Computer Refresh Program
TLOS PDN partners with the university’s colleges to provide full-time teaching faculty with new computers every four years. Each year, colleges are allocated a certain number of computers based on university census data and anticipated growth or attrition. Each college selects eligible faculty to participate in the program.
Faculty must earn 12 professional development credits PLUS 2 additional required courses — Cyber Security and the TLOS Digital Learning Essentials (available on fall Reading Day 2023) — as Computer Refresh participants to receive a computer. The credits from any PDN training in the past 4 years will count towards the Computer Refresh total. After receiving a new computer, credits are reset and you may start earning credits toward your next computer.
How to Earn 12 Credits
- Select any combination of workshops offered throughout the year.
- Implement a teaching tool or strategy with consultation and select related offerings for a total of 1 – 12 credits.
TLOS PDN Participants
New faculty are selected for the program each year and notified by email. The 12 credit PLUS 2 additional required courses — Cyber Security and the TLOS Digital Learning Essentials (available on fall Reading Day 2023) — requirement should be fulfilled by the end of Summer II of your participation year in order to qualify for a new computer. To view your earned credits, log onto the enrollment system with your VT PID and passphrase. Select your name, which appears in the top right corner of the page, then select “Student Dashboard.” Credits earned are listed in the completed section as well as the PDF Transcript.
FAQ
Full-time teaching faculty are eligible. Colleges and departments select faculty to participate in the program. TLOS PDN does not make selections.
Teaching faculty, including tenure track, administrative professionals, and instructors, are eligible to receive a new computer through PDN every four years. Each year, colleges and departments select the individuals who will be participating. In order to receive a computer, faculty must have 12 earned transcript credits PLUS 2 additional required courses — Cyber Security and the TLOS Digital Learning Essentials (available on fall Reading Day 2023) — before the end of the year of program eligibility. Only colleges and department heads have the authority to select which individuals are eligible to participate in any computer refresh cycle. You are expected to earn your 12 credits plus the two additional courses before the end of Summer II during the year of your cycle. Any credits that you currently have will count towards the requirement.
The program is designed to accommodate faculty every four years. When you complete the program and receive your computer, your transcript resets and you may begin earning credits toward your next PDN computer refresh.
In order to have the most flexibility and availability of sessions and programs, we recommend you enroll as soon as enrollment is open to you. Sessions fill up quickly.
Information about the new computer models and the selection process will be sent to participants in the fall. Each year on fall semester Reading Day (typically the first Thursday of December), we host a Computer Showcase to allow participants the opportunity to review models and ask vendors questions, as well as take workshops to secure PDN credits for the year. On Reading Day, we release the ordering instructions and open the ordering platform for the year.
Computers are distributed to the departments in the late Spring/early Summer (May/June).
Navigate to the enrollment system and browse or search for sessions.
- Browse or search for the session of your choice.
- Click the title of the session.
- Click the Enroll button.
Note: If you can not select enroll, please ensure you are logged in to the enrollment system by using your PID/Password.
An online session is typically a live webcast of the session or a multi-week course available through Canvas. This option is made available, primarily, for participants who are not located in Blacksburg.
Navigate to the Enrollment system and select the Student Dashboard located after selecting your name. A PDF Transcript is available to view.
If you have any questions about your credit totals, please reach out to tlos-pdn@vt.edu.
Navigate to the Enrollment system and select your name in the top right corner. Select Student Dashboard from the menu.
The bulk of the sessions are added by the start of the spring and fall semesters; however, sessions may be added throughout the academic year.
Please contact the IT specialist in your department for all computer-related issues.
Design Your Own Curriculum
We are dedicated to helping you make the most of your professional development time commitments. In addition to the LinkedInLearning.vt.edu self-paced professional development options, TLOS PDN offers support for Design Your Own Curriculum (DYOC) opportunities for credit. DYOC participants work with PDN Program Coordinator to develop a professional development plan to earn some or all of the required 12 hours of professional development.
DYOC plans must address how the activity, project, or research project will impact professional practice in the areas of technology-enhanced teaching/learning, research, or productivity. Additionally, each plan should describe how mastery is demonstrated, or learning is assessed. Examples of assessment or demonstration might include:
- a short paper,
- participation in faculty panels,
- or facilitating TLOS PDN sessions for interested faculty.
To see if DYOC is right for you, contact nikkie@vt.edu.