USC faculty are invited to apply for a 2024 USC iPodia Faculty Fellowship, sponsored by the Office of Academic Programs and managed by the Viterbi iPodia Program.
The Viterbi iPodia Program aims to expand “eLearning” to “iLearning,” where “i” stands for interactive peer-learning. iPodia classes are taught in a state-of-the-art hybrid classroom built through partnership with Microsoft on USC’s campus. During the past decade, the Viterbi School has offered many joint iPodia courses to enable USC students to study alongside classmates from universities in 16 countries across five continents as part of the global iPodia Alliance . iPodia’s “classrooms-without-borders” platform and the pedagogy of “learning-through-diversity” allows students to gain multicultural competencies, broaden world perspectives, and engage in meaningful collaboration to address significant global challenges.
In 2023, the Office of Academic Programs established the USC iPodia Faculty Fellowship to encourage faculty from across the USC’s spectrum of disciplines to utilize iPodia’s platform and approach. The inaugural cohort of iPodia Faculty Fellows are currently teaching an array of new iPodia courses on topics from the cultural aspects of astronomy to comparative sustainability practices, and from digital marketing to global acting, alongside partners from Africa, Asia, Europe, and India.
The USC iPodia Faculty Fellowship program invites all faculty interested in delivering their existing courses (or creating new ones) in collaboration with international partner schools to apply. Course subjects that explore any aspect of culture, media, literature, policies, social structures, health, legal, regulatory and/or ethical systems from a comparative perspective are especially encouraged.
Successful applicants will receive:
- A stipend of $3,000
- The official “USC iPodia Faculty Fellow” designation
- Support from the Viterbi iPodia Program office in
- pedagogical and platform assistance in converting courses
- seeking, forming, and solidifying partner schools
- course delivery in the new iPodia classroom
- Training and certification opportunities from Microsoft
- A membership in the iPodia Faculty Fellows community of educational innovators.
Selection Criteria: All full-time instructional staff are eligible to apply. A maximum of five (5) USC iPodia Faculty Fellows will be selected for the 2024 USC iPodia Faculty Fellows based on the following criteria:
- Suitability of the proposed class subject and how the “learning-together-across-borders” concept will enhance the student experience and learning outcomes;
- Demonstrated interest in pedagogical innovation, including the adoption of new educational technologies, along with an appreciation for diversity, equity, and a commitment to inclusive practices;
- Potential to improve iPodia pedagogy, add value to the iPodia Faculty Fellows community of practice, and contribute to USC’s global learning impacts.
Application Process: Faculty who are interested in applying for a 2024 USC iPodia Faculty Fellowship should submit an application package to the iPodia Program Office at ipodia@usc.edu by November 15, 2023.
Applications should include:
- A syllabus of the existing (or new) course being proposed.
- A current CV.
- A statement of interest (maximum 500 words) addressing the criteria above and identifying 1-3 “potential” partner schools for jointly delivering their class.
Selection will be made by a committee by December 15, 2023. Selected 2024 USC iPodia Faculty Fellows will be expected to teach their courses in Fall 2024.
An online information session will be held on Friday, October 20, 2023, at 2 pm at the following link: tinyurl.com/ipodiafellowsinfo . The info session will be recorded and made available on the iPodia website thereafter.
For further questions, please contact the Viterbi iPodia Program Office at ipodia@usc.edu.