a virtual setting. For adult learners, some emerging technologies may be initially challenging or difficult to implement however, the addition of AR in academic instruction can be beneficial to the learning process. AR can prepare students for real-life scenarios in the human services field; giving them the opportunity to improve their confidence, increase their cultural competence, and develop their soft skills through simulations and role playing. AR is impactful in producing graduates who are ready and skilled in handling a plethora of scenarios they will encounter in their profession.

To prepare students effectively for the workforce, AR is an emerging technology that can be implemented to support engagement in the classroom and improve outcomes through repetition and correction. The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning reported eight million adult learners (Buglione, 2023), who are all planning for the next step in their professional career. At the graduate level, education involves learning complex yet practical concepts, requiring additional resources that go beyond the textbook (Ghobadi et al., 2023). AR uses three major features: virtual reality fusion, real-time interaction, and 3D fusion to connect the virtual world to the real world through computer vision technology through individualized, experiential lessons which can be accessed by individuals regardless of their location (Li, 2023). Experiential learning theory posits that we learn best through a four-process cycle which includes active experimentation, concrete experience, reflective observation, and abstract conceptualization (Greenshaw et al., 2023). The use of AR in the classroom encourages students to actively engage in experiential learning, further developing their abilities to manage professional tasks in the real world.

To utilize AR effectively, it is important for teachers to know and understand the technology, as well as how to use it. An instructor’s skills and involvement in using AR in the classroom are crucial to its success (Ghobadi et al., 2023). Without proper training, educators are less likely to properly incorporate AR as a meaningful tool. Professional training models focused on digital technologies in higher education should provide instructors with continuous informational and technical support that encourages the integration of this type of e-learning in professional education (Lytvynov et al., 2022). With the proper foundation and support, including AR in higher education is a highly effective way to meet the needs of a growing and diverse base of adult learners.

Goals, Objectives, and Outcomes

To properly implement augmented reality (AR) into an academic setting, several important steps should be taken to ensure its correct use and to maximize its effectiveness. When the classroom is comprised of adult learners, additional attention should be directed towards training and the feasibility of using the AR platforms. Additionally, researchers assert that instructors should facilitate active learning in the classroom, including conducting demonstrations, participating in group discussions, practicing by doing, and teaching others; and that the educator’s knowledge of the material and teaching platforms play a significant role in a students’ success rates (Lalley & Miller, 2007). The proposal’s goals directly reflect this theory and are developed to address all aspects of AR integration in the classroom. Objectives should be simple, immediate, measurable, practical, logical, and evaluable; and outcomes express the desired results of the target population (Miner & Miner, 2008). Below please find a breakdown of the goals, objectives, and outcomes for my Emerging Technologies Proposal.

Goals

Goal 1 – To understand how adult learners can utilize AR most effectively.

Goal 2 – To improve the quality and effectiveness of education at the graduate level.

Goal 3 – To empower educators to successfully integrate AR into their teaching practice.

Goal 4 – To integrate meaningful educational experiences for adult learners to engage in so they are prepared for real-life scenarios in their professional field.

Goal 5 – To share project results and to add to the existing body of knowledge.

Objectives

Objective 1 – In the first three months, educators will complete necessary training requirements to implement AR into their weekly instructions; specifically, how to create individualized experiences, how to navigate basic technical challenges, and how to evaluate the students’ use of AR in the classroom. This will be measured through web training modules, completed at their own pace, and results will be sent to department heads for review.

Objective 2 – In the following nine months, all students registered in the participating courses will engage in one learning experience utilizing AR technology. The lesson can be easily added to the already existing virtual learning format, and their participation will be measured by assignment completion. The lesson will simulate real-life, professional experience and scoring will be conducted by the educator.

Objective 3 – Immediately following the completion of each AR instructional module, educators and students will complete a survey about their experience. The data from these surveys will be used to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of AR as an educational tool.

Objective 4 – At the end of the project, results will be calculated and disseminated appropriately.

Outcomes

Process:           Provide educators with the necessary training tools to utilize AR effectively.

Outcome:        Educators are more willing and able to include AR in the classroom.

Process:           Mandate 100% student participation in AR assignments.

