2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT
Research & Scholarly Activities
7
Teaching with Technology
21
22
Acknowledgements
of
Professional Development
14
History of the Center
29
20
Message from the Director
19
— NIU FACULTY Member
3
23
2
contents
Assessment
25
30
Overview of the Center
table
28
Resources
Advisory Committee
Consultations
Center Staff
" I am often asked when people know I am teaching at Northern what are some of the things that are outstanding and make me glad I came. I always include the strong support given by Faculty Development. The staff really care and want faculty to succeed in becoming great teachers/professors. THANK YOU for all you do."
Accomplishments
1
18
Awards
Programs
2001
2003
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The center began offering Teaching Effectiveness Institutes in 1999, developed and distributed a comprehensive instructional guide, developed newsletters for faculty and academic supportive staff, and established a four-station Collaboratory and four-station Digital Multimedia Studio for faculty to experiment with instructional technologies. Due to increased number of services and programs offered, three more staff were added to meet operational needs.
Faculty development office that existed since 1980's was reorganized & renamed in August 1998
In 2003 teaching assistant training and development responsibilities were transferred to the center and the first Teaching Assistant Orientation was offered. In spring 2004 the center offered the first Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Awards. In April 2005 the center allocated permanent office space on the third floor of Adams Hall. The center was asked to take on support and training for emerging instructional technologies, such as clickers, smart boards, and other online teaching. In 2014, the center began offering additional support for online teaching .
Message
In 2001, the center began providing training and support to faculty on Blackboard web course management system and added one staff position to handle the increasing demand for such training and support requests at NIU.
DIRECTOR
The center currently offers over 150 programs and more than 1,200 consultations annually on teaching effectiveness, technology integration, professional development and scholarly activities for faculty, staff, and graduate assistants at NIU. The center’s programs, resources and services continue to grow with the support of the Office of the Provost, the guidance of the Faculty Development Advisory Committee, and the participation of enthusiastic faculty, supportive professional staff and graduate teaching assistants.
In this annual report, Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center's programs, activities, and services for faculty, supportive professional staff, and graduate teaching assistants during 2014-2015 are summarized. During the past year, the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center contributed to the university's mission ...to promote excellence and engagement in teaching and learning, research and scholarship, creativity and artistry, and outreach and service by collaborating with various academic and support units to meet
Jason Rhode
2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT 2
from the
HISTORY
of the
Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center was established in 1998 with a director, two staff, and secretary, temporarily housed in Gilbert Hall. The new center was charged with providing comprehensive support on teaching effectiveness and technology integration to faculty and academic supportive professional staff.
2014
the ongoing and emerging needs of NIU faculty, academic supportive professional staff, administrators, and graduate teaching assistants in their teaching, technology integration, professional development, and related needs. This was the sixteenth full academic year of operation for the center since we were established in August 1998. We could not have accomplished our goals during the last year without the help and support of the various campus units, administrators, faculty, supportive professional staff, civil service staff, and graduate teaching assistants. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the NIU community for its continued support of faculty development activities. We are especially grateful to the Executive Vice President and Provost, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, and the Provost's staff for their support of the center's activities and for the advice and support of the members of the Faculty Development Advisory Committee. Thank you for taking the time to read more about the many programs, resources, and services offered by the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center during the 2014-2015 academic year. If my staff or I can ever be of further assistance, please reach out to us.
Advancing NIU's TEACHING Mission
promoting excellence in teaching and learning, supporting faculty career success since 1998
CENTER
1998
2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT 4
Service empowers innovative teaching Adaptability is key to student-centered learning Appropriate use of instructional technology is fundamental to best- practice teaching Accessibility is a civil right Professional development stimulates excellence Sharing and disseminating knowledge is a responsibility in education Data-driven decisions improve learning Responding to needs should be timely and accurate
Offered 157 programs for more than 1,609 participants, totaling 4,980.5 hours of professional development Conducted 1,206 consultations to 416 unique faculty, instructors, staff, and graduate teaching assistants from 77 academic support units
FUNCTIONS
...to support faculty, academic supportive professional staff, and graduate teaching assistants through a variety of programs, resources, and services in fulfilling Northern Illinois University's mission on teaching and scholarly activities
core values
The center's primary offerings include monthly workshops, full-day institutes, custom resources and tutorials on teaching and teaching with technology, individual consultations, classroom observations, orientation for teaching assistants, mentorship opportunities for new faculty, scholarly writing circles, and referral service to campus resources. The center recognizes participants through Outstanding Teaching Assistant Awards, Graduate Teaching Certificate, and Certificate of Participation.
why we exist
Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center advances NIU's mission to promote excellence in teaching and learning by supporting all aspects of teaching for faculty, instructors, staff, and graduate teaching assistants. The center offers programs, resources, and services to promote teaching effectiveness, facilitate the use of instructional technologies in teaching, and support research and scholarly activities.
what we believe
Overview
2014-2015
what we strive for
The major functions of the center are to: » provide opportunities for effective teaching » promote research and scholarly activities » facilitate the use of instructional technologies in teaching » provide professional development opportunities » serve as a referral service and resource unit
The center envisions an enriched academic environment at Northern Illinois University that facilitates and promotes effective teaching, supports professional development, stimulates research and scholarly activities, and encourages the integration of instructional technologies.
