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Virtual gateway to lifelong learning launched for alumni

From entrepreneurs anxious to improve their marketing strategies to retired executives thinking of taking up gardening, Virginia Tech alumni can now continue to learn and grow through their alma materfrom anywhere in the world.

The university has launched VTalumnNET, a virtual gateway providing alumni with opportunities for continued personal and professional development through online access to the collective expertise of both faculty and fellow former students.

"This program will be a point of access to a spectrum of online educational programming, will provide opportunities for lifelong learning, and will foster the development of online learning communities," says President Charles W. Steger.

Steger announced his vision for the program in his April 2000 Founders Day address: "I want to see Virginia Tech play a lifelong active role in the lives of our alumni." He established a task force to consider how Tech "might best make available computer-based instruction that would be of value in the continuing development of the careers of all our graduates."

The task force sent an electronic survey to 37,000 alumni. Most respondents indicated they would prefer to work at their own pace and take "mini-courses" with shorter periods of instruction. The areas of interest they emphasized include management, finance, gardening/landscaping, computer basics, marketing, and Civil War studies.

Steger's vision started becoming a reality in December, when the university launched a pilot program based on these results. The Office of Alumni Relations and the Institute for Distance and Distributed Learning (IDDL) gathered talent from across the university to develop VTalumnNET, a project that uses cutting-edge e-commerce and instructional technologies to deliver the courses.

The pilot program offerings consisted of four short, non-credit, online seminars called "knowledge units" on topics ranging from computer fundamentals to annuals and perennials.

Over 450 active alumni were asked to participate in the pilot program, testing course design, infrastructure components, and ease of registration and program navigation. With their successful completion of the pilot program, VTalumnNET is now available to alumni around the world.

"Virginia Tech is a leading university in the area of instructional technology, and now our alumni can benefit from some of the advances being made in this area," notes Tom Tillar, vice president of alumni relations. "This is a marvelous opportunity to stay connected with Virginia Tech and continue to enjoy some of our professors through the convenience of the Internet." Because of this presidential initiative, Virginia Tech's outreach efforts can establish the university as the first choice for lifelong learning educational programming for its alumni.

The number and types of course offerings have increased significantly, and the university anticipates a steady, ongoing portfolio of alumni programming. Various media combinations will be used for delivering the course content in order to meet the different learning preferences of alumni. One example is the incorporation of high-end media design that combines synchronized streaming video/audio, text, images, closed captioning, and external web-based resources into the self-contained knowledge units. This asynchronous delivery offers alumni a guided, yet non-linear, experience through VTalumnNET courses. Another offering consists of mini-courses where alumni have the opportunity to interact with Virginia Tech faculty. All courses provide opportunities for alumni to participate in topic-based learning communities through threaded discussions, online chats, and e-mail exchanges with other alumni around the world.

Another facet of Steger's vision is that all alumni are automatically eligible for one free knowledge unit per year. Alumni may also purchase individual knowledge units; mini-courses; short, non-credit online courses; and a subscription for access to a variety of other course materials. The variety of formats works hand-in-hand with the busy lifestyles of Virginia Tech alumni, allowing them to learn at the time and place best suited to their own particular needs.

For alumni who are curious about this opportunity but are unsure whether it would suit their needs, the VTalumnNET website provides visitors with a "one-stop-shop" opportunity to explore the virtual gateway. Features include introductory video addresses from Steger and Tillar, complete information on the program, contact information, and available course listings with descriptions of course goals, length, and computer requirements. Links to appropriate free computer downloads are available for users who may need to upgrade their browser or media player to optimize their online experience. VTalumnNET learning communities are also developing as users enter the lifelong learning community section of the website and express their interests. To round off the one-stop-shop experience, people are able to enjoy complete online registration and access to a technical support page. The Virginia Tech Alumni Association website is just a mouse click away from the VTalumnNET website. On this site alumni will find alumni association links, university news, and a diverse array of other information. With the goal of lifelong learning in mind, a link is also available to the university's online catalog of distance learning courses and programs, VTOnline.

VTalumnNET is the first in a whole suite of opportunities that will be opened to alumni online. Please make sure that your contact information is up-to-date on www.VaTechAlumni.com and visit the site often to see what is new.