What is CILASS?
CILASS = Centre for Inquiry-based Learning in the Arts and Social Sciences
In January 2005, The University of Sheffield was awarded £4.5 million by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) in recognition of excellence in teaching.
The funding was used to establish a new department within the university - CILASS, which is one of 74 Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning ( CETL), in the UK.
CILASS' mission it is to develop and promote Inquiry-based Learning both within the university, impacting upon 10,000 students by 2010, and across the UK in conjunction with other Higher Education institutes.
Put simply, CILASS provides funding and support for departments wishing to develop the use of Inquiry-Based Learning. You can find out what projects CILASS is supporting in your department here.
How does CILASS work?
Following its establishment in 2005, CILASS assisted departments in the Arts and Social Sciences in creating projects that put collaborative, inquiry-based learning at the heart of learning and teaching. These projects could be new modules, existing modules enhanced with IBL techniques, or the creation of entire frameworks that impacted upon the whole curriculum. CILASS then provided these departments with funding and expert support to help bring the projects to fruition.In addition to providing ongoing support for established projects, CILASS offers funding for new IBL projects through its grant schemes.
Diagram: You and CILASS