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vision
MISSION
activities we engage in
Quick glance
The following provides a summary of the programs, resources, and services offered by the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center during the 2014-2015 academic year. Center staff collaborate with various academic and support units to meet the ongoing and evolving needs of NIU faculty, academic supportive professional staff, and graduate teaching assistants.
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Activities
at a
programs
157 formally scheduled programs for 1,609 faculty, academic staff, and Teaching assistants
Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center promotes effective teaching through the following activities and services: » Arranging workshops, seminars, institutes, and related programs on teaching effectiveness » Providing instructional design consultations » Offering workshops on integrating technology into teaching » Offering teaching-related consultations and classroom observations » Promoting multicultural and international education » Providing access to resources on teaching During 2014-2015, center staff offered teaching effectiveness programs of varying durations on a number of topics of interest to faculty, academic supportive professional staff, and graduate teaching assistants. Center staff invited nationally recognized presenters to offer workshops on various teaching topics. » Francisco Bonilla (Hamline University) » Therese Huston (Seattle University) » Laurie Richlin (Western Michigan University) As in previous years, center staff offered Teaching Effectiveness Institutes at the beginning of fall and spring semesters for faculty and teaching staff during 2014-2015. The Spring 2015 Teaching Effectiveness Institute consisted of one one-day workshop and two half-day workshops on separate advanced topics of interest. The Fall 2015 Teaching Effectiveness Institute also consisted of two one-day workshops. Day 1 was on the fundamental principles of instruction and Day 2 was a workshop on an advanced topic. Faculty participation in Teaching Effectiveness Institutes during 2014-2015 remained comparable to previous years. Attendance for the institutes reflects faculty members’ continued interest in teaching effectiveness and the center’s effort in offering programs that meet their needs and interests. » Spring 2015 Teaching Effectiveness Institute - High Impact Practices: Fostering Student Engagement, Success, and Retention, and Portfolios for Student Career Success, offered online by center staff on January 8, 2015 » Spring 2015 Teaching Effectiveness Institute - Getting Credit for What You Do: Designing an Evidence-Based Course, and Getting Credit for What You Do: Creating the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, by Laurie Richlin (Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine) offered on January 9, 2015 » Fall 2015 Teaching Effectiveness Institute - Fundamental Principles of Instruction, offered by NIU faculty and staff on August 13, 2015 » Fall 2015 Teaching Effectiveness Institute - Expanding Your Feedback Toolkit: Collecting Student Feedback, Conducting Classroom Observations, and Having the Important Conversations, by Therese Huston (Seattle University) on August 14, 201 5
TEACHING EFFECTIVENESS PROGRAMS
Program Participation by Classification
Center staff offered 157 formally-scheduled programs between August 16, 2014 and August 15, 2015. The total attendance for these programs was 1,609 and the total number of hours the attendees spend for these programs was 4,980.5 hours. These numbers include one-time and repeat participation by faculty, instructors, administrators, supportive professional staff, graduate teaching assistants, and guests. The charts provided show programs by type, program participation by classification, and program participation by college. The participation figures are not normalized for the actual number of personnel in each college.
"Thank you – I should have learned all of these [teaching strategies] years ago! . . Very interesting and useful – good overview of resources and ways to think about teaching. " - Teaching Effectiveness Institute Participant
Program Participation by College
Programs by Type
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workshops, seminars, institutes and related programs on teaching effectiveness
"Teaching Effectiveness Institute should be required for all new faculty and instructors – wish I’d attended my first year here! " - Teaching Effectiveness Institute Participant
40 teaching effectiveness programs offered for 667 attendees, totaling 2,459 contact hours
Center staff offered 40 Teaching Effectiveness programs between August 16, 2014 and August 15, 2015. The total attendance for these programs was 667 and the total number of hours the attendees spent for these programs was 2,459 hours. These numbers include one-time and repeat participation by faculty, instructors, administrators, supportive professional staff, graduate teaching assistants, and guests. Participation in the center’s programs is completely voluntary. The continued participation of faculty, teaching staff, academic administrators, and graduate teaching assistants in the programs is a testament to their commitment to effective teaching practice and sustained interest in professional development programs on teaching effectiveness, technology integration, and related areas. The following list contains a sample of teaching effectiveness programs offered during 2014-2015:
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Teaching Assistant Orientation
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"The program really surprised me in a positive way. I’ve been to many colleges, but this is one of the most inviting schools and I am glad to be here. Overall, good balance of info and presentations." - Teaching Assistant Orientation Participant
