Universitat de Barcelona

The specific objectives of the Teaching and Innovation Program can be described in three main groups.

1. The program encourages teaching innovation through financial aid and methodological support for teaching innovation projects. This includes:

- the management and monitoring of calls for improvement and innovation (PID);

- calls for innovation project grants (there were over 120 proposals in the academic year 2009-2010, 80% of which received a positive evaluation) and coordination with the Institute of Education Sciences (ICE), the Area for Information and Communications Technology (ATIC) and other CRAI teaching support services;

- calls for the development of audiovisual material (in collaboration with the UB Audiovisuals Unit);

- calls for Teaching Improvement and Quality (AGAUR) and prioritization of the applications presented by UB teaching staff, in collaboration with UB schools and faculties.

2. The program organizes and brings together UB teaching staff who are involved in teaching improvement by recognizing and consolidating teaching innovation groups. This includes:

- annual calls for the consolidation of innovation groups (currently, approximately 50 consolidated innovation groups work in various areas of knowledge and different UB schools or faculties);

- calls each semester for the recognition of teaching innovation groups (currently, 32 innovation groups are recognized in various areas of knowledge and different UB schools or faculties);

- calls for financial aid for consolidated teaching innovation groups (to cover registration fees and travel expenses for conferences on university teaching and grants to organize such conferences).

3. The program contributes to the dissemination, exchange and extension of teaching improvement and innovation experiences, through the PMID webpage and activities designed to help the University community share their experiences. This includes:

- meetings between the innovation groups, the heads of departments and the academic vice-deans of schools and faculties to present and coordinate the program and to explain how improvement and innovation support is carried out at the UB.

The Teaching Improvement and Innovation Program is managed by the UB Vice-Rector for Teaching and European Convergence and receives support from the CRAI Research and Innovation Unit and the CRAI Support for Teaching Unit.