Max Anderson is on a unique journey. He was the first instructional designer hired by the University of Illinois College of Medicine. That was 2013. And when college administrators were ready a few years later to recruit and appoint a director of
Read morePi-Sui Hsu begins Senior Faculty Fellow work in promoting STEM fields to youth
Pi-Sui Hsu wants to see more children enter the fields of science and engineering. Hsu, an associate professor in the Department of Educational Technology, Research and Assessment, has launched numerous initiatives over her career to advance that goal. These have included summer
Read moreETRA doctoral candidate offers faculty ways to ‘rethink’ online course delivery
As another semester of remote learning begins, Hal Hinderliter is on a mission. Hinderliter, a teaching and research assistant in the Department of Educational Technology, Research and Assessment (ETRA), wants to help faculty in the NIU College of Education to reimagine the
Read moreEducational Administration alumni lead school districts through COVID-19 crisis
Brian Harris, M.S.Ed. ’91, Ph.D. ’01, had visited the bustling cafeteria of Barrington High School many times before. He had never regarded it the way he did March 12, however, through the social-distancing lens of COVID-19. “We have 650 kids eating lunch
Read moreKeep learning, keep teaching: Students, alums detail their COVID-19 adjustment
We want to know what our teacher-licensure students and educator-alums and are doing to “keep teaching.” Please complete our Educators in Action online form to tell us how you’re promoting eLearning with your students during the COVID-19 situation! Teaching in the time
Read moreYanghee Kim assists UNESCO efforts to prepare children for future world
That the world is changing rapidly comes as no surprise to anyone who’s dialed a rotary phone attached to a wall or wearily rose from a comfortable couch to change the channel. But the relentless and breakneck pace at which technology is
Read moreTech leaders discuss cyber challenges, benefits at Community Learning Series
Panelists at the NIU College of Education’s Fall 2019 Community Learning Series on cybersecurity could not have been clearer. We are under constant attack, to the tune of 1,500 malicious acts every minute. The attackers are well-financed, heavily resourced and, unfortunately, always
Read moreCommunity Learning Series will explore cybersecurity during Nov. 5 discussion
Despite the constant pleas to “put down those phones,” technology has become almost inescapable. “Technology is a part of our lives, and we’re using our technology on a daily basis,” says Wei-Chen Hung, chair of the Department of Educational Technology, Research and
Read moreLoyal Huskie R.J. Gravel thrives in career, embodies ‘definition of lifelong learning’
Growing up in suburban Des Plaines, R.J. Gravel wanted to live a life in song. He enrolled at NIU in the fall of 2001 to major in music education and vocal performance, but something happened before classes began in August that would
Read moreLearn-IT explores future of teaching tech
Science fiction fans call May 4 “Star Wars Day” – as in, “May the Fourth Be With You” – but that particular Saturday this year centered on science reality for 120 regional teachers and instructional technology specialists. NIU’s Department of Educational Technology,
Read moreETRA graduate students join Fatih Demir to research brain engagement of readers
Researchers in NIU’s Department of Educational Technology, Research and Assessment are preparing to study whether – and how – readers respond differently to “hard” news reports and emotional stories. Fatih Demir, an assistant professor of Instructional Technology, will use eye-tracking systems and
Read moreSteve Builta departs for new challenges training, coordinating disaster responders
Three months after his 1984 graduation from Hononegah High School, Steve Builta arrived at NIU with plans to become a school psychologist. Even though he had enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, where he eventually would earn a bachelor’s
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