annual opportunity to network and learn more about available teaching and support services
Since fall 2003, center staff have been offering the day-long Teaching Assistant (TA) Orientation at the beginning of the fall semester. These orientations are attended by graduate teaching assistants, research assistants, and staff assistants at NIU. The center coordinates this event with not only the Graduate School, but many other departments and support units to provide a valuable experience for new graduate teaching assistants. TA Orientation provides an opportunity for new and returning teaching assistants to learn more about teaching and supporting students while networking with their fellow TAs. Participation is voluntary for graduate teaching assistants from a majority of academic units, but some academic units require their graduate teaching assistants to participate in the orientation. Over 200 graduate teaching assistants and presenters gathered for a full day of learning and preparing for their role as teaching assistants. Fall 2014 TA Orientation consisted of a general session followed by five unique breakout sessions in which participants selected a topic of their choice. The breakout topics included: » Providing Teaching-Related Support » Teaching Strategies for Engaging Students » Presenting /Communicating Effectively » Using Grading Strategies to Promote Student Learning » Finding Your Teaching Style
Teaching Effectiveness Programs offered during 2014-2015
» Advance Organizers to Help Students Construct Meaning » Board of Trustees Professor Seminar: David Changnon (Geography) offered on April 9, 2015 » Board of Trustees Professor Seminar: Gerald Jensen (Finance) offered on September 30, 2014 » Bridging Generation Gaps in the Classroom » Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) to Jumpstart the Semester » Concept Maps for Teaching and Learning » Delivering Dynamic Lectures, Designing a Course Syllabus (offered 2 times) » Designing Effective Assessments » Designing or Revising a Course » Effective Delivery Techniques: Little Things that Make a Big Difference » Effective Testing Techniques » Ending Your Course with Your Students » Five Lenses for Educating for and Assessing Cultural Competence, by Dr. James Francisco Bonilla (Hamline University School of Business) offered on May 15, 2015 » Formative and Summative Feedback for Teaching and Learning (offered 3 times) » Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction » High-Impact Practices » Learning Communities: Tips and Strategies for Success » Presidential Teaching Professor Seminar: David Gunkel (Communication) offered on March 30, 2015 » Presidential Teaching Professor Seminar: Stephen Martin (Physics) offered on October 21, 2014 » Quick and Painless Grading » Reflecting About Our Teaching » Rubrics for Meaningful Assessment and Evaluation (offered 2 times) » Strategies to End Your Course with Your Students » Using Group Work to Engage Students » Writing Goals and Objectives (offered 2 times) Special Teaching Effectiveness Workshops: » Special Workshop: Bridging the Generation Gap for College of Business » Special Workshop: Teaching Large Classes for Music Graduate Teaching Assistants
98 TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION programs offered for 662 attendees, totaling 1,339 contact hours
During 2014-2015, center staff offered programs of varying durations on a number of topics of interest to faculty, academic supportive professional staff, and graduate teaching assistants on teaching with Blackboard. Center staff offered the following Blackboard programs during 2014-2015: » Adding Video to Your Blackboard Course Using the Helix Media Library (offered 2 times) » Blackboard Assessment Tools (offered 3 times) » Blackboard Communication Tools (offered 2 times) » Blackboard I: Introduction to Blackboard (offered 13 times) » Blackboard II: Building Your Blackboard Course (offered 10 times) » Blackboard Open Lab (offered 8 times) » Blackboard Open Lab: Calculating and Submitting Final Grades (offered 3 times) » Blackboard Portfolios (offered 4 times) » Blackboard Tune-Up » Calculating Final Grades with the Blackboard Grade Center (offered 2 times) » Facilitating Small Group Discussion Online Using Blackboard Collaborate Breakout Rooms » Introduction to Live Online Classes Using Blackboard Collaborate (offered 2 times) » Interactive Rubrics: Providing Consistent and Quality Feedback in Blackboard Courses » Mobile Learning Series: Designing a Mobile-Friendly Blackboard Course » Preview of New Features Coming to Blackboard (offered 2 times) » Sharing Your Screen During an Online Lecture Using Blackboard Collaborate » Tips for Communicating Effectively Using Blackboard » Tips for Improving Student Retention with Blackboard » Tracking Student Performance in the Blackboard Retention Center
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blackboard programs
Center staff promote technology integration into teaching, courses, and curricula by: » Offering workshops, seminars, institutes, and related programs on integrating a wide spectrum of technologies into teaching » Providing a laboratory environment for faculty to experiment with instructional technologies » Serving as the initial point of contact for faculty teaching online credit courses » Offering training programs on web course management software and online pedagogy » Making available resources on instructional technologies and related topics » Collaborating with other units to provide support for faculty on integrating instructional technologies The center considers technology integration as part of teaching effectiveness and not independent of teaching. Technology integration programs offered by center staff focus on both pedagogy and technology skills and range from the integration of basic instructional technologies to advanced multimedia technologies.
