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Faculty Innovation Groups


About the Initiative

The Faculty Innovation Groups initiative at Virginia Tech is facilitated by the Office of the Executive Vice Provost, with collaboration from the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) and the Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies (TLOS). Using a Community of Practice (CoP) framework, this initiative is designed to engage faculty and other personnel engaged with instruction (e.g., staff, instructors, and graduate students) in a series of phased explorations into technological and pedagogical innovations that may directly impact student learning and teaching at Virginia Tech.

The first cohort began in the summer of 2023, focusing on developing a community of practice around select emerging instructional technologies. After a year of exploration and pilot projects during the AY 2023-2024 (Phase II), most of these groups have advanced to Phase III in the 2024-2025 academic year, scaling their initiatives across the university and enhancing their impact on student learning and instructional effectiveness. A second cohort was launched in the summer of 2024, currently in Phase II for the AY 2024-2025, continuing to explore and pilot innovative pedagogical and faculty development interventions.

Through this structured multi-phase approach, the initiative not only fosters a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement but also ensures that the university remains at the forefront of proactive engagement, positioning Virginia Tech as a leader in educational innovation.

 

Meet the Groups

Summer 2023 cohort

Digital Assessment

The Digital Assessment Group developed and piloted a digital tool that can provide real-time insights into student performance by mapping specific learning objectives, moving beyond traditional grading to offer a more detailed view of student progress. Engaging faculty and administrators across Virginia Tech, the group gathered input to refine the tool and build institutional support.

Now in Phase III, the group is partnering with TLOS to implement and scale their digital assessment tool within existing platforms like Canvas. By supporting early-adopter faculty and collecting feedback, they are refining the tool to address broader assessment needs across diverse courses and disciplines. The team is also sharing their findings at national conferences to gather insights from the wider higher education community.

Contact:
Bob Edmison
Collegiate associate professor of computer science
Online teaching and learning coordinator
bedmison@vt.edu

 

Digital Credentials

The Digital Credentials group explored digital badging systems, identifying best practices and key stakeholders. The group is continuing its work on establishing a comprehensive digital badging system, aiming to standardize and expand its utility across Virginia Tech. Building on research and initial stakeholder engagement, the group is focusing on aligning digital badging initiatives with VT’s broader educational goals. They plan to further integrate digital credentialing by creating a taxonomy of skills and achievements, ensuring that the digital badges have consistent, recognizable value across different departments and for external stakeholders such as employers.

Contact:
Marc Zaldivar
Director of PDN Curriculum and Assessment
Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies (TLOS)
mzaldiva@vt.edu

 

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

The UDL group centers its efforts on integrating Universal Design for Learning principles across Virginia Tech to create inclusive, accessible learning environments. Through workshops, presentations, and a peer-mentoring model, they engaged faculty to adopt UDL practices in course design, reaching hundreds of instructors and graduate students.

In Phase III, the UDL group is expanding UDL practice among faculty, graduate students, and administrators through targeted workshops and professional learning events. They are systematically evaluating the impact of UDL initiatives on teaching quality, with a focus on STEM courses, and exploring the effectiveness of a UDL-based peer observation model. To foster sustained UDL integration, they are formalizing a UDL Community of Practice for ongoing support and best practice sharing across campus.

Contact:
Pearl Xie
Director of Universal Design for Learning and Accessibility Services
Technology-Enhanced Learning and Online Strategies
xiejr@vt.edu

 

Virtual Exchange and Study Abroad (VESA)

The Virtual Exchange and Study Abroad (VESA) group focused on overcoming logistical and technological barriers to virtual exchanges. Through needs assessments and collaboration with the Global Education Office, they deployed VESA kits to enhance study abroad experiences, allowing for greater accessibility and interactive learning, even for students who cannot travel.

In Phase III, the group is piloting VESA technologies in semester-long study abroad programs, completing the development of multiple VESA kits with specialized add-ons. They are building faculty resources, including a Canvas training module to support the integration of VESA tools and ethical community engagement in global programs. Additionally, the group is preparing a survey paper on global technology trends in study abroad and creating a check-out system for kits in collaboration with TLOS and University Libraries.

Contact:
Mohammed Seyam
Collegiate Associate Professor &
Experiential learning coordinator
Department of Computer Science
seyam@vt.edu

 

XR in Education

The XR in Education group conducted extensive outreach, gathering insights through surveys, focus groups, and subject-matter expert interviews. This helped them assess the current state and interest in XR technologies and identify barriers such as resource constraints and the need for university-wide support, laying the groundwork for XR’s broader integration at Virginia Tech.

As part of the Phase III activities, the team is collaborating with VictoryXR to develop and evaluate an experimental XR module for Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) training, comparing its effectiveness with traditional methods. They are also expanding their support network by launching professional development sessions and maintaining a faculty/staff XR listserv and repository, providing access to case studies, best practices, and relevant XR literature.

Contact:
Rafael Patrick
Assistant Professor
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
rncp@vt.edu

 

Summer 2024 cohort

Enhancing Support Structures for Adjunct Professors

The Enhancing Support Structures for Adjunct Professors group is working to enhance teaching practices among adjunct faculty at Virginia Tech. They are developing a structured, asynchronous online teaching certificate program with 6-8 modules, covering essential topics like course design, teaching strategies, and university resources to foster student-centered learning. To support this initiative, they are also forming a review committee of stakeholders, investigating existing mentorship programs, and creating resources for a mentorship structure tailored to new adjuncts.

Contact:
Hannah Harris
Associate Director for Professional Development
Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
hannahh23@vt.edu

 

Authentic Assessment

The Authentic Assessment group aims to support effective and meaningful assessment practices at Virginia Tech. They are planning to conduct a survey to understand how "authentic assessment" is currently defined and practiced by instructional faculty and identify challenges in its integration. Additionally, they are reviewing resources from peer institutions to create a toolkit on authentic assessment, participating in professional workshops and conferences, and collaborating with the PBL Institute and CETL to arrange workshops that focus on problem-based and project-based learning approaches.

Contact:
Stephanie (Nikki) Lewis
Collegiate Assistant Professor in the Honors College
snl@vt.edu

 

Virtual Global Collaboration (VGC)

The Virtual Global Collaboration (VGC) group is enhancing Virginia Tech’s engagement with Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) and global learning through two key initiatives. Experienced VGC/COIL Mentors will collaborate with the Global Education Office, CETL, and TLOS to support a new faculty cohort in designing and implementing VGC/COIL projects, creating a course-level roadmap, facilitating development sessions, and contributing to an informational video on COIL integration. Meanwhile, the Global Learning in the Classroom Working Group will guide faculty in embedding global learning beyond COIL, developing resources on global educator development and intercultural learning, and co-facilitating spring workshops. Both groups aim to provide essential resources and support systems to enhance faculty engagement in global education.

Contact:
Tiffany Shoop
Director of Special Programs
Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
tshoop@vt.edu

 

Community and Belonging

The Community and Belonging group is focused on fostering a sense of belonging and inclusivity among students and faculty. Their efforts include conducting a literature review on community and belonging in higher education and gathering qualitative data from First-Year Experience (FYE) classes. They are also conducting focus groups with experienced students, gathering insights from academic advisors, and engaging in professional development activities. Additionally, they are compiling a toolbox of engagement activities, developing a strategy for instructor outreach, and producing micro-learning videos to promote community-building practices.

Contact:
Michele Deramo
Associate Vice Provost of Diversity Education & Engagement
Office for Inclusion and Diversity (OID)
Deramo@vt.edu