www.fdi.vt.edu/fdi
Faculty Development
Institute
Creating an Advanced
Learning Community
Context for Change - 1992
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Increasing calls for more emphasis on
undergraduate education
Aging mainframe environment
Adoption of IT “stuck”
Series of large state budget cuts
University Restructuring Plan cited
investing in faculty development and
instructional technology
Virginia Tech’s Response:
Instructional Development
Initiative
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Faculty Development Institute
Student Access to Computing
Facilities Enhancement
Course Development
Continuing Investments in
Teaching and Learning
Resources
Students
Infrastructure
Faculty
Curriculum
(Parallel Change)
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Many university functions must
actively collaborate on shared goal
Information Systems moves to
networked personal computing vision
 Provide
the means to shift away from centrist,
mainframe-oriented thinking
Faculty Development Institute
Faculty Development Institute
Provide knowledge, skills and time
to use instructional technology
effectively
FDI Status Report
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First four-year cycle completed in
1997:
 1425
participants, 80 workshops
 FDI ‘97: 12,000 staff hours
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Second FDI cycle started this summer:
 400
faculty attending 27 workshops
FDI Aims for All
University Faculty
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Provide time and resources to
rethink options for T&L
Participate every four years to
update knowledge, skills, and
technology
Provide a computer, software and
network connection to each faculty
Provide supportive infrastructure
Workshop Evolution
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Selection of faculty done by colleges,
not Information Systems
Initially focused on faculty teaching
Core curriculum courses
1993 content:
 E-mail,
word processing
 Internet (Gopher)
 Presentations: scanning, PowerPoint
 CAI: Authorware, HyperCard
 Mathematica, Daedalus, Perseus
Workshop Evolution (2)
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1993-96 -- Discipline-related groups
 Stressed
curriculum-focused mission of FDI
 Homogeneous backgrounds
 Diverging entry skills & interests
 Partially customized content for each group
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1997-98 -- Track-selected groups
 Heterogeneous
backgrounds
 Closer match to entry skills & interests
 Multiple tracks for increasing divergence
 Faculty help teach workshops
FDI ’97 Tracks
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Basic Computing Skills
Computer-based Classroom
Presentations
Developing a Network-Interactive
Course
FDI ‘98 Tracks
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New Faculty Technology Orientation
Basic Computing Skills
Using MS Office for Basic Web Authoring
Building and Managing Interactive On-line
Courses
Developing and Teaching Distance and
Distributed Learning Courses
Designing Learning Environments -Instructional Strategies
Creating Multimedia and Digital Content
Current Workshop Design
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Multiple content
tracks, 2 - 4 days
Project oriented
Faculty presenters
Lab helpers/tutors
Frequent feedback
Follow-up sessions
Recap: FDI Focus
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Faculty driven, curriculum centered
Emphasize instructional changes
enabled by technology, not technology
alone
Give faculty time to rethink courses
Recurring university investment in
faculty, teaching and learning
IDI #2: Student Access
>1000 computers in
13 labs/classrooms
 Access for all
students to powerful
computers
 Access to disciplinerelated specialized
software
 Freshman computer
requirement Fall ‘98
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IDI #3: Facilities Enhancements
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Simplify use of technology in
classrooms by installing computer
presentation systems
Continuing campus network upgrades
Servers
Blacksburg Electronic Village
12 distance learning classrooms
Net.Work.Virginia
IDI #4: Course Development
x
Commercial Courseware
Perseus
Presentation Software
Replication of Herpes
Simplex Virus
Cytoplasmic
membrane of
host cell
Cytoplasm of
host cell
Adsorption
and fusion
with
cytoplasmic
membrane
for
penetration
Uncoating
of DNA
Nuclear
membrane
Viral DNA
RNA
Enzymes
Viral
DNA
Early protein
synthesis
RNA
Assembly
Enveloped by
nuclear
membrane
Capsid
proteins
Envelope
proteins
Mature virus released
from cell
Late protein
synthesis
Cyberschool
www.cyber.vt.edu
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Faculty sharing enthusiasm,
insights, experiences, problems,
techniques
Collective advocacy with
Administration - critical
Credible voice to peers
Instrumental in illuminating the
potentials and the challenges
Faculty Support
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Educational Technologies
Decentralizing support staff, to
departments & buildings
Center for Innovation in Learning
Center for Excellence in University
Teaching
New Media Center
NetBasics workshops for students
What We Have Learned
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Build and reinforce top-level
endorsement, advocacy and
commitment
Stay focused on curricula and the
needs and accomplishments of faculty
and students, not technology
Assess outcomes and encourage dialog
What We Have Learned
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Faculty are committed to learning
how to use technology effectively
to improve teaching and enhance
learning
Considerable latent enthusiasm
unleashed
Student enthusiasm motivates
faculty effort
More Information
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Instructional Development
Initiative:
www.edtech.vt.edu/ idi/
Cyberschool:
www.cyber.vt.edu
E-mail:
John.Moore@vt.edu