Spectrum is a newsletter for faculty and teaching staff published by the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center at Northern Illinois University during fall and spring semesters of each academic year (2001-2019). Archives of articles from the last five years are available below.
- Fall 2019
- Spring 2019
- Spring 2017
- Fall 2016
- Spring 2016
- Fall 2015
- Service Learning in Higher Education
- New Blackboard Portfolio Tool: Upgraded Features are Easy to Use
- NIU Brings lynda.com to Campus
- Faculty Student Relationships Tutorial
- Results of the 2015 Teaching Assistant Campus-wide Survey
- Fall 2015 Teaching Effectiveness Institute focused on Fundamental Principles of Effective Instruction and Student Feedback & Classroom Observations
- 2015 Teaching Assistant Orientation
- Spring 2015
- Learning Communities as a High-Impact Practice
- Developing and Posting Recorded Lectures with Adobe Presenter
- New Blackboard Observer Role Supports Student Success
- New Online Program Development and Support Services Now Available
- Trends in Blackboard Tools Usage at NIU
- New Blackboard Features Coming in May
- New Clicker Device on Campus
- Spring 2015 Teaching Effectiveness Institute on Getting Credit for What You Do
- Online Teaching Effectiveness Institute featured High Impact Practices and Portfolios
- Fall 2014
- High-Impact Practices for Student Success
- Improving Student Retention with Blackboard
- Four Great Sessions at the Upcoming Spring 2015 Teaching Effectiveness Institute
- Helix Media Library: A Secure Solution for Uploading and Sharing Video
- 2013-2014 Annual Report Now Available
- New Online Application for Graduate Teaching Certificate
- Fall 2014 Teaching Effectiveness Institute Focused on Effective Teaching and Cooperative Activities in the Classroom
- 2014 Teaching Assistant Orientation - A Great Day of Learning
- Spring 2014
- Teaching for Student Retention
- Center Staff Share Teaching Best Practices with Chinese Faculty Visiting NIU
- New Features Coming to Blackboard at NIU in 2014
- Spring 2014 Teaching Effectiveness Institute Focused on Creating Excitement in the Classroom
- Incorporating Active Learning by Flipping the Classroom: Spring 2014 Teaching Effectiveness Institute
- How to Go Beyond the Textbook Using Open Educational Resources
- Blackboard Video Everywhere: Increasing Faculty and Student Communication
- Center Staff Member Receives Conference Award
- Fall 2013
- Promoting Student Learning Outcomes with Bloom's Revised and Digital Taxonomy
- Integrating Multimedia in Your Course
- Tips for Designing a Massive Open Online Course
- Learn About Data-Driven Instruction
- Faculty Awarded University Writing Project Stipends
- New Inline Grading Feature in Blackboard
- Blackboard's Retention Center: A Fast and Easy Way to Monitor At-Risk Students
- Spring 2013
- Getting Students to Think About Their Thinking
- Increase the Fun in Your Courses with Digital Badges
- Create Mobile Versions of Blackboard Collaborate Archives Using New MP3/MP4 Recording Converter
- First Online Teaching Effectiveness Institute a Success
- NIU Now Supports TurningPoint 5
- The Teaching with Blackboard Podcast
- Tips to Reduce the Impact of Cheating in Online Assessment
- Weekly Blackboard Faculty Training Webinars Now Available
- Fall 2012
- Faculty-Student Relationships
- Preparing to Teach Online
- Green Up! the Classroom
- Facilitating Web Conferencing, Interaction, and Collaboration using Blackboard Collaborate
- Instructional Guide for University Faculty and Teaching Assistants Now Available in Mobile and eBook Formats
- August 2012 Welcoming Programs were a Great Success!
- Spring 2012
- Helping Your Students to be Good Communicators
- Digital Handwriting
- New Resource for Enhancing Accessible Online Instruction
- Cloud Storage: Making File Access and Management Easy
- Text Messaging with Students While Maintaining Privacy
- Coming Soon: A Look at What’s Next for Blackboard
- "Copy and Paste from Word" Feature is Now Available to All Blackboard Users
- Call for Nominations for Outstanding GTA Awards
- Fall 2011
- Experiential Learning
- Facilitating Group Work on Blackboard Next Generation
- Learning On the Go
- Blackboard Portfolio Tool Now Available Campus-Wide
- New Student Response System (Clickers) Adopted by NIU
- Spring 2011
- Using Concept Inventories to Improve Instruction
- Blackboard Next Generation Upgrade Scheduled for May 2011
- New Resource for Accessible Teaching
- Blackboard App for iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, and Android
- Fall 2010
- Ways to Help Students Read
- Introducing the Next Generation of Blackboard!
