2016-2017 Annual Report

2016-2017 ANNUAL REPORT Research & Scholarly Activities 7 Teaching with Technology 25 26 Advisory Committee of Professional Development 17 History of the Center 34 22 21 Message from the Director — NIU GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANT 3 27 2 contents Resources 29 35 36 Overview of the Center table 31 Acknowledgements Consultations Staff Awards Presented Accomplishments "These kinds of workshops will definitely help me grow in my professional career. I hope to attend more workshops in the future!" Assessment 1 20 Organizational Development Programs 2001 2003 1 The center began offering Teaching Effectiveness Institutes in 1999, developed and distributed a comprehensive instructional guide, developed newsletters for faculty and academic supportive staff, and established a four-station Collaboratory and four-station Digital Multimedia Studio for faculty to experiment with instructional technologies. Due to increased number of services and programs offered, three more staff were added to meet operational needs. Faculty development office that existed since 1980's was reorganized & renamed in August 1998 In 2003 teaching assistant training and development responsibilities were transferred to the center and the first Teaching Assistant Orientation was offered. In spring 2004 the center offered the first Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Awards. In April 2005 the center allocated permanent office space on the third floor of Adams Hall. The center was asked to take on support and training for emerging instructional technologies, such as clickers, smart boards, and other online teaching tools. In 2014, the center began offering additional support for online teaching. Message In 2001, the center began providing training and support to faculty on the Blackboard web course management system and added one staff position to handle the increasing demand for such training and support requests at NIU. DIRECTOR The center currently offers over 175 programs and more than 1,500 consultations annually on teaching effectiveness, technology integration, professional development, and scholarly activities for faculty, staff, and graduate assistants at NIU. The center’s programs, resources, and services continue to grow with the support of the Office of the Provost, the guidance of the Faculty Development Advisory Committee, and the participation of enthusiastic faculty, supportive professional staff, and graduate teaching assistants. In this annual report, Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center's programs, activities, and services for faculty, supportive professional staff, and graduate teaching assistants during 2016-2017 are summarized. During the past year, the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center contributed to the university's mission ...to promote excellence and engagement in teaching and learning, research and scholarship, creativity and artistry, and outreach and service by collaborating with various academic and support units to meet Jason Rhode 2 from the HISTORY of the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center was established in 1998 with a director, two staff, and secretary, temporarily housed in Gilbert Hall. The new center was charged with providing comprehensive support on teaching effectiveness and technology integration to faculty and academic supportive professional staff. 2016 the ongoing and emerging needs of NIU faculty, academic supportive professional staff, administrators, and graduate teaching assistants in their teaching, technology integration, professional development, and related needs. This marked the eighteenth full academic year of operation for the center since we were established in August 1998. We could not have accomplished our goals during the last year without the help and support of the various campus units, administrators, faculty, supportive professional staff, civil service staff, and graduate teaching assistants. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the NIU community for its continued support of faculty development activities. We are especially grateful to the Executive Vice President and Provost, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, and the Provost's staff for their support of the center's activities and for the advice and support of the members of the Faculty Development Advisory Committee. Thank you for taking the time to read more about the many programs, resources, and services offered by the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center during the 2016-2017 academic year. If my staff or I can ever be of further assistance, please reach out to us. Advancing NIU's TEACHING Mission DIRECTOR promoting excellence in teaching and learning, supporting faculty career success since 1998 CENTER 1998 4 Service empowers innovative teaching Adaptability is key to student-centered learning Appropriate use of instructional technology is fundamental to best- practice teaching Accessibility is a civil right Professional development stimulates excellence Sharing and disseminating knowledge is a responsibility in education Data-driven decisions improve learning Responding to needs should be timely and accurate Offered 176 programs for more than 1,807 participants, totaling 4,725 hours of professional development Conducted 1,569 consultations to 590 unique faculty, instructors, staff, and graduate teaching assistants from 92 academic support units CENTER FUNCTIONS ...to support faculty, academic supportive professional staff, and graduate teaching assistants through a variety of programs, resources, and services in fulfilling Northern Illinois University's mission on teaching and scholarly activities. core values The center's primary offerings include monthly workshops, full-day institutes, custom resources and tutorials on teaching and teaching with technology, individual consultations, classroom observations, orientation for teaching assistants, mentorship opportunities for new faculty, scholarly writing circles, and referral service to campus resources. The center recognizes