special technology programs
workshops and related programs on technology integration requested by individual units
"Thank you for providing this wonderful opportunity for me to better understand online course design. " - Online Teaching Program Participant
Center staff offer special technology integration programs when requested by individual departments or colleges. The following special technology programs were offered in 2014-2015: » Special Workshop: Getting Started with Adobe Presenter I, for Environmental Health and Safety on September 18, 2014 » Special Workshop: Getting Started with Adobe Presenter II, for Environmental Health and Safety on October 1, 2014
workshops and related programs on teaching with blackboard requested by individual units
Center staff offer special Blackboard web course management system programs when requested by individual departments or colleges. The following special Blackboard programs were offered in 2014-2015: » Special Workshop: Introduction to Blackboard Collaborate, offered to Career Services faculty and staff on August 18, 2014 » Special Workshop: Adding to Your Blackboard Course Using the Helix Media Library for SEED, offered on December 12, 2014
technology integration programs
workshops and related programs on teaching with blackboard web course management system
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» Anonymous and Delegated Grading » Blogs, Wikis and Journals » Clickers in the Classroom (offered 3 times) » Design Series: Screencasting » Design Tools Series: Video » Design Tools Series: Audio » Free Software Tools for the Classroom » Getting Started with Adobe Presenter (offered 2 times) » Learning on the Go: Introduction to Mobile Learning » Mac Series: Quick and Easy Editing Using iMovie » Managing Student Grades with the Blackboard Grade Center (offered 2 times) » Mobile Learning Series: Apps for Teaching and Learning » Mobile Learning Series: Screencasting » Moving Beyond the Basics of Adobe Presenter » Multimedia Sampler » Prezi: Move Beyond Slides to Create Amazing Presentations » Reference Resource Management » Screencasting to Facilitate Learning Opportunities (offered 3 times) » Teaching with Technology Institute » Tips for Successful Virtual Class Sessions » Turning Technologies Roundtable
During 2014-2015, Center staff offered technology integration programs of varying durations on a number of topics of interest to faculty, academic supportive professional staff, and graduate teaching assistants. The following list contains a sample of technology integration programs offered during 2014-2015:
special blackboard programs
workshops, seminars, institutes and related programs on integrating technology into teaching
technology integration Programs offered during 2014-2015
2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT 14
initiatives
teaching with technology institute
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workshops, seminars, institutes and related programs on online teaching and course design
In November 2014, NIU adopted the Quality Matters standards for quality in online course design, with the guidance and approval of the Provost. At that time, center staff were asked to take on additional responsibilities in supporting online teaching, offering a series of online quality course design workshops as well as the Quality Matters , "Applying the Quality Matters Rubric" eight-hour workshop for faculty designing online courses. The institutional focus on online quality required a significant increase in program offerings for online teaching, which the center undertook with no additional budget or resources, while already understaffed. In order to lead Quality Matters workshops, Stephanie Richter (Assistant Director) and Tracy Miller (Online Teaching Coordinator) both completed the five-week long Quality Matters facilitator training and became certified to offer Quality Matters workshops at NIU. During 2014-2015, center staff developed and delivered new workshops for faculty on online course design while continuing to promote online teaching by: » Offering workshops, seminars, institutes, and related programs on online teaching and course design » Administering Online Teaching Readiness self-assessments and providing personalized frameworks for growth and development for online programs » Offering online teaching consultations, topics include: redesigning for an online course, adapting teaching presence, incorporating innovative approaches, and exploring best use of technologies » Serving as the initial point of contact for faculty teaching online credit courses » Offering training programs on adopting evidence-based quality online programs and online teaching pedagogy » Facilitating a summer Online Course Design Academy intensive six-week online course design boot camp to explore online learning models and to provide an opportunity to experience an online course from the student perspective » Making available resources on best practices in quality online course design and strategic approaches to online teaching » Collaborating with other units to provide support for online course and program design and teaching While the center staff have been offering programs and consultations on online teaching for many years, the institutional focus on online quality required a significant increase in these offerings, which the center undertook with no additional budget, resources, or staffing. To absorb the additional support for online quality, existing center staff, already stretched thin, have taken on the significant increased workload with no additional pay. The following online teaching programs were offered by center staff during 2014-2015: » Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (offered 4 times) » Designing Exemplary Online Courses in Blackboard » Ensuring Quality in Your Online Course (offered 2 times) » Models of Online Course Instruction » Quality Online Course Series: Accessibility, Usability, and Student Support » Quality Online Course Series: Course Activities and Student Engagement » Quality Online Course Series: Course Content and Instructional Materials » Quality Online Course Series: Getting Students Started » Quality Online Course Series: Learning Objectives and Assessments » Quality Online Course Series: Promoting Learning with Technology
teaching with technology
technology for high impact practices
Online teaching PROGRAMS
supporting instructional technology Integration in Teaching at NIU
During 2014-2015, center staff developed and delivered new workshops while continuing to offer workshops on popular technologies for assisting faculty with teaching and learning. These workshops covered a variety of topics, including advanced features of Blackboard and the following technologies: » Wikis » Blogs » Screencasting » Multimedia Tools » Synchronous Collaboration » Social Networking » Mobile Technologies » Personal Response Systems The ninth Teaching with Technology Institute, held in June 2015, served as yet another venue for introducing emerging pedagogies involving online technologies. High Impact Practices (HIPs) are proven educational learning experiences that foster more engaged learning, improved performance, advanced skill development, and degree completion. HIPs are designed to help your students become adaptive, successful learners who can succeed in the 21st century workplace. Coupled with technology, HIPs can link the classroom with real world contexts and students’ professional lives. Together, they create a richer and more meaningful learning experience. At this year's Teaching with Technology Institute on June 4, 2015, faculty explored technology tools, resources, and educational practices that can be used to support student success and personal development. Center staff guided participants through hands-on experiences to discover the potential and best practices for combining technology and HIPs in their teaching.
