Someone said you’re an SME, but what does that even mean? In the instructional design field, our faculty are highly regarded subject matter experts (SME).
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Dr. Brianno Coller, Presidential Teaching Professor Seminar: Learning the right way to ride the wrong bicycle
What does it mean to teach well? For Dr. Brianno Coller, Distinguished Teaching Professor in Mechanical Engineering at Northern Illinois University (NIU), it means embracing
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Holding space for compassion: Trauma-informed teaching in an era of immigration crackdowns
As educators, we often talk about creating an effective learning environment in our classrooms—but what does that look like when students are living through trauma
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Office of Online Learning launches “Wellness Wednesday”
At NIU, we know that student success extends far beyond the classroom, and for our online Huskies, connection and well-being are central to thriving in
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Building resilient learners: Turning self-doubt into student success
When I first arrived in the U.S. as an immigrant from Vietnam, I barely spoke English. So I got to work and found myself sitting
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How you can make quick PDF fixes in Anthology Ally right now
Adapted from an article originally published to the Anthology Community Blog by Mindy Mekhail, Director, Product Marketing, Anthology PDFs are among the most frequently used file types
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Strategies for soliciting student feedback
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
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Fall 2025 events focused on well-being, resilience, and transformative teaching
The atmosphere at NIU was buzzing with excitement as we prepared for the Fall 2025 semester. The Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL) hosted
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CITL launches review of key online learning tools
During the 2025–2026 academic year, Northern Illinois University will conduct a comprehensive review of three enterprise online learning tools currently integrated with Blackboard: Yellowdig, VoiceThread,
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Writing like you teach: Making course materials clearer and more human
In “4 Ways to Adjust Your Prose Style for a Public Audience,” James Lang reminds us that writing for non-experts—whether in essays, books, or blog
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Bringing critical thinking to life in your classroom: Lessons from Linda Elder
Here’s something that keeps me up at night: we’re living in an age where misinformation spreads faster than wildfire, and our students are caught right
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Ten expert-level tips for creating a welcoming online course
With a new semester in full swing, there is no time like the present to start fresh and to create a welcoming virtual space. A
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