participants through Outstanding Teaching Assistant Awards, Graduate Teaching Certificates, and Certificate of Participation. why we exist Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center advances NIU's mission to promote excellence in teaching and learning by supporting all aspects of teaching for faculty, instructors, staff, and graduate teaching assistants. The center offers programs, resources, and services to promote teaching effectiveness, facilitate the use of instructional technologies in teaching, and support research and scholarly activities. of the what we believe Overview 2016-2017 what we strive for The major functions of the center are to: » provide opportunities   for effective teaching » promote research and   scholarly activities » facilitate the use of   instructional   technologies in teaching » provide professional   development   opportunities » serve as a referral   service and resource   unit The center envisions an enriched academic environment at Northern Illinois University that facilitates and promotes effective teaching, supports professional development, stimulates research and scholarly activities, and encourages the integration of instructional technologies. 3 vision "Thanks for the great ideas today and these resources. I love the support and education that I always get from your department" - NIU Faculty Member MISSION activities we engage in Quick glance Visits to the Faculty Development Website Conducted over 1,569 consultations with 590 unique faculty, instructors, staff, and graduate teaching assistants from 92 academic and support units Visits to the Teaching with Blackboard Website The following provides a summary of the programs, resources, and services offered by the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center during the 2016-2017 academic year. Center staff collaborate with various academic and support units to meet the ongoing and evolving needs of NIU faculty, academic supportive professional staff, and graduate teaching assistants. 6 Served on 22 committees, councils, and organizations within NIU and the broader Faculty Development Community 5 Offered 176 programs on teaching and integrating technology for 1,807 participants, for a total of nearly 4,725 hours of professional development Recognized 4 recipients of the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award, issued 10 Graduate Teaching Certificates, and was honored with 9 individual and department recognitions of faculty used Blackboard for credit courses in Fall 2016 Activities at a programs 176 formally scheduled programs for 1,807 faculty, academic staff, and Teaching assistants Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center promotes effective teaching through the following activities and services: » Arranging and conducting workshops, seminars,   institutes, and related programs on teaching   effectiveness » Providing instructional design consultations » Offering workshops on integrating technology into   teaching » Offering teaching-related consultations and   classroom observations » Promoting multicultural and international education » Providing access to resources on teaching During 2016-2017, center staff offered teaching effectiveness programs of varying durations on a number of topics of interest to faculty, academic supportive professional staff, and graduate teaching assistants. Center staff offered workshops and invited a nationally recognized presenter to offer a one-day workshop on an advanced pedagogical topic. » Sarah Rose Cavanagh (Assumption College ) As in previous years, center staff offered Teaching Effectiveness Institutes at the beginning of fall and spring semesters for faculty and teaching staff during 2016-2017. The Fall 2016 Teaching Effectiveness Institute dates fell before this reporting period and were reported in the 2015-2016 Annual Report. The Spring 2017 Teaching Effectiveness Institute consisted of a full-day workshop on an advanced topic of interest. Faculty participation in Teaching Effectiveness Institute during 2016-2017 remained comparable to previous years. Attendance for the institutes reflects faculty members' continued interest in teaching effectiveness and the center's effort in offering programs that meet their needs and interests. » Spring 2017 Teaching Effectiveness Institute -   The Spark of Learning: Energizing the College   Classroom with the Science of Emotions by Sarah Rose   Cavanagh on January 12, 2017     TEACHING EFFECTIVENESS PROGRAMS Overview Program Participation by Classification Center staff offered 176 formally-scheduled programs between August 16, 2016 and August 15, 2017. The total attendance for these programs was 1,807 and the total number of hours the attendees spent for these programs was 4,725 hours. These numbers include one-time and repeat participation by faculty, instructors, administrators, supportive professional staff, graduate teaching assistants, and guests. The charts show programs by type, program participation by classification, and program participation by college. The participation figures are not normalized for the actual number of personnel in each college. "I found this institute very helpful in generating many ideas and putting them in a format that will help me to implement them this semester. " - Teaching Effectiveness Institute Participant Program Participation by College Programs by Type "Thank you to Faculty Development for organizing a very useful workshop that will yield immediate modifications to my classes. " - Teaching Effectiveness Institute Participant 8 7 workshops, seminars, institutes, and related programs on teaching effectiveness Eighty-three graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) from the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology (CEET) attended the panel discussion, Recognizing & Embracing Cultural Communications & Sensitivity in the Classroom, on February 10 and nineteen GTAs from various colleges attended the repeated panel on March 2, 2017. Invited panelists for both panels were: » Sim Chin, Director, International Student and Faculty   Office » Molly