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Call For Nominations

The W.S. ‘Pete’ White Innovation in Engineering Education Award

For Exceptional Contribution to Courseware Development and Transformation

Background

With the establishment of this award by the Dean in 2003, Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering aims to recognize faculty who excel in the development of courses that incorporate both technological and pedagogical innovation. This may include fully online courses or courses designed to incorporate aspects of technology. Its mission is to honor faculty who provide new and, creative ways to enhance student learning.

Award

In recognition of the outstanding contributions to engineering education that faculty are making as they develop learning experiences using technology, the college has established an annual award. This recognition, entitled The W.S. ‘Pete’ White Innovation in Engineering Education Award will celebrate and illustrate innovative approaches to teaching using technology. The White Award carries with it a cash award, a plaque, and the engraving of the awardee’s name on a commemorative plaque displayed permanently in the Dean’s Office. Honorees will also be asked to present their award-­‐winning work on appropriate occasions.

Nominations

To accomplish this, the college invites nominations of faculty who have made outstanding contributions in course development. Nominees’ works should illustrate one or more of the following student-­‐oriented outcomes which might have occurred on campus, in extended campus settings, in credit and non-­‐credit courses:

  • active learning
  • interactive communication
  • more self-­‐directed learning
  • unique use of technology integrated with content
  • electronic access to course material and supplemental resources
  • electronic access to collaborative learning experiences

Judging Criteria

The innovation can be for undergraduate, graduate, or continuing education learning experiences.

The potential of the recipient to enhance and extend the innovative approach including replication of the innovation in other academic settings and transferability of the innovation.

The impact of the recipient’s innovation on professional practitioners of engineering and science.

Impact on students and number of students affected by this innovation.

Peer recognition of the effectiveness of the new teaching approach along with student evaluation.

Format

Nominations should include the following information:

Title Page

  • Name of faculty
  • Name of course or courseware
  • Development date(s)
  • When and where course or learning module was/is offered
  • Number of students served
  • Names of off-­‐campus collaborators or other teaching resources/experts used to develop and teach course or module
  • One paragraph abstract of course/module described in nomination

Narrative

  • What instructional challenge did this innovation set out to meet?
  • Why was a particular approach used?
  • What was accomplished?
  • What were the assessment results?

Self-­Assessment

  • What were the good characteristics of the innovative approach used? Please describe briefly, and in a section separate from the narrative, the ways in which your project meets the objectives.

Materials

  • URL
  • Supporting materials in various media, as appropriate

Faculty should prepare information for submission with a cover letter of nomination from the appropriate department head or curriculum committee or program committee. Nomination submissions should be no longer than 3 pages in length. The cover letter and title page are not included in the 3 page limit.

Timeline

Award Event: Dean’s Faculty Reception in the Spring More information contact: Linda Perkins