Outcome:        Increased aptitude in addressing real-life scenarios in the students’ selected professional fields. Student outcomes (satisfaction, engagement, retention, grades) will improve.

Process:           Online evaluation forms will be distributed to students and instructors to gather feedback about AR and its use and effectiveness in the classroom.

Outcome:        Training and implementation process can be adjusted to maximize impact and effectiveness.

Methods

To successfully accomplish the goals, objectives, and outcomes for including AR into the classroom, I plan to utilize professionals in the technology and education fields to complete the steps outlined in this section of the Emerging Technologies Proposal. Identifying strategies necessary to implement AR in an academic setting specifically focused on adult learners is a critical component of the program’s success. In this section, I will discuss the responsibilities of the involved parties and demonstrate a realistic timeline for completing the project’s activities.

Project Participants

Project participants includes anyone who is involved in designing, executing, and evaluating the addition of AR to an already existing web-based educational platform. The three categories of key personnel who should be included are the staff members conducting the project, the subjects participating in it, and any collaborators who assist in facilitating the project’s activities (Miner & Miner, 2008). While the staff and students are necessary components of the project, including additional collaborators increases the project’s sustainability. In addition to the participants, I will serve as the Project Coordinator, ensuring all activities and goals are completed. My professional experience includes twenty years of business management, education, and program development.

Educators

Five educators from two universities who are currently teaching full-time, web-based courses in the human services discipline have been selected to participate. Together, they have 75 combined years of teaching experience, and have each been with their current academic institution for at least two years. Educators must agree to complete the training modules and create at least on assignment for their students using AR as a resource, to be included.

Students

All students enrolled in graduate-level, human services classes taught by the selected instructors will be required to complete one assignment using AR as a resource. This assignment will last no less than six weeks and no longer than ten weeks to complete. This population of participants has been selected over other student populations because they are specializing in the human services field.

Collaborators

I will use Mursion as the technology platform to include AR in the classroom setting. Mursion is focused on improving students’ soft skills through role-playing via avatars in simulated settings. Mursion blends real-time conversation with artificial intelligence to create scenarios that are both realistic and educational (Mursion, n.d.). Furthermore, Mursion includes analytic software that provides observational assessments on performances and feedback that encourages reflection (Mursion, n.d.). Mursion trainers and technical support specialists will be an integral part of the implementation of Mursion as the technology application used for this project.

In addition to the Mursion team, I will recruit two graduate assistants to provide supplemental technical assistance to both the educators and students involved in the project. These collaborations will be secured through consortium agreements, which are important for even the most informal of relationships (Miner & Miner, 2008). Meetings will be held monthly using video conferencing, and the Project Coordinator will disseminate project information to all partners on both a monthly and quarterly basis, via email.

Project Timeline

Activity	Time for Completion	Participant Roles	Evaluation Method
Recruit and select Educators	1-2 months	Project Coordinator	Educator information will be announced in monthly and quarterly reports
Design and disseminate training materials to selected instructors; purchase any necessary equipment	1-3 months	Project Coordinator; Mursion sales representatives and technical staff; Educators	Software installed; Educators acknowledge receiving training materials via email;
Recruit graduate assistants for technical support	1-2 months	Project Coordinator	Student information will be announced in monthly and quarterly reports
AR training modules completed	1-3 months	Educators	Project Coordinator will confirm module completions
AR assignments created by educators for inclusion in coursework	1 month	Educators	Project Coordinator and academic supervisor will confirm and approve AR assignments
AR assignments completed by the students	6-10 weeks	Students; Educators	Grades will be submitted at the end of the assignment’s timeframe; Project Coordinator will receive final grades
AR surveys completed by students and educators	For each week of an AR assignment	Students; Educators; Project Coordinator; Mursion technical staff	Surveys will be submitted electronically via the Mursion application and the results sent to the Project Coordinator
Project results will be disseminated according to the Dissemination Plan	1-2 months	Project Coordinator	Peer reviews; feedback from academic professionals

Evaluation Plan

Evaluations are a crucial component of any successful program. It is important for practitioners, grant managers, and funders to understand how their program is functioning, if it’s working or not, and why. Evaluations are valuable because they ensure that funds are being spent appropriately, that the work being completed is effective and reaching the target audience, and to also identify areas needing attention or improvement (Miner & Miner, 2008). The information obtained from conducting evaluations can help ensure future funding and help build continuous support for the project’s goals and objectives. For this assignment, I will describe the Evaluation Plan for implementing Augmented Reality (AR) into the human services curriculum as part of the Emerging Technologies Grant Proposal.