web course management system used by NIU faculty and teaching staff
Blackboard Usage
In collaboration with eLearning Services and the Division of Outreach, Engagement, and Regional Development, Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center staff designed, developed, and facilitated for the first time during summer 2015, the six-week Online Course Design Academy for six faculty participants from the School of Nursing and Health Studies, the Department of Marketing, and the School of Art and Design. The academy was structured into 6 modules: » Models of Online Course Design » Online Course Design » Assessing Students Learning in an Online Course » Online Learning Activities and Content » Building Community » Online Teaching Support at NIU By the end of the six-week online Academy, NIU faculty: » Incorporated active learning strategies in an online learning environment » Aligned objectives, assessments, activities, and content in an online learning environment » Selected technology appropriate for course objectives » Identified resources at NIU that support online course design and delivery » Experienced online learning from a student's perspective During the six-week online Academy, faculty participants learned the practices and principles of effective online course design and applied them to an online course they would be developing with eLearning Services. Throughout the Academy, faculty experienced a variety of methods of online delivery firsthand and completed the first steps of designing their online course in preparation for beginning to work with an instructional designer.
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six-week immersive online experience for faculty interested in online teaching and course design
Blackboard Usage Figures for Teaching Credit Courses 2014-2015
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NIU's course management system, Blackboard, continues to be a mission-critical system used by faculty in their teaching efforts. The system allows faculty to post materials, deliver tests, hold online discussions, and manage many other course-related functions. All teaching faculty and enrolled students have access to Blackboard. Use of the system has steadily increased during the past thirteen years. From spring 2002 to summer 2013, the use of Blackboard for teaching credit courses more than quadrupled at NIU. Faculty and course usage is still continuing to grow. During fall 2014, 96% of students and 91.9% of all those who teach used Blackboard for 63% of all course sections offered at NIU. On the average, students used Blackboard for 4 courses during fall 2014. The increase in use of Blackboard would not have been possible without the collaborative efforts of the Division of Information Technology working closely with center staff for administering and supporting Blackboard, training faculty and teaching assistants on Blackboard by center staff, the support of technical staff from various academic departments, and the enthusiasm of faculty and students at NIU for using online technologies for teaching and learning.
"The Online Course Design Academy was very helpful to me as a faculty member who had never taught a course online. It not only gave me an opportunity to experience an online course as a student, but it also aided me in the course design process...I've also incorporated some of the design elements into my Blackboard for my face-to-face classes." - Online Course Design Academy Participant
Fall
online course design academy
Summer
Spring
Blackboard e-Portfolio Tool
workshops, tutorials, and resources developed to support New Blackboard e-portfolio tool
Throughout the summer 2015, the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center staff worked on supporting the implementation of the new Blackboard e-Portfolio tool that was released during the May 2015 Blackboard Learn Upgrade. Over 130 faculty and staff from more than 40 departments across campus, including many instructors for UNIV 101 and First Year Composition courses, were trained on the Blackboard e-Portfolio tool. Students in these programs as well as in a variety of other courses began building their own e-portfolios during the fall 2015 and spring 2016 semesters. In the new Blackboard e-Portfolio tool, students can easily create multiple portfolios for different purposes. Students can share their academic, co-curricular, and professional accomplishments in unique ways to tell their stories using the Blackboard e-Portfolio tool. Faculty can request templates to provide a portfolio structure for students to follow. As students build their portfolios, they can include photos and videos, as well as upload any file as an artifact. Students can also integrate files they have submitted as Blackboard Assignments in any course they have taken at NIU, including the assignment instructions, their file, the grade assigned, and any comments or rubric submitted by their faculty. When students complete their e-Portfolio, they can submit it to a Portfolio Assignment, so that faculty can review and grade the portfolio in the Grade Center. It is also easy for students to share the portfolios with NIU users as well as people outside of NIU. Center staff developed extensive resources and tutorials during summer 2015 to support faculty and students who will be using the Blackboard Portfolio tool. Quick Guides, instructions, and step-by-step video tutorials are available for faculty and students at go.niu.edu/portfolios.
" The portfolio gave me far deeper insights into what my students actually took away from this course. I now know what really had an impact on their learning, and how beneficial different teaching strategies or activities were from the student perspectives. " - NIU Blackboard e-Portfolio Faculty User
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research and scholarly activities
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promoting research and scholarly activities among niu faculty and teaching staff
"The Writing Circle is an excellent program that other colleagues should consider joining. " - Writing Circle Faculty Participant
Center staff promoted research and scholarly activities through the following activities during 2014-2015: » Encouraging collaborative research and scholarly efforts across disciplines » Referring faculty to appropriate resource units that support research and scholarly activities at NIU, and conveying faculty needs to these units » Sponsoring programs on research and scholarly activities with the help of other units During 2014-2015, center staff arranged for the following workshops: » Write Well, Publish More! by Brad Peters (English) for the ninth consecutive year. Unfortunately, due to low registration, the workshop was canceled. It will be offered again during spring 2016. Center staff coordinated a weekly Writing Circle meeting during which faculty participants reviewed each other's manuscripts for scholarly publications and proposals for submission, and provided each other constructive feedback.