Holmes, Director, Gender and Sexuality   Resource Center » Debra Miller, Director, Disability Resource Center The panel discussions were offered to help GTAs be sensitive in communicating with their students who represent a range of cultures who are potentially different than their own. The presenters spoke about interacting with students from different cultures, considering gender and sexuality of their students, and dealing with students with disabilities. After the panel discussion, GTAs took part in an interactive activity to help them think about privilege and heterosexism and to reflect on their own behaviors and beliefs regarding sexuality. After the activity, one GTA asked, “Why don’t we follow the golden rule, treat everyone with respect and kindness? Be that star!” Another GTA suggested that, “These kinds of workshops will definitely help us to grow through our lives and do well in [our] professional careers.” Center staff conducted evaluations at the conclusion of the panels. 89% of the GTAs indicated that the concepts/techniques covered in the panels were applicable in their teaching or other student-related activities, and 90% indicated that their participation in the panels has potential benefit to students. WORKSHOPS FOR GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANTS ON CULTURAL COMPETENCE IN THE CLASSROOM Teaching Assistant Orientation 9 CULTURAL COMPETENCE WORKSHOPS "Now I have a broader understanding of cultures." "I now feel more prepared to approach an unexpected situation in my classroom." "I was reminded to be mindful of students because you might not  know who they are." - Comments from Workshop Participants 10 "I found the Teaching Assistants panel discussion very interesting because it speaks about the real life experience of TAs. The orientation was excellent and very useful to help us improve our teaching skills. Thank you for your endeavor to help us improve our way of teaching." - Teaching Assistant Orientation Participant annual opportunity to network and learn more about available teaching and support services Since fall 2003, center staff have been offering the day-long Teaching Assistant (TA) Orientation at the beginning of the fall semester. These orientations are attended by graduate teaching assistants, research assistants, and staff assistants at NIU. The center coordinates this event with not only the Graduate School, but many other departments and support units to provide a valuable experience for new graduate teaching assistants. TA Orientation provides an opportunity for new and returning teaching assistants (TAs) to learn more about teaching and supporting students while networking with their fellow TAs. Participation is voluntary for TAs from a majority of academic units, but some academic units require their TAs to participate in the orientation. Over 200 TAs and presenters gathered for a full day of learning and preparing for their role as teaching assistants. Fall 2016 TA Orientation consisted of a morning general session followed by afternoon breakout sessions on a wide range of teaching-related topics, including: » Teaching with Technology » Providing Teaching-Related Support » Teaching Strategies for Engaging Students » Managing Your Time » Presenting/Communicating Effectively » Using Grading "I found this institute very helpful in generating many ideas and putting them in a format that will help me implement them this semester." - Teaching Effectiveness Institute Participant 53 teaching effectiveness programs offered for 704 attendees, totaling 2,400 contact hours Center staff offered 53 Teaching Effectiveness programs between August 16, 2016 and August 15, 2017. The total attendance for these programs was 704 and the total number of hours the attendees spent for these programs was 2,400.50. These numbers include one-time and repeat participation by faculty, instructors, administrators, supportive professional staff, graduate teaching assistants, and guests. Participation in the center’s programs is completely voluntary. The continued participation of faculty, teaching staff, academic administrators, and graduate teaching assistants in the programs is a testament to their commitment to effective teaching practice and sustained interest in professional development programs on teaching effectiveness, technology integration, and related areas. The following list contains a sample of teaching effectiveness programs offered during 2016-2017: The Successful Student Writing Workshop Series began in fall 2016 and incorporated activities for developing meaningful writing assignments, managing the task of grading, and preparing useful feedback for students in their writing. The series was designed to provide faculty, teaching assistants, and teaching staff with practical tips for helping students develop strong writing skills and academic success. Each workshop in the series included numerous hands-on activities with practical takeaways that participants were able to apply immediately in their teaching. Brad Peters, Department of English, facilitated each of the workshops. Each of the five unique workshops were offered on selected Fridays during the fall 2016 and spring 2017 semesters. Each semester, participants could attend all of the workshops or just those of particular interest. Workshops offered included: » Improve Students' Reading Skills through Writing » Design Short Writing Assignments that Work » Lighten the Paper Workload » Respond Effectively to Students' Written   Assignments » Help Students Avoid Plagiarism 11 12 "This has been an excellent series that contains important information every faculty member needs to know. The workshop series continues to be a very valuable experience for me. " - Writing Series Workshop Participant SERIES OF Faculty WORKSHOPS ON  HELPING STUDENTS DEVELOP STRONG WRITING SKILLS STUDENT WRITING WORKSHOP SERIES Teaching Effectiveness Programs offered during 2016-2017 » Board of Trustees Professor Seminar: Zhi-Li Xiao   (Physics) offered on September 13, 2016 » Presidential Teaching Professor Seminar: Harvey Blau   (Mathematical Sciences) offered on November 