Processes and Outcomes

Objective 1 – In the first three months, educators will complete necessary training requirements to implement Mursion AR technology into their weekly instructions; specifically, how to create individualized experiences, how to navigate basic technical challenges, and how to evaluate the students’ use of AR in the classroom.

Process Evaluation Questions	Outcome Evaluation Questions
Have educators been selected and received the appropriate training materials from Mursion? Have educators completed the training requirements? Has Mursion software been installed?	Have completion reports been sent to the Project Coordinator for review? Have questions or concerns about the training process been addressed?

Outcome Criteria Associated with Specific Strategies

1.     Partnership with Mursion is secured.

2.     Educators receive the necessary training to successfully implement AR into their curriculum.

3.     Educators feel comfortable using the platform and creating AR lessons for their students.

4.     AR assignments are created for inclusion in the coursework.

Information Collection Plan	Interpretation and Reporting Plan
Methods and Instruments – Mursion training materials, online training modules Types of Data – instructional materials, reports generated from training modules	The resulting data will be reviewed by the Project Coordinator and reported to the funding agency on a monthly and quarterly basis. The Project Coordinator and academic supervisor will review and approve AR assignments.

Objective 2 – In the following nine months, all students registered in the participating courses will engage in one learning experience utilizing AR technology.

Process Evaluation Questions	Outcome Evaluation Questions
Have classes been selected for inclusion? Have AR lessons been posted in the online learning modules? Do participating students have the necessary information to complete their AR assignments?	Have all the students completed the AR assignments? Have assignments been graded and results submitted to the Project Coordinator?

Outcome Criteria Associated with Specific Strategies

1.     Students are exposed to AR in the online classroom as an emerging learning technology.

2.     Increased aptitude in addressing real-life scenarios in the students’ selected professional fields.

3.     Student outcomes including student satisfaction, engagement, retention, and grades will improve.

4.     Students who completed AR assignments will feel more prepared to work in their chosen career.

Information Collection Plan	Interpretation and Reporting Plan
Methods and Instruments – AR assignments, students, educators, Mursion team Types of Data – material related to AR assignments, grades	The Project Coordinator will review grades for each assignment and final grades for each student. Grades will be reported to funders monthly and quarterly, with student information remaining confidential.

Objective 3 – Immediately following the completion of each AR instructional module, teachers and students will complete a five-question survey about their experience. Students in non-AR instruction classes will complete a class satisfaction survey at the end of the term to be used for comparison purposes.

Process Evaluation Questions	Outcome Evaluation Questions
Have both sets of surveys been created? Are surveys being distributed electronically after each AR assignment, and at the end of the term for non-AR instruction courses? Are surveys being completed by the educators and students and submitted for review?	How did students feel about using AR in the classroom? How do their final grades compare to students in the same program who did not receive AR instruction? How do educators feel about the use of AR as a teaching tool? Is using AR in the classroom effective in teaching material in human services classes?

Outcome Criteria Associated with Specific Strategies

1.     Feedback will be collected regarding the implementation and use of AR in the classroom.

2.     Survey results and grades can be compared to students in non-AR instruction classes.

3.     Data from the surveys can be used to determine if the program was effective or not.

4.     AR process can be adjusted according to the feedback supplied through the surveys.

Information Collection Plan	Interpretation and Reporting Plan
Methods and Instruments – Students, Educators, surveys Types of Data – survey results	Survey results will be examined by the Project Coordinator and communicated to funders monthly and quarterly. Grades in AR-instruction classes will be compared to grades in non-AR-instruction classes.