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awards
offering graduate teaching assistant awards and certificates of distinguished participation
Center staff provided professional development opportunities to faculty and supportive professional staff through the following activities and services during 2014-2015: » Arranging mentors for new faculty who request such support » Offering professional development opportunities to faculty » Serving as a referral resource to faculty for their professional needs » Assisting the Office of the Provost in hosting the New Faculty Forum » Organizing the Department Chair Development workshops for the Office of the Provost » Conveying faculty needs to the Provost’s Office and fostering faculty development During 2014-2015, center staff coordinated and arranged a number of development programs for faculty, staff, and administrators. The professional development programs offered during 2014-2015 include: » Fall 2014 New Faculty Forum, offered on August 21, 2014 » Preparing for Tenure and Promotion Panel Presentation, offered on April 8, 2015 The center offered professional development opportunities not available at NIU during 2014-2015, funding registration fee and travel expenses for the May 19-21, 2015 Designing Courses for Greater Student Engagement and Better Student Learning workshop at Rosemont, IL for: » Cristine Clemente Dos Santos (School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders) » Allison Gladfelter (School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders) » Yvonne Johnson (Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center) » William Mills (Department of Engineering Technology) » Christine Nguyen (Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering)
professional development
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providing professional development opportunities for faculty and Teaching staff
In spring 2004, center staff established the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award to recognize the contributions of graduate teaching assistants to the teaching mission of NIU. The award review subcommittee of the Faculty Development Advisory Committee reviewed the nominations for the awards and selected the following four recipients for 2015: » Nilanjana Kumar (Physics) » Daniel Stange (Physics) » Rebecca Vaughn (Literacy and Elementary Education) » Yanelly Villegas(Communication) Each recipient of the award was presented with a plaque and recognized at the Graduate Student Reception sponsored by the Graduate School on April 21, 2015. Apart from the Outstanding TA awards, the Center also awarded the Graduate Teaching Certificate to 11 graduate students from 9 academic departments for completing the certification requirements during 2014-2015.
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consultations
resources
Consultations by College
numerous resources on teaching for faculty, teaching staff, and Graduate Teaching assistants
Consultations by Classification
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Center staff developed or acquired and made available during 2014-2015 numerous resources on various topics of interest to faculty, staff, and graduate teaching assistants in fulfilling NIU’s mission on teaching and scholarly activities. These include the following: » Blackboard documentation with 56 tutorials » Blog » 9 Quick Tips for Effective Instruction » Teaching and technology tips on Twitter and Facebook » Newsletters » On-demand, archived online workshops » Tutorials on academic integrity, responsible conduct of research, effective writing practices, and teaching effectiveness totaling 8 tutorials Apart from the previously mentioned resources, center staff maintained the following computing facilities during 2014-2015: » A twelve-station Windows-based Collaboratory with various general-purpose software, Sympodium Interactive Pen Display, scanners, and a projection system for workshops, for faculty to experiment with a variety of instructional technologies. » A five-station iMac Multimedia Studio where faculty can experiment with multimedia content and develop instructional materials on their own. The center’s Collaboratory and Digital Multimedia Studio were regularly used by individual and small groups of faculty and supportive professional staff for experimentation as well as developing materials during 2014-2015. Center staff moderated the New Faculty Virtual Forum listserv that served as both informational and networking resources for new faculty. Center staff also posted information on other campus listservs and social media to disseminate information about center’s programs and periodically issue news releases through NIU Today and other media resources at NIU. Notices of programs and news items were also posted on Facebook and Twitter as well as made available through RSS feed.
1,206 consultations to 416 unique faculty, teaching staff, and graduate teaching assistants
Apart from offering programs and resources, center staff offer consultations on a range of issues for faculty, academic supportive professional staff, and graduate teaching assistants. A majority of the consultations were on teaching with technology issues, especially on the use of Blackboard web course management system for teaching purposes. One of the center's primary services is to offer consultations to faculty, instructors, staff, and graduate teaching assistants about teaching practices and integrating technology into teaching. During the 2014-2015 academic year, center staff conducted a total of 1,206 consultations to 416 unique faculty, instructors, staff, and graduate teaching assistants from 77 academic and support units. Many of the personalized consultations are one-on-one, with some offered to groups. Center staff can be reached for a consultation through phone, email, web-conferencing, or face-to-face. Meeting one-on-one for a consultation provides a unique opportunity to ask specific questions, explore new educational technologies, or to troubleshoot problems. In addition to one-on-one consultations, center staff also offer confidential teaching observation and small group instructional diagnosis, which are included in these values. The charts provided summarize the consultations offered by college as well as by classification. Note: The figures are not normalized based on the number of personnel in each classification or college
In pursuing the commitment to excellence and furthering the University Mission Statement, programs, resources, and services offered by the center during 2014-2015 were assessed in compliance with the University Assessment Panel’s guidelines. Since the center's assessment effort cannot directly measure if teaching and learning have improved at NIU as a result of instructional personnel's participation in the center's programs, center assessments focus mainly on participants' satisfaction with the programs they participate in and their perceptions on the potential impact on their teaching and related activities and benefits to students. Feedback from program participants as well as those who contacted the center for consultations on teaching, teaching with technology, and related activities continue to confirm the high quality of service and recognized high value of center activities. Six months following major programs and consultations with center staff, participants receive a follow-up evaluation survey to gauge the extent in which participants felt the concepts and techniques learned through the program attended or consultation provided had benefited students. In 2014-2015, 95.42% of faculty, teaching staff, and graduate teaching assistants who participated in one or more programs offered by the center responded that the program attended was beneficial to their teaching and 92.96% affirmed that the program attended was beneficial to their students. In 2014-2015, participants overwhelmingly confirmed the perceived impact of their consultations with center staff on their teaching, with 100% responding that the consultation(s) with center staff were beneficial to their teaching and 97% responding the consultation(s) were beneficial to their students. The chart below provides a summary of feedback responses from 2014-2015 for six-month follow-up survey evaluations received as compared to the previous three academic years. Results consistently exceed the center's 80% target for quality.
