This summer-only track will familiarize faculty with tablet computing in instructional environments. Topics will include an exploration of the built in tablet/ink features within the Microsoft Office suite, the Tablet PC version of the Windows operating system, PDF Annotator, and a Tablet PC hardware overview. A variety of interactive, classroom-based software will also be explored, including Microsoft OneNote and DyKnow. Faculty currently using and teaching with Tablet PCs will be integral to the delivery of this track to ensure that technical skills are coupled with informed pedagogical practice. Faculty who select a Tablet PC as their computer of choice will find this track to be of exceptional value. Sessions will alternate between hands-on and faculty-led discussion.

The summer iteration of this track will be project based and provide a broad overview of how the web can be utilized to enhance traditional course activities. This track is intended for faculty who are new to or have some experience utilizing Blackboard or Scholar for teaching; however, instructional use of either is not a pre-requisite. Exemplary Scholar course environments will be examined, interactive teaching methods will be discussed, and best practices regarding the use of Scholar and other tools will be provided. Faculty will gain in-depth, hands-on experience with Scholar’s collaborative communication tools (blogs, wikis, podcasting, and more), customizable tests and quizzes, assignments and feedback, ePortfolios, and other capabilities. Scholar’s gradebook, in conjunction with Microsoft Excel, will also be explored. This track will be structured so that those wishing to move their materials and quizzes from Blackboard to Scholar will have time, as well as one-on-one assistance, to do so. In addition to Scholar, participants will learn how to use Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Photoshop Elements to create high quality web documents that can be uploaded into Scholar. Further, select emerging technologies and instructional strategies will also be discussed which complement or extend the capabilities of Scholar.

Description and details for Spring Track C are located here.

The summer iteration of this track is intended for the faculty member who is already using various technologies in his/her courses and would like to explore the latest tools, strategies, and methodologies that will enhance and extend his/her current practice. Topics will range from the theoretical (social networking, collaboration, student culture and technology, learner-centered pedagogy, and more) to the practical (Scholar, ePortfolio, concept mapping, podcasting, data mashups, digital storytelling, community tagging, and more). Given the emergent nature of Web 2.0 applications, it is likely that the summer iteration of this track will cover some topics that are not yet visible on the horizon; however, participants can expect to learn a number of Web 2.0 applications, including Second Life, Ning, Jing, NetVibes, and more. Additionally, in early 2009, Educause and the New Media Consortium will publish its latest prognostications regarding emerging technologies and higher education, and those forecasts will also shape the direction of this track. Hands-on experiences with emerging technologies, as well as opportunities for discussion concerning the functionality and pedagogical applicability of these tools, will be hallmarks of this track. Faculty speakers will also be a key element, ensuring that technical skills are coupled with informed pedagogical practice.

Description and details for Spring Track D are located here.

This summer-only track, led by FDI and an interdisciplinary cohort of faculty from computer science, accounting information systems, business information technology, and English who comprise the LIKES (Living In the KnowlEdge Society) project team at Virginia Tech, will take participants through a survey of current and emerging instructional technologies that provide the best context for fostering computational thinking. Computational thinking is a 21st-century skill that uses abstraction and decomposition when attacking a large complex task or designing a large complex system. In many ways, computational thinking is a systematic and scientific way of approaching the world (in truth, a type of scholarship or scientific reasoning) and provides a method of interdisciplinary synthesis in problem solving environments. This track seeks to provide instructional strategies and tools, as well as 1-on-1 help by members of the LIKES team, which will enable faculty to foster these skills in their students. These skills are best learned in context. Examples of this include students who work with interactive simulations in a science class, build a virtual environment for history or architecture, construct hyperbases in English, or become skilled with GIS software in Geography. This track will help faculty design similar projects within their courses. Participants can expect to learn how to find and adapt high quality educational resources from the National Science Digital Library or other repositories; adapt “Web 2.0” or other social networking software systems for classes; use Second Life, a 3-D environment supporting collaboration, simulation, visualization, and interaction; and enhance courses in the Curriculum for Liberal Education (CLE) so they are “LIKES designated”, making them eligible for those interested in the LIKES CLE pathway. For those wishing to learn more about computational thinking or LIKES, please visit http://www.livingknowledgesociety.org.

This track will focus on distance learning best practices and online course development tools. Participants will have the opportunity to use a wide variety of instructional tools and course development software, while examining strategy, pedagogy, and best practice exemplars. Topics will include creating online lectures, creating multimedia presentations, research analysis, and effective course evaluation. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to meet with distance learning faculty of varying levels from a variety of disciplines. Those that complete this track will also receive the new “Online Instructor” certification.

Description and details for Spring Track F are located here.

Description and details for Spring Track G are located here.

This project-based, summer-only track, a collaboration between the Office of Academic Assessment, the Faculty Development Institute, and ePortfolio Initiatives, will enable faculty to plan and make progress toward the goal of programmatic assessment. Team participation is encouraged, as a core outcome of this track is that participants will make significant progress in their assessment and/or ePortfolio planning and implementation efforts. Leaders from the aforementioned offices will facilitate this track and provide instruction, consultation as well as time to focus on assessing student learning outcomes in support of university and accreditation requirements for degree-granting programs. Participants will be provided the context for outcomes assessment at Virginia Tech, learn how to identify and write learning outcomes statements, develop rubrics for assessment of these outcomes, discover innovative ways to measure learning outcomes through student assignments already in place, and determine ways to improve programs based on the analysis of these program assessments. Emphasis will be placed upon using ePortfolios as a collection tool and how ePortfolios can be used for other complimentary departmental and/or curricular purposes, such as fostering reflection, curricular synthesis, and student career development. Those wishing to implement ePortfolios will have the opportunity within this track to work with the ePortfolio Initiatives team to begin planning for implementation. Participants will also be able to learn more about the latest version of WEAVEonline, an electronic assessment management system, now being used on campus.

This track will only be offered in Northern Virginia at the Northern Virginia Campus in Falls Church. This track will provide a broad overview of how the web can be utilized to enhance traditional course activities and extend distance learning practices. Scholar, Virginia Tech’s new collaboration and learning environment, will be a key component of this track. Given the emergent nature of Web 2.0 applications, it is likely that this track will cover some topics that are not yet visible on the horizon; however, participants can expect to learn about Tablet PCs, podcasting, clickers, Second Life, and more. Discussion with a focus on best practices of teaching with technology, often at a distance, will be hallmarks of this track.

This summer-only track, a collaboration between FDI, the Center for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (CEUT), and the Graduate Education Development Institute (GEDI), will focus upon strategies and practices that have proven to increase students’ engagement and success throughout their post-secondary academic careers. Participants can expect to receive a packet of readings several weeks prior to this track that will provide background and a foundation for the forthcoming discussion and activities. Learner-centered curriculum design that fosters learning while instilling a sense of community will be a key area of focus. Applications of technology that support this development and engagement will be highlighted in practice. Participants can expect to leave this track equipped with strategies, tools, and a community of colleagues that will support their development of instructional practices designed for 21st century learners. Faculty and staff from FDI, CEUT, and GEDI as well as key faculty from a variety of disciplines around Virginia Tech and beyond will facilitate track activities.

Description and details for Spring Track L are located here.

Description and details for Spring Track M are located here.

Description and details for Spring Track N are located here.