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XCaliber Award

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XCaliber Award

Recognizing exceptional, high-caliber contributions to technology-enriched teaching and learning.

Background

Established in 1996 by the Office of the Provost, the XCaliber Award — shorthand for exceptional, high-caliber contributions to technology-enriched learning activities — is presented annually by Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies (TLOS). Recipients receive a cash award and a commemorative plaque and are invited to showcase their award-winning activities at a special event.

Award Criteria

The XCaliber Award celebrates courses and significant projects that demonstrate exemplary use of technology and student-centered pedagogy, resulting in high-impact student learning. Such courses and projects typically involve

  • Teaching practices that exhibit innovation, engagement, and reflection and foster students’ higher-order thinking skills and 21st-century skills, such as collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
  • Learning environments that are technology-rich, student-centered, active, and authentic.

Eligibility and Selection Process

Courses and projects led by faculty, graduate teaching assistants, and teams (faculty, staff, and students) are eligible for consideration. Winners will be selected by the XCaliber Award committee. To be considered, the course (or significant course project) must demonstrate exemplary use of technology and student-centered pedagogy resulting in high-impact student learning. Applications will be evaluated for the

  • use of innovative technology,
  • demonstration of student-centered pedagogy,
  • alignment of technology and pedagogy with stated learning outcomes,
  • evidence of high-impact student learning, and
  • quality of the written XCaliber application.

Application Process

The 2026 nomination process opens in fall 2025. Questions about the application process can be directed to tlos@vt.edu.

Recent Recipients

2025

 

  • Nazila Roofigari-Esfahan: CEM 2714 Construction Safety Systems - Improving students' safety knowledge through group-based virtual reality (Individual Award)
  • Sally Hamouda: CS 4974 Machine Learning Support for Elementary School Kids Learning Programming on CodeKids Website - Enhancing elementary computer science education through machine learning and student-centered learning (Individual Award)

2024

  • Farrokh Jazizadeh: CEE 5060 Built Environment Information Modeling and Processing (virtual prototyping) of infrastructure projects’ life cycle (Individual Award)
  • Megan Rippy: CEE Virtual green infrastructure design project as part of two joined courses Urban Water Sustainability and Advanced Urban Water Sustainability (Individual Award)

2023

2022

  • Kimberly Ellis, Natalie Cherbaka, Andrew Thomas, Matthew Garlington, Ben LaBine, and Melissa Tilashalski: The Production Planning Game for ISE4204 Production Planning and Inventory Control (Team Award)

2021

  • Montasir Abbas: CEE 3604 Intro to Transportation Engineering (Individual Award)
  • Rodrigo Sarlo: CEE 3404 Introduction to Structural Engineering (Individual Award)

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

XCaliber Awards Chair

Dale Pike
Associate Vice Provost
Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies
dalepike@vt.edu