% who responded program was beneficial to their teaching
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2011-2012
Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center staff periodically assess faculty needs, obtain input from the Provost, and consult with the Faculty Development Advisory Committee to refine its mission, vision, and functions accordingly. The center develops short term plans for each academic year and carries out those plans that are feasible during each academic year. All programs and services offered by the center are regularly evaluated for quality according to a comprehensive assessment plan approved by the University Assessment Panel. The center collects data using various methods such as: » program evaluations by participants » six-month follow-up program evaluations » resource usage » consultations » program attendance » mentoring program feedback » professional development opportunity reports » unsolicited feedback from center clientele
% who responded consultation was beneficial to their students
5-Year Timeline of Program Assessments
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% who responded program was beneficial to their students
2013-2014
results from participant feedback consistently exceed target quality benchmarks
ongoing commitment to excellence and systematic review of program quality
assessment Overview
Program Evaluation
2012-2013
Center
% who responded consultation was beneficial to their teaching
accomplishments
During 2014-2015, the center published two newsletters with issues released in fall and spring. The newsletters are: » Spectrum newsletter for faculty and supportive professional staff » TA Connections newsletter for graduate teaching assistant In addition, the center staff also published articles in conference proceedings and a book chapter. The staff publications from 2014-2015 include: Rhode, J. (2014, October 29). Designing competency-based self-paced online workshops for introducing faculty to online teaching technologies. Paper published in the proceedings of the 20th Annual Online Learning Consortium International Conference on Online Learning, Orlando, FL. Miller. T. (2014, November 29). How to Scale Inquiry-Based Teaching and Learning through Progressive Faculty Development, in Patrick Blessinger, John M. Carfora (eds.) Inquiry-based Learning for Faculty and Institutional Development: A Conceptual and Practical Resource for Educators (Innovations in Higher Education Teaching and Learning, Volume 1) Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp. 317 – 337. Rhode, J., Richter, S., Gowen, P., & Krishnamurthi, M. (2015). Measuring digital professional development: Analytics for the use of web and social media. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 7(1), 19-31.
Rhode, J., & Click, A. (2014, October 23). Where eLearning meets Faculty Development: Providing seamless online program development support services. Presented at 12th Annual SLATE Conference, Naperville, IL. Rhode, J. (2014, October 23). Designing exemplary online courses in Blackboard. Presented at the 12th Annual SLATE Conference, Naperville, IL. Scheidenhelm, C. & Rhode, J. (2014, October 23). Contemporary issues in higher education and online learning. Presented at the 12th Annual SLATE Conference, Naperville, IL. Cabrera, D. (2014, October 24). Video everywhere: Increase your faculty and student communication and engagement. Presented at the 12th Annual SLATE Conference, Naperville, IL. Richter, S. (2014, November 8). Leverage analytics to improve online and social media professional development. Presented at the 2014 Professional and Organizational Development Network Conference, Dallas, TX. Gowen, P. (2015, February 17). Helping your audience find you: Searchability and shareability, Presented to the CLCE 490: Civic Engagement Internship class as part of the NGOLD-DCNP Internship Program. Hodges, B. (2015, March 16). Program development for adult continuing education. Presented for CAHA; Curriculum and Program Development in Adult Continuing Education at Northern Illinois University. Cabrera, D. & Johnson, Y. (2015, March 25). Exploring principles of universal design for learning: Multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression. Presented at the Affirmative Action, Diversity & Equal Opportunity AADR Conference the Diversity Resources Conference at Northern Illinois University. Giesen, J. & Johnson, Y. (2015, April 6). Overview and process of classroom observations. Presented at Northern Illinois University to School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders faculty. Johnson, Y. (2015, April 10). A structure for facilitating student engagement and motivation in online or F2F graduate level courses. Presented at the 16th Annual Midwest Conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), Indiana University in South Bend, Indiana. Johnson, Y. (2015, April 10). The Implications of inclusive instructional design strategies on motivation of online students. Presented at the 16th Annual Midwest Conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), Indiana University in South Bend, Indiana. Richter, S., Cabrera, D., & Wills, C. (2015, May 27). Getting HIP with technology: Tools for high impact practices. Presented at the 2015 Faculty Summer Institute, Urbana, IL. Cabrera, D. & Wills, C. (2015, May 27) Mobile Learning: Screencasting: Engaging students by developing content, facilitating explanation, and sharing using your mobile device. Presented at the Faculty Summer Institute, Urbana, IL. Richter, S. & Wills, C. (2015, May 28). Microcredentialing: Recognizing student learning with digital badges. Presented at the 2015 Faculty Summer Institute, Urbana, IL. Richter, S. (2015, June 24). MOOCs: An overview. Presented at the June 2015 Let’s Talk Discussion Forum, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL. Johal, N., Cohen, C., Kunnen, E., Mitkos, A., & Richter, S. (2015, July 21). Enhancing the strategic importance of online learning. Panel presented at Bb World 2015, National Harbor, MD.