- New Quick Tip on Classroom Civility
- Online Presentation Tools: Prezi, SlideShare, SlideRocket, Zoho Show
- Teaching Assistant Orientation Materials Available Online
- Blackboard’s Portfolio Tool Piloted During Fall 2010
- Spring 2010
- Veterans in the Classroom
- Tips for Efficient and Effective Communications Using Blackboard
- Screencasts as a Pedagogical Tool
- 10 Lesser Known Features of the Blackboard Grade Center
- Graduate Teaching Certificate
- Fall 2009
- Teaching First-Year Students
- Faculty Development is Now on Facebook
- Timesaving Tips Using the Blackboard Grade Center
- Accessing Blackboard Courses on Facebook and Mobile Devices
- Self and Peer Assessment
- Promoting Student-to-Student and Student-to-Instructor Interaction with Wimba Pronto
- Mobile Learning Trends in Higher Education
- Program Archives Podcast Now Available in iTunes
- Teaching During a Health Crisis
- Spring 2009
- What is Microteaching?
- Using Audio Feedback to Promote Teaching Presence
- Teaching Through Key Questions
- Online Tutorials
- The Early Warning System in Blackboard
- New Features in Blackboard 7.3
- Presidential Teaching Professor Seminar: Dr. Rick Ridnour
- MyNIU-Entering Final Grades Open Labs
- Upcoming Teaching Effectiveness Institute
- Fall 2008
- Instructional Scaffolding to Improve Learning
- Promoting Online Collaboration with Wimba Classroom
- Upcoming Teaching Effectiveness Institute
- Appreciative Inquiry
- Online Teaching Series
- Mac Series
- Faculty Development Offers Online Programs
- "Tweets" for NIU Faculty and Staff
- Spring 2008
- Blended Learning
- An Online Tutorial on Effective Writing Practices
- Quick Tips for Effective Instruction
- Plagiarism Prevention Using Blackboard SafeAssign
- The Blackboard Content Collection
- Academic Resource Sharing Using Blackboard Scholar
- Fall 2007 (PDF)
- Recognizing and Assisting the Emotionally Troubled Student
- Integrating Newspapers in the Classroom
- Podcasting with Blackboard
- New Features in Blackboard 7.1
- Using eInstruction Classroom Performance System (CPS) at NIU
- Spring 2007 (PDF)
- Taming the Cost of Textbooks
- Call for Proposals for David Raymond Grant
- Call for Faculty Development Grant Proposals
- Call For SPS Development Grant Proposals
- Promoting Responsible Authorship and Peer Review with Online Quick Guides
- An Online Tutorial for Faculty on Promoting Academic Integrity
- New Blackboard Resources Now Available
- Fall 2006 (PDF)
- Cooperative Learning: A Framework for Success
- Call for Faculty Development Grant Proposals
- Call for SPS Development Grant Proposals
- The Buzz Behind Blogs
- Podcasting in Education
- Spring 2006 (PDF)
- Millennials – Our “New Students”
- Blackboard Upgrade Brings New Features
- Call for Proposals for David Raymond Grant
- RSS: Website Updates Delivered Directly to Your Computer
- Call for Faculty Development Grant Proposals
- Call for SPS Development Grant Proposals
- The Issue of Web Accessibility for Instruction
- Fall 2005 (PDF)
- Classroom Civility
- Response to Campuswide Survey Conducted Fall 2004
- Simulations as Training Tools
- Call for Faculty Development Grant Proposals
- Call for SPS Development Grant Proposals
- Moving Groups Online
- Spring 2005 (PDF)
- Online "Chat" in the Academic Classroom
- Conference on Portfolio Integration: Connecting Learning and Assessment
- Preparing Students for Online Learning
- Call for Faculty Development Grant Proposals
- Call for SPS Development Grant Proposals
- Useful Resources for (More) Effective Teaching
- Call for Nominations: 2005 Outstanding Teaching Awards
- Responsible Management of Research Data
- Call for Nominations: 2005 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Awards
- Fall 2004 (PDF)
- Academic Integrity
- Convenient New Procedures in Blackboard
- Short Focused Tutorials Revisited
- Instructional Design: An Introduction
- Call for Faculty Development Grant Proposals
- Spring 2004 (PDF)
- Time Management Strategies
- Supporting Learning and Technology in Education (SLATE)
- PDAs in the Classroom
- Multicultural Curriculum Transformation Institute 2004
- Fall 2003 (PDF)
- January 2004 Teaching Effectiveness Institute
- Message from the Director
- Service Learning: A Collaborative Learning Approach
- What Happened to Blackboard?
- Use of Visual Multimedia Material to Enhance Instruction
- Spring 2003 (PDF)
- Using Games to Reinforce Learning
- Short, Focused Tutorials
- Reduce PDF File Size with the PDFWriter
- Online Debates Enliven Courses
- Multicultural Curriculum Transformation Institute
- Fall 2002 (PDF)
- Responsible Conduct of Scholarship at NIU
- Enhancements to the Digital Multimedia Studio
- NIU’s Readership Program
- Blackboard Resources Website
- January 2003 Teaching Effectiveness Institute: Stephen Brookfield
- An Introduction to Education Research
- Spring 2002 (PDF)
- Multicultural Curriculum Transformation Events
- January 2002 Teaching Effectiveness Institute Recap
- Technology Showcase - April 10, 2002
- Blackboard Upgrade
- Captioning Videos for Improved Accessibility
- Faculty Development Launches New Website