About
OUR MISSION
Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies improves student learning by fostering digital fluency, partnering with faculty to design and develop successful digital learning experiences, and providing technology-enhanced environments for flexible and online learning. In each of these endeavors, TLOS provides essential support, strives for inclusivity, and actively pursues opportunities for innovation.
OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES
- Everything we do is designed to improve learning.
- We seek to understand and balance faculty and student needs, institutional priorities, and emerging approaches in the field of learning technologies.
- We firmly believe that everyone can learn and thrive in technology-rich environments.
- We inspire individuals to reach that potential by connecting them with the tools, services, and collaborators that will help them succeed through integrating technology and evidence based practices.
- We work to make our programs and services as flexible and individualized as possible.
- In the spirit of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), we support activities and events that advance the mission of the university.
- We value and apply Virginia Tech’s “Principles of Community” in all we do.
- We measure our work, use a data-informed approach, and hold ourselves accountable.
HOW WE HELP
We approach our mission primarily in four ways:
Faculty Digital Fluency
All Virginia Tech community members need the confidence and knowledge to thrive in ever-changing technology-rich learning environments. We help individuals increase their competence with technology by offering and facilitating professional development opportunities.
Instructional Design
Our teams work with instructional faculty, campus partners, and academic leadership to develop and redesign individual courses and entire curricula to adopt best practices for technology-enhanced instruction and take full advantage of contemporary technologies. We support faculty and partners in their ownership of curricular decisions and their responsibility for peer evaluation of online courses.
Technology-enhanced Learning Environments
We collaborate with Classroom Audio Visual Services and the Division of IT to assess and enhance physical and digital learning spaces. We also partner with faculty to evaluate and reimagine their classrooms, online course sites, and other digital environments that support instruction, including the support of virtual and physical computer labs.
Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning
We strive to provide high quality learning experiences and promote inclusive and accessible modern learning environments. We actively promote the principles of Universal Design for Learning to foster a culture of inclusivity and equitable opportunity for all learners. We welcome and invite everyone in our university community to join us in this important work.
OUR ORGANIZATION
Executive Leadership
Our Executive Leadership team directs the activities and initiatives of all groups within TLOS.
Dale D. Pike
Associate Vice Provost for Technology-Enhanced Learning
dalepike@vt.edu
540-231-7108
Quinn Warnick
Assistant Vice Provost for Technology-Enhanced Learning
qwarnick@vt.edu
540-231-8321
OUR HISTORY
Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies was created in 2013 as a result of the redesign and restructuring of Virginia Tech’s award-winning entities previously known as Learning Technologies and the Institute for Distance and Distributed Learning. Dale D. Pike assumed leadership of TLOS as its first executive director in 2014.
During the following years, TLOS led major initiatives to replace the university’s learning management system, modernize platforms for video streaming and storage, strengthen faculty grant offerings for online and hybrid instruction, and explore emerging practices including learning data analytics and adaptive learning. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed TLOS into a greatly expanded role of supporting all instructional faculty in their use of digital learning tools and methodologies.
In early 2022, a Flexible/Online Learning Working Group, co-chaired by Pike and Vice Provost for Undergraduate Academic Affairs Rachel Holloway, was charged by Provost Cyril Clarke with assessing the current state of online and distance learning at Virginia Tech and recommending actions to advance the university’s strategic plans. The working group’s visioning process led to a reorganization and realignment of TLOS as a unit in the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, with Pike promoted to the role of Associate Vice Provost for Technology-Enhanced Learning.
TLOS serves the Virginia Tech community by partnering with colleges and departments to develop effective digital learning experiences, providing professional development opportunities for all instructional faculty, designing cutting-edge learning environments, and fostering a culture of accessibility and universal design for learning. In each of these areas, TLOS furnishes support and documentation for foundational technologies, while also exploring, evaluating, and piloting emerging technologies.
WANT TO TALK?
Contact us now to discuss how we can better serve your instructional technology needs or to discuss how our
partnership opportunities may fit well with your innovative ideas.