publications
To stay current in the field and share best practices with other institutions, center staff deliver many presentations at NIU, for regional organizations, and at national and international conferences. In 2014-2015, center staff delivered 5 presentations at NIU and 15 presentations at conferences. The following is a list of presentations by center staff during 2014-2015: Miller. T. (2014, October 22). The DNA of inquiry-based teaching and learning. Presented at the 12th Annual SLATE Conference, Naperville, IL. Miller. T. (2014, October 23). A meaningful conversation about high impact practices. Presented at the 12th Annual SLATE Conference, Naperville, IL. Richter, S. & Gowen, P. (2014, October 23). Using web analytics to assess the use of online resources. Presented at the 12th Annual SLATE Conference, Naperville, IL. Richter, S. & Gowen, P. (2014, October 23). Measuring digital professional development: Analytics for the use of web and social media materials. Presented at the 12th Annual SLATE Conference, Naperville, IL. Cabrera, D., Gowen, P., & Moore, V. (2014, October 23). Meeting the increasing demand for online video: One institution’s approach. Presented at the 12th Annual SLATE Conference, Naperville, IL.
presentations
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25 2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT
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President Baker presents Tracy Miller with SPS Certificate of Recognition on April 14, 2015
During 2014-2015, center staff achieved professional recognition. Listed below is a summary of recognition received by center staff during 2014-2015: » Tracy Miller and Stephanie Richter received 2015 SPS Certificates of Recognition on April 14, 2015. » Jason Rhode received a 10-year service award at the Faculty/SPS Awards Ceremony on April 28, 2015. » Janet Giesen received a 25-year service award at the Faculty/SPS Awards Ceremony on April 28, 2015.
service
staff recognition
27 2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT
Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center staff served on numerous formal and informal committees, commissions, task forces, and groups at NIU and contributed their services. The following list shows a sample of committees that center staff served on during 2014-2015: » Blackboard Product Development Partnership » Faculty Development Advisory Committee » Faculty Summer Institute Keynote Sub-Committee » Faculty Summer Institute Steering Committee » Midwest Blackboard User’s Group (SLATE) » NIU Blackboard Learn Team » NIU Blackboard Status Team » NIU Outstanding Service Award Selection Committee » NIU Program Prioritization Data Support Team » NIU Presidential Commission on the Status of Women » Online Learning Consortium Emerging Technologies for Online Learning International Symposium Operations Leadership Committee » Online Learning Consortium Emerging Technologies for Online Learning International Symposium Operations Steering Committee » Advisory Council, Center for Online Leadership, University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA)
STAFF
The following staff served in full-time capacities at the center during 2014-2015: Daniel Cabrera, Multimedia Coordinator Amy Deegan, Office Support Specialist Janet Giesen, Instructional Design Coordinator Peter Gowen, Online Analytics Coordinator Brenda Hodges, Program Coordinator Yvonne Johnson, Multimodal Teaching Coordinator Tracy Miller, Online Teaching Coordinator Jason Rhode, Director Stephanie Richter, Assistant Director Cameron Wills, Research Associate The center had budget support for three graduate research assistants during 2014-2015. Below is a list of those who served in part-time capacities as graduate research assistants for the center during 2014-2015: Kalthum Abdikeir (started January 2015) Sarah Potter Constantine (graduated May 2015) Patrick Gaden (graduated December 2014) Christina Gilman (graduated December 2014) Sriram Vishwanath (started January 2015) Pu Wang (started January 2015)
President Baker presents Stephanie Richter with SPS Certificate of Recognition on April 14, 2015
The information presented in this report was made possible by all the staff at the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center. Data on programs and registration were recorded by Amy Deegan and Brenda Hodges. Program participation data and program evaluations data were collected and recorded by center staff, and web materials were posted by the graduate assistants at the center. Center staff would like to express their sincere appreciation to administrators, faculty, staff, and graduate assistants at various units at Northern Illinois University for their support of the center during 2014-2015.
acknowledgements
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report
The Faculty Development Advisory Committee's support has been invaluable to the center. Committee members met four times during the academic year to review center accomplishments and provide guidance. Committee members also enthusiastically supported the center, participated in the programs offered by the center, and reviewed Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award nominations. Committee members during 2014-2015 were: Maryann Abendroth, Assistant Professor, Nursing and Health Studies Therese Arado, Associate Professor, College of Law Helen Brantley, Professor, Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations Amy Buhrow, Director, Accreditation, Academic Reporting, & Strategy, College of Business Ann Dzuranin, Associate Professor, Accountancy Paula Frasz, Professor, Theatre and Dance, Committee Chair Lichuan Liu, Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering Wei Luo, Associate Professor, Geography Jessica Reyman, Associate Professor, English Leanne VandeCreek, Associate Professor / Social Sciences Librarian, University Libraries Jason Rhode, Director, Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center (Ex-Officio) Murali Krishnamurthi, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs (Ex-Officio)
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
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Faculty Development
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