FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2009
Media Contact: Michael Corby 904.632.3310

Florida State College Project DELTA: $728,000 federal grant will deliver education with low-cost alternatives to textbooks
Twenty-first century teaching leads to 21st century knowledge and skills

A $728,112 U.S. Department of Education grant awarded to Florida State College at Jacksonville will help adult learners and displaced workers complete college degrees and re-enter the workforce with skills and knowledge for the 21st century. The grant, from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), was awarded in a special-focus competition for community colleges seeking innovative ways to provide education to those targeted learners and workers.

A major element of the three-year grant is the innovative delivery of education with low-cost access to degrees and certifications. The program courses will be taught through Florida State College’s unique teaching-and-learning strategy SIRIUS, which offers creative, interactive instruction and inexpensive alternatives to costly textbooks.

Instead of textbooks, students use college-provided instructional materials supported by classroom instruction, online learning or a combination of both. Current courses include basic math, English and psychology; those in development include effective study methods for adults returning to school, to make the transition even easier. Some new courses will use artificial intelligence (AI) to help these students earn college degrees and lead to higher paying jobs. Best part: the instructional and learning materials will cost less than $50 for most courses, a fraction of what textbooks usually cost. Students also get online career counseling and support services.

Known as Project DELTA (Disseminating Effective Learning Through Automation), the grant-funded project also provides training to community college faculty in interactive course delivery, increasing the educational opportunities for adults. The project will begin in January 2010. Florida State College is leader on the project in cooperation with George Mason University, Iowa State University the National Alliance of Community and Technical Colleges (NACTC) and a consortium of community colleges across the nation.

The FIPSE grant is part of $11.25 million in grant money designated for 29 projects in only 20 states. For more information about Project DELTA e-mail Dr. Jack Chambers, Executive Director of Organizational Learning Services at Florida State College or call 904.632.3231.