eFellows: Why You Should Consider Applying

By: Michael McVey, Professor of Teacher Education on October 3rd, 2022

During my time at Eastern Michigan University I was honored to become an eFellow. The eFellows program is designed to fund ideas you may have to enhance your teaching with technology. Former recipients of these small grants, the eFellows, will help you to acquire the building blocks and raw materials you need to realize your vision for teaching projects. Your students, of course, will be the ultimate beneficiaries.

A while back, before podcasts were as ubiquitous as they are today, I had a rough idea about researching podcasts by learning how to make them. I successfully made my pitch to the eFellows committee for microphones and other enhancements and later that year I had created my own podcast series, in effect a podcast about podcasting. Over time, the recording system faded into obsolescence but the professional learning that resulted from the experience was well worth it.

I had such positive experiences with eFellows that I joined the committee and was inspired by the ideas of my colleagues across campus. Once my term expired, I made another proposal to purchase consumables for a small Makerspace I wanted to set up including an entry-level 3D printer, a Cricut, and some robotics devices for teacher candidates to try.

Over the years, I have witnessed some collaborative and innovative proposals as well as some inspired ideas to enhance teaching with modest eFellows funding. Some of these are still active today while others have offered “proofs of concept” in the hope of acquiring other grants based on early successes.

The process for applying has been steadily refined over the years. One of the more helpful advancements has been our regularly scheduled time ahead of the deadline for colleagues to bounce ideas off past committee members or other eFellows. One of my favorite experiences was with a young professor from Geography and Geology, Katherine Ryker, who pitched a few ideas. Her first idea was for a set of Student Response System devices, i.e., clickers. I suppose it was the crestfallen look on my face that prompted her to dig a little deeper and head outside the box . . . far outside the box. Her ultimate winning idea was for a project that would help her to design and build an interactive topographical sandbox from low-cost materials (see the photo). This is literally a sandbox where students could swirl sand about while a projector overlaid a topographic color scheme directly on it. The goal was to enable students to better understand topographic maps and, in one more advanced use, set up erosion scenarios.

This device might have been expensive to purchase as a single unit, but this professor used eFellows funds to find the right software and build the box herself. With insights from committee members, we were able to lower the costs by using a spare laptop and an abandoned “short-throw” projector. The result was an interactive sandbox that came in well under budget and was a great hit in the department.

We have had some exceptionally creative uses of these funds over the years including old projects revived, new projects initiated, and enhancements to existing courses through specialized software. The ultimate hope of the eFellows program is that faculty members will use modest additional funding to enhance their teaching with technology and share their insights with colleagues at a later time. We often remind ourselves before we begin reviewing applications that it is about the teaching, not the tools.

As an eFellows grant recipient, you will be called upon to share your insights with a broader audience. In fact, we often welcome eFellows from previous years to share their projects and insights at the Faculty Development Center’s annual CONNECT Teaching Conference each February.

The simple online application form will be available in about two weeks through EMU's Competition Space with a deadline of late fall. Most applications will be in the range of $3,000 but some who work in teams may get more while others may opt for departmental matches to enhance their projects.

Your colleagues on the committee, a blend of instructors from many departments across campus as well as technical experts, will review your materials and possibly ask some clarifying questions ahead of their review meeting. If approved, you will be given a mentor from the eFellows committee who can help guide you through any of the trickier aspects of purchasing, implementing, or constructing your project.

If you have any early questions, please contact Jeff Bernstein from the Faculty Development Center (jbernstei@emich.edu) or me (mmcvey@emich.edu). This year’s eFellows committee is looking forward to seeing your applications!