Vicki Collins attended California State University at Long Beach to earn her bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Neither research nor assessment was the plan. Just a career – a life – of helping people.
But during her final year there, the Los Angeles native was accepted into the Minority Access to Research Careers program.
“I’m grateful for the two psychology professors who saw potential in me,” says Collins, who joined NIU in 1996 and will retire from the Department of Learning Innovation, Leadership and Technology at the end of the month.
“MARCees – what we called ourselves – were required to participate in a group research project and to complete an individual research project with guidance from a faculty mentor,” she adds. “We presented our individual projects at an annual MARC conference held in Washington, D.C. – my first presentation and trip to the nation’s capital!”
That journey across the country was not the only first for Collins as she neared her 1986 graduation.
Part of the group project involved survey research, she says, and “each of us was required to stand in front of a grocery store and ask every nth person to answer a common set of questions. I recall being nervous and grateful. People were kind and willing to answer my questions.”
Her individual work, meanwhile, pertained to assessment.
“At the time, I was somewhat interested in the potential good that students and teachers could derive from testing. For example, I wondered if knowing the origin of test content – lecture vs. textbook – would result in improved test performance,” Collins says.
“With assistance from Dr. Hanley, my faculty mentor, I investigated this topic in a study titled, ‘Remembering the Origin of Our Knowledge,’ ” she adds. “The study was presented at two professional conferences in 1986 and later published in the Journal of Educational Psychology under the title, ‘Metamemory Judgments of the Content and Origin of Course Information.’ It was my first publication.”
Forty years later, “I remain interested in research and assessment because both processes have potential for bringing about good.”
“I believe quality data can facilitate sound decision making about students, curriculum and instruction,” she says. “Relatedly, I believe expertise in research, assessment and instruction is vital for building and maintaining effective programs for all students. I have sought to instill these beliefs in my students over the years.”
Collins completed her graduate degrees at the University of Oregon, including a Ph.D. in School Psychology (1993) and a master’s in Educational Psychology (1989). She also completed a post-doctorate in reading.
Joining NIU followed two years of providing K-12 psychological services in Colorado Springs.
“Key discoveries during my time in the schools helped shape my post-doctoral studies and career path,” Collins says.
Among those, she says, were that “most students referred for special education struggled in reading” and that “most students referred for special education qualified to receive support, with little or no intervention activity attempted prior to referral.”
With the role of school psychologists “limited primarily to collection of data to determine eligibility, I found this role to be limiting and not aligned with my broader formal training,” she says.
“By becoming a teacher trainer, tasked with teaching special needs assessment courses to undergraduate and graduate students, I hoped to indirectly make a positive difference in the lives of K-12 students,” she adds, listing that as a goal that will remain in retirement.
“Many personal dreams that originated before and during my tenure at NIU have yet to be attained,” says Collins, who plans to complete various projects and expand her efforts “to bring about good in people’s lives. The desire to improve children’s reading skills directly and to design technology-assisted reading assessment and intervention supports are examples.”
In the former Department of Educational Technology, Research and Assessment, she taught assessment courses to students majoring or seeking an endorsement in Special Education and served as program coordinator for the M.S. in Educational Research, Evaluation and Assessment.
She conducted research on ways to improve the quality of course offerings in higher education, with previous scholarship focused on identifying essential assessment content for general and special education teachers before shifting her lens to flipped classrooms.
Collins also served as co-director of NIU’s Project SEED.
Operated in collaboration with Taiwan’s Research Center for Promoting Civic Literacy, the multicultural collaborative effort focused on research in civic literacy and civic efficacy as mediated by issues relevant to social justice, education equity and diversity.
Teaching, however, nourishes her soul.
“Many factors have kept me at Northern, including my faith. I believe God planted and kept me here for many reasons, including to share and expand my expertise,” Collins says.
“I’m grateful for the opportunities and support I received during my 30 years of employment at Northern, and for the many students I’ve been privileged to know, teach and support,” she adds.
“I enjoy creating vibrant, collegial and productive learning environments where students feel respected, participate and thrive. I love creating clear and engaging presentations, review activities and assignments, and I love helping students come to places of understanding. It’s so rewarding to see evidence of learning, growth and enjoyment.”
At the same time, she says, “my students helped me learn how to teach.”
“Based on their responsiveness to instruction, I learned to develop and hone my coursework and instructional practices. My students also helped me discover the joy of teaching,” she says. “I hope my students know that I care about them.”
Retirement also will provide time to visit cherished family.
Her mum, a Kentucky native and coal miner’s daughter, and her siblings all remain in California. Her Dada, a Mississippi native, passed away in 2020.
“Sorella, my eldest sister, has recently returned to school after raising her children – a long-awaited dream. Sissy, my second-oldest sister, was recently, and is happily, married. Brother, the youngest sibling, remains exceptionally bright,” Collins says. “I’m grateful for the love and support of my entire family – Mum, Dada and siblings.”
