Resources - Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning

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ACM awards: Departments recognized as leaders in course materials affordability

May 6, 2026 CITL News, Resources

This spring, NIU’s Course Materials Affordability Task Force (CMAT) presented the fourth annual Affordable Course Materials (ACM) Department Awards. These awards are part of the task force’s Leading Impact

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The system, not the students: Insights from the 2025 NASEM Report

May 4, 2026 Linh Nguyen Best Practices, News, Resources, Teaching, Tips, Workshops

I’ve spent years on various sides of the undergraduate STEM classroom—first as an underrepresented minority student navigating the hidden curricula of STEM language and culture,

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

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When should you use VoiceThread? Choosing the right tool for media sharing and interaction

April 22, 2026 CITL Best Practices, News, Resources, Teaching, Technology Trends, Tips, Web Tools

Video content can be an integral part of any course, but especially asynchronous online classes. How you share that content—and to what end—matters. There are

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When should you choose Yellowdig? Choosing the right tool for engagement

April 22, 2026 CITL Best Practices, Newsletter, Resources, Teaching, Technology Trends, Tips, Web Tools

How do you decide which digital engagement tool to use in your courses? Ideally, you would start with the pedagogy: what do you want students

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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

Promotional graphic for “NIU’s Annual Well-being Fair.” The text reads: “The Presidential Commission on Well-being Presents: NIU’s Annual Well-being Fair, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday, April 16, HSC Ballroom.” The lower portion shows colorful wellness-themed icons—such as a water bottle, bicycle, running shoe, yoga figure, dumbbells, fruit, trees, a heart with a heartbeat line, a speech bubble, and a first-aid kit—on a green gradient background. On the right side, text reads: “For more information: go.niu.edu/well-being-fair.”

Celebrate well-being at NIU’s annual Well‑being Fair on April 16!

March 19, 2026 Yvonne Johnson News, Newsletter, Resources

Mark your calendars, Huskies! The Presidential Commission on Well-being is thrilled to host one of NIU’s most energizing community events of the year: the Annual Well‑being

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When homework isn’t proof of learning: Assessing foundational math in the AI era

March 16, 2026 Amanda Hirsch Best Practices, Resources, Teaching, Technology Trends

If you teach a foundational math course right now, you have likely experienced the following disconnect: polished homework submissions paired with shaky quiz and exam

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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

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Supporting first-generation students: Teaching practices that make a difference

March 2, 2026 Linh Nguyen Best Practices, Resources, Teaching

Authors: Linh Nguyen and Yvonne Johnson According to the Fall 2025 enrollment highlight, more than half of NIU’s incoming first-year students identify as first-generation college

Colorful watercolor illustration of an open book centered on a white background, with vibrant splashes of red, orange, pink, blue, and teal paint flowing outward from the pages. Above the book, the words “Open Education Week” appear in a large, whimsical yet clear brush-style font with a blue-to-orange gradient, arched slightly over the book.

Open to change: Celebrating Open Education Week 2026

February 26, 2026 CITL News, Resources, Workshops

NIU is joining institutions around the world to celebrate Open Education Week, March 2-6, 2026, an annual event dedicated to promoting open educational resources (OER),

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The hidden cost of catching up in STEM

January 20, 2026 Linh Nguyen Best Practices, Resources, Teaching, Tips

In STEM, success is often measured by outcomes: grades, persistence, and graduation rates. When students who start with gaps in preparation ultimately perform as well