Lindsay Vreeland, Author at NIU Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning News

A hand holding a glowing digital city beneath a balance scale, flanked by two human head profiles made of circuitry, one marked with an AI symbol. Speech bubbles and floating particles suggest a debate about artificial intelligence and ethics.

What if students don’t want to use AI?

October 28, 2026 Lindsay Vreeland Resources, Teaching, Technology Trends

To get students to use AI ethically in the classroom, you’ve created assignments that integrate AI in the process. You’ve been thoughtful and intentional, spending

Four people—a young man, a female professor holding an open folder, a woman wearing headphones and glasses, and a young woman with a backpack—stand together indoors and talk.

The case for a pedagogy of compassion

September 30, 2026 Lindsay Vreeland Best Practices, Resources, Teaching

A conversation we keep returning to in higher education is whether rigor is sacrificed when we are flexible with students. We often hear that immovable

A group of adults participates in an interactive classroom discussion around tables, with a presenter speaking at the front and a slide projected on a screen. Several participants have laptops open and are engaged in the presentation.

Fall 2026 Teaching Effectiveness Institute focuses on student access and Universal Design for Learning

August 28, 2026 Lindsay Vreeland News, Resources

The Fall 2026 Teaching Effectiveness Institute, Designing for Access: UDL, Accessibility, and Inclusive Course Design, provided faculty and staff with practical, evidence-based strategies for creating

Two students dressed professionally for career fair make Huskie hand gesture

Using the Career Readiness Toolkit to connect coursework to careers

July 7, 2026 Lindsay Vreeland News, Resources, Teaching

The Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning’s Career Readiness Toolkit gives us a practical way to connect what students learn in our courses to the

Designing an accessible syllabus for inclusive teaching

May 26, 2026 Lindsay Vreeland Best Practices, Resources, Teaching, Tips

As we work toward full ADA Title II compliance by April 2027, creating accessible digital materials is an opportunity to make our courses more inclusive

The image shows a college seminar setting. A professor with a beard sits in the foreground with a laptop, gesturing as he explains something to the group. Around him, college students sit on tiered seating, listening attentively, taking notes in notebooks, or holding tablets and coffee cups. The atmosphere is informal and collaborative, suggesting a discussion-based class rather than a lecture.

Contract grading and student agency: Letting students define the path to their grade

April 28, 2026 Lindsay Vreeland Best Practices, Resources, Teaching, Tips

Traditional grading systems can miss the mark and lead to grade disputes, unclear expectations, and even unintended inequities. Contract grading offers a different approach: students

Students sit at a table with different projects spread out among them.

Choose-your-own-adventure assessments: A flexible approach to measuring learning

March 30, 2026 Lindsay Vreeland Best Practices, Resources, Teaching, Tips

Our student populations are evolving, and we’re seeing that traditional “one-size-fits-all” assessments are becoming recognized as less effective. As students’ learning experiences shift—and as some

An American Indian college student wearing a wrist brace types on a laptop in a classroom while other students around him write by hand in notebooks.

From analog to AI and back again: Finding an accessible middle ground

March 6, 2026 Lindsay Vreeland Resources, Teaching, Technology Trends

Recent articles from NPR and Edutopia introduced us to Chanea Bond, a high school teacher who has nearly eliminated the use of computers in her

E. Taylor Atkins, in a red shirt, stands at the front of a classroom, gesturing and pointing toward a large projected slide behind him that shows historical photographs and illustrations, as he explains the images to students in a classroom.

Teaching academic success skills for all students: An equity-centered approach

February 9, 2026 Lindsay Vreeland Best Practices, Teaching, Tips

Regardless of the courses we teach, we often expect students to show up already knowing how to learn on their own. Skills like note-taking, reading

A woman wearing a yellow short-sleeve top is seated at a wooden table, writing in a notebook with a pen. Earphones are connected to a laptop placed on the table.

Encouraging students to write: Strategies for building confidence and engagement

January 15, 2026 Lindsay Vreeland Best Practices, Resources, Teaching, Tips

Whether it’s a skill assessment, a midterm essay, or an end-of-semester reflection, students benefit from regular opportunities to write. These activities help them deepen their

Diverse group of students including young man in wheelchair chatting in college library

Building strong collaborative learners

December 1, 2025 Lindsay Vreeland Best Practices, Resources, Teaching, Tips

It’s natural for students to feel hesitant about working in groups—juggling communication, responsibilities, and schedules isn’t easy. Yet collaboration is a powerful skill that supports

Professor high-fiving student sitting in classroom

Strategies for soliciting student feedback

October 13, 2025 Lindsay Vreeland Teaching, Tips

As mid-semester approaches, we are presented with a great opportunity to pause and reflect on our courses. Soliciting student feedback gives us a better sense