1,   2016 » Presidential Teaching Professor Seminar: Greg Long   (Allied Health and Communicative Disorders) offered   on February 16, 2017 » Board of Trustees Professor Seminar: Dan Gebo   (Anthropology and Biological Sciences) offered on   April 10, 2017 » Bridging Generation Gaps in the Classroom » Building Classroom Simulations and Games » Building Learning Communities » Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) to   Jumpstart the Semester » Connecting Knowledge Organization Structures and   Learning (offered 2 times) » Creative Ways to Introduce Play in Your Classroom » Designing a Course Syllabus » Designing a Writing-Infused Course in the Major or   General Education » Designing Effective Assessments (offered 2 times) » Designing or Revising a Course » Dynamic Classroom Discussions » Ending Your Course with Your Students » Formative and Summative Feedback for Teaching and   Learning » Games in Education » Problem-Based Learning (offered 2 times) » Reflecting on Your Teaching and Professional   Development » Rubrics for Meaningful Assessment and Evaluation   (offered 2 times) » Strategies to End the Semester with Your Students » Teaching with Revised Bloom's Taxonomy » Testing Techniques: How to Design Better Tests » Universal Design for Learning: Part III - Multiple   Means of Action and Expression » Using Advance Organizers to Help Students   Construct Meaning (offered 3 times) » Using PowerPoint Interactively to Engage and   Motivate Students » Writing Goals and Objectives (offered 4 times) "The workshop was incredibly helpful and I'll certainly be attending more like it. Thanks for organizing!" - Writing Series Workshop Participant 114 TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION programs offered for 781 attendees, totaling 1,278 contact hours During 2016-2017, center staff offered programs of varying durations on a number of topics of interest to faculty, academic supportive professional staff, and graduate teaching assistants on teaching with Blackboard. Center staff offered the following Blackboard programs during 2016-2017: » Blackboard I: Introduction to Blackboard (offered 12   times) » Blackboard II: Building Your Blackboard Course   (offered 11 times) » Blackboard Assessment Tools (offered 3 times) » Blackboard Open Lab (offered 9 times) » Calculating Final Grades with the Blackboard Grade   Center » Creative Uses of Video in Your Blackboard Course » Collecting and Grading Assignments Electronically   using Blackboard » Electronic Portfolios: Using the Blackboard Portfolio   Tool (offered 3 times) » Facilitating Small Group Discussion Online Using   Blackboard Collaborate Breakout Groups » Interactive Rubrics: Providing Consistent and Quality   Feedback in Blackboard Courses » Introduction to Live Online Classes Using Blackboard   Collaborate (offered 2 times) » Managing Student Grades with the Blackboard Grade   Center (offered 2 times) » Paperless Assessment of Student Performance with   Blackboard Tools » Preview of New Features Coming to Blackboard » Supporting Student Success with the Blackboard   Retention Center » Using the General Education Rubrics in Blackboard 13 blackboard programs Center staff promote technology integration into teaching, courses, and curricula by: » Offering workshops, seminars, institutes, and related   programs on integrating a wide spectrum of   technologies into teaching » Providing a laboratory environment for faculty to   experiment with instructional technologies » Serving as the initial point of contact for faculty   teaching online credit courses » Offering training programs on web course   management software and online pedagogy » Making available resources on instructional   technologies and related topics » Collaborating with other units to provide support for   faculty on integrating instructional technologies The center considers technology integration as part of teaching effectiveness and not independent of teaching. Hence, technology integration programs offered by center staff focus on both pedagogy and technology skills and range from the integration of basic instructional technologies to advanced multimedia technologies. special technology programs workshops and related programs on technology integration requested by individual units "I love teaching online! I graded and responded to students from San Juan, Gurabo, and taxis -- all from my iPhone. Thank you for all your help and guidance in getting me to this point." - Technology Integration Program Participant Center staff offer special technology integration programs when requested by individual departments or colleges. The following special technology programs were offered in 2016-2017: » Collaborating with Web Conferencing for   Department of Curriculum and Instruction » Effective Online Discussions for   Department of Curriculum and Instruction » Getting Started with Adobe Presenter for   Advising Council; College of Law » Introduction to Quality Matters for   College of Education eLearning Institute » Screencasting with Screencast-o-matic for   Department of Curriculum and Instruction » Teaching with O365 for Chemistry TAs » SC workshops and related programs on teaching with blackboard requested by individual units Center staff offer special Blackboard web course management system programs when requested by individual departments or colleges. The following special Blackboard programs were offered in 2016-2017: » Blackboard Assignments and Grading for   Chemistry TAs » Leveraging Blackboard Assessment Features for   Program Assessment and Accreditation Review for   College of Education Faculty » Teaching Online with Blackboard for College of   Education eLearning Institute technology integration programs 14 workshops and related programs on teaching with blackboard web course management system » Clickers in the Classroom (offered 4 times) » Collaborating Using Microsoft OneDrive » Evidence-based Practices for Blended Course Design » Expanding Your Reach: Captioning for Self-Created   Videos (offered 2 times) » Free Software Tools for the Classroom » Getting Started with Adobe Presenter (offered 2   times