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Guides

These guides offer information for new faculty as well as tips for equity in teaching, effective teaching and technology integration.

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Equity in Teaching Guides

New Faculty Guides

  • New Employee Welcome
    This site will provide you with the information and resources you need to help you be successful and productive in your new position.

  • Support Units for NIU Faculty
    This guide provides a quick overview and contact information to the support units that new faculty often connect with for support for their teaching, research, scholarship and artistry.

Teaching Effectiveness Guides

  • Active Learning Activities NEW
    Here you will find several activities that can be used in any classroom to engage students as well as to monitor student learning / understanding.

  • Course Transformation Support and Resources
    Resources and support available in support of course transformation at NIU.

  • Examples of Classroom Assessment Techniques NEW
    There are hundreds of variations of classroom assessment techniques. These are some of the more commonly known techniques.

  • Flexible Teaching
    Flexible Teaching is an approach to course design and delivery that helps students learn and succeed in any mode: face-to-face, online, or hybrid. It starts with the principles of course design to create a flexible, resilient course that can withstand any change in modality or delivery.

  • Fostering Engagement and Students' Sense of Belonging
    Resources and efforts to promote engagement and students' sense of belonging at NIU.

  • How to Teach a Good First Day of Class
    The first day of class is crucial both for your students and for you. This guide will help you make opening day as effective as possible.

  • Increase Student Engagement in Online Courses
    This guide is a compilation of recommendations shared by NIU faculty and staff for promoting increased engagement in online courses.

  • Instructional Guide for University Faculty and Teaching Assistants
    This guide is a brief compilation of teaching-related information from several sources, including instructional guidebooks from other institutions, journals, and contributions from master teachers and academic support units at Northern Illinois University.

  • Mid-term Check-in Reflection Questions NEW
    Sample reflection questions for survey or discussion with students as well as faculty to reflect on their teaching practices and make adjustments mid-term .

  • Online Teaching Principles
    Derived from research-based best practices, these principles are intended to supplement the QM Higher Education course design rubric and the NIU Online Course Essentials to guide effective facilitation of online and hybrid courses at Northern Illinois University.

  • Options for Delivering Exams via Virtual Instruction
    As you consider your options for delivering exams while teaching virtually, remember to exhibit equity, kindness, generosity and patience with your students. There are several options for you to rethink or deliver your exams via virtual instruction. You may want to consider one or multiple of these recommendations.

  • Preparing to Teach for the First Time
    Have you been invited to teach a course for the very first time and wondering where to begin? This guide provides tips and resources for getting started.

  • Transparent Assignment Checklist NEW
    In-depth checklist for designing course assignments that clearly articulate to students the purpose, task, and criteria for success.

  • Transparent Assignment Template NEW
    Template for designing course assignments that clearly articulate to students the purpose, task, and criteria for success.

  • Strategies for Starting the Semester Well
    Whether you have been teaching for several years or are beginning to teach your very first semester, being prepared for the start of the semester will help make the transition successful for you and your students. These strategies you can use the first day and into the first weeks of the semester that will help you create an engaging, motivating, and organized classroom environment.

  • Student Success Resources
    You are encouraged to incorporate these academic support resources into your teaching and to refer students to utilize the services available for their academic success.

  • Syllabus Checklist
    Design a course syllabus to best meet your teaching style, course content, activities, and departmental requirements. Consider creating a learner-centered syllabus that targets student learning and success!

  • Learner-Centered Syllabus Design Guide
    Effective syllabi are learner-centered, meaning they move beyond the mechanics of a course (i.e. office hours, deadlines, and textbooks) to outline how students can be successful in a course.

  • Teaching at NIU for the First Time
    Teaching for the first time at a new university can be enjoyable and daunting at the same time. Whether you are an experienced teacher or new to the profession, being prepared to teach at a new institution will help you transition and succeed in your new environment. This guide contains information on course policies, teaching policies, and teaching-related resources to help you start your teaching career at NIU successfully!

  • Teaching a Course on Short Notice
    This guide addresses two situations: being asked to teach a course that begins very soon, and being asked to take over a course that someone else was teaching, sometime after the semester has begun.

  • Tense Times in the Classroom Activities and Handouts
    Handouts, activities and strategies for managing tense topics and difficult moments in the classroom and to foster dialogue, discussion and empathy.

Technology Integration Guides

Contact Us

Center for Innovative
Teaching and Learning

Phone: 815-753-0595
Email: citl@niu.edu

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