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FDI
Background
Since its inception in 1993, the Virginia Tech Faculty Development Institute
(FDI) has been the most visible component of the four-part, university-wide
Instructional Development Initiative (IDI). IDI provides a systematic
approach to the effective integration of current trends and technologies
into teaching, learning, and research at Virginia Tech. The FDI component
centers on teaching faculty how to effectively and efficiently integrate
technology into their teaching and research activities. This integration
includes the following approaches: rethinking faculty teaching methods
and goals, exploring the potential of specific instructional technology
and research applications, and investigating strategies to improve the
effectiveness of current teaching and research practices.
FDI
Goals
The main goal of FDI is to enable the integration of new technologies
into teaching and research by providing training, support, and resources
to faculty. Although FDI provides a great deal of skills training for
critical computer hardware and software, the FDI program is not designed
to be a mastery-based teaching model. Rather, it is designed to be a
program that provides general and targeted information to let each faculty
member decide which specific training will meet their specific needs.
Support is readily available for faculty to move beyond the basic levels
whenever appropriate. FDI provides faculty access to the rich set of
resources that are available at Virginia Tech, so they may take full
advantage of current technologies available for teaching and research.
FDI
Four-Year Cycle
In creating the faculty development model at Virginia Tech, it was important
that all faculty be provided with direct access to technology and the
training to use it. It was also important that the technology needed
to be upgraded on an ongoing basis so the faculty would always have
up-to-date tools. The decision was made to work on a four-year cycle
where a quarter of the faculty would receive new computers with software
and special training each summer. Currently, the FDI program consists
of the following benefits to faculty:
- A variety of three-day
workshops are available.
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Each faculty participant receives a new computer every four years.
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Computers are sent to faculty with the current Operating System and
the latest version of several software programs incuding the following:
Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, Macromedia Dreamweaver, and several
utilities.
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Ongoing support through several computing resources including the
New Media Center.
FDI
Year-Round Training
FDI is a continuously evolving program that provides a very fluid approach
to understanding technology through systematic approaches based on instructional
design. Through this approach, the Institute assists faculty in keeping
pace with emerging and evolving technologies related to teaching and
learning in their disciplines. Currently, FDI provides a year-round
(continuous) integrated approach to addressing faculty technology needs.
Throughout the academic year, all faculty members (and staff) have the
opportunity to attend over 60 two-hour short courses that address a
multitude of technology issues at various skill levels. By taking a
systematic series of short courses tailored to fit individual needs,
a faculty member can develop basic understanding of technology issues
or gain a set of desired skills.
There
are also a series of short but intensive short courses (known as Blitz
Week) the week prior to the beginning of the spring and fall semesters.
Blitz Week is designed to provide quick and direct assistance for faculty
preparing for the upcoming semester's classes. The chart below is a
representation of the five aspects of FDI's year-round training.
FDI
Year-Round Program |
| Spring
Blitz Week (January - week before classes) |
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The Spring Blitz Week is designed to provide timely assistance to
faculty that need to get a quick start in preparing web-based materials
for their spring classes. |
| Spring
Short Courses (February/March - with integrated tracks) |
| Over 80
Short Courses are offered every spring to faculty, staff and graduate
students. These short courses cover technology topics in teaching
and learning, research, communications, and productivity. Staff
and graduate students are welcome to participate in these courses,
especially if they are providing assistance in support of faculty
teaching and research activities.
Several new
or specialized short courses are typically offered in the spring
to support the Summer Workshop Tracks. Several Summer Tracks are
integrated into the spring short courses to provide flexibilty
to faculty that typically travel or do intensive research in the
summer and need to receive their training to receive their FDI
computer. |
| Summer
Workshop Tracks (May/August - selected faculty that receive
computers) |
| Multiple offerings
of over ten tracks (with unique content) are available each summer.
Each of the Summer Tracks provides a specific focus on teaching
and learning, research, or a discipline specific computer application. |
| Fall
Blitz Week (August - week before classes) |
| The Fall Blitz
Week is designed to provide timely assistance to faculty that need
to get a quick start in preparing web-based materials for their
spring classes. |
| Fall
Short Courses |
| Over
60 Short Courses are offered every fall to faculty, staff and
graduate students. These short courses cover technology topics
in teaching and learning, research, communications, and productivity.
Staff and graduate students are welcome to participate in these
courses, especially if they are providing assistance in support
of faculty teaching and research activities.
Several new
or specialized short courses are typically offered in the fall
to provide follow-up to activities in the Summer Workshop Tracks. |
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