Dissemination Plan

To effectively communicate the purpose, methods, and results of the Emerging Technologies project, it is important to have a detailed Dissemination Plan. This ensures that the funders of the project, other professionals in the field, and the public have adequate information about the program and its results. Additionally, project dissemination can also be used to support future funding, locate more clients, or add to the current body of knowledge in that subject matter (Miner & Miner, 2008). In this section, I will describe what information will be disseminated, to which selected audiences, as well as how and when that information will be shared in regard to applying Augmented Reality (AR) as an instructional tool in the classroom.

Active Dissemination Strategies

Instructional materials are one way I plan to actively disseminate project information. This will be accomplished in the form of a PowerPoint Presentation which will be posted on the program’s website and shared with the project’s funders, partners, and educators via email. The presentation will discuss the design and implementation process of using AR in the classroom, as well as details about Mursion software specifically. Another active dissemination strategy I will use is to create a poster showing what classes were included in the project, the number of participating students, and end of term results to be shared both electronically and in print at academic meetings and conferences. To connect with individuals interested in learning more, I will include a QR code on the poster that can be used to submit contact information for follow-up purposes. Please see the chart below for more details.

Passive Dissemination Strategies

Executive Summaries and newsletters sent through the project’s listserv are two ways I will passively disseminate information and project results. Timely project summaries will be submitted to academic leaders and institutions for the purpose of replicating the program in other universities. Additionally, the newsletter will contain program details and results and can be shared electronically through the email listserv generated throughout the project’s timeline. The process of including AR in the classroom, the outcomes of the project, and the feedback collected from the assignments will be shared with funders, instructors, and other professionals in the field to generate greater interest and further discussion regarding the use of AR and its potential as a classroom tool. At the conclusion of the study, I will also submit the findings to peer-reviewed scholarly journals in the pedagogy field for publication.

Strategy	Audience	Specific Information
PowerPoint Presentation	Funders, partners, educators, anyone interested in applying AR in the classroom	Mursion app info; training requirements; classroom assignments; implementation timeline; challenges that arose and how they were addressed
Poster	Educators, academic leaders, professionals in the technology field	Who participated, in the program what the results were, and feedback from those involved; QR code for more information
Executive Summary	Funders, academic leaders, technology researchers and professionals in the field	How the program results impact the participant population; how the program can be replicated
Newsletter	Funders, academic leaders, the public	Information about the institution, educators, and participants; components of the program; results of the program
Peer-Reviewed Scholarly Journal	Academic professionals	The design, methods, goals, objectives, and outcomes of the project.

References

Buglione, S., (2023, June 15). Eyes wide shut: Are today’s adult learners our invisible student population? The Evolllution: A Modern Campus Illumination. https://evolllution.com/revenue-streams/market_opportunities/eyes-wide-shut-are-todays-adult-learners-our-invisible-student-population/#:~:text=Using%20the%2025%20years%20of,million%20adult%20learners%20to%20reengage.

Ghobadi, M., Shirowzhan, S., Ghiai, M. M., Ebrahimzadeh, F. M., & Tahmasebinia, F. (2023). Augmented reality applications in education and examining key factors affecting the users’ behaviors. Education Sciences, 13(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13010010

Greenhaw, L. L., Bastian, K. J., & Hurdle, J. C. (2023). Online adventures: Virtual experiential learning in leadership education. Journal of Leadership Education, 22(2), 112–120. https://doi.org/10.12806/V22/I2/A3

Lalley, J. P. & Miller, R. H. (2007). The learning pyramid: Does it point teachers in the right direction? Education, 128(1), 64–79.

Li, J. (2023). Application of augmented reality technology in the teaching of literacy at low learning stage. Advances in Multimedia, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/8779575

Lytvynov, A., Topolnyk, Y., Chumak, L., Prykhodkina, N., Antoniuk, L., & Kramska, S. (2022). E-learning technologies for future teachers: Introduction of educational innovations in higher school practice. Brain: Broad Research in Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience, 13(1), 403–421.

https://doi.org/10.18662/brain/13.1Sup1/327

Miner, J. T., & Miner, L. E. (2008). Proposal planning and writing (4th ed.). Greenwood Press.

Mursion. (n.d.). Why It Works. https://www.mursion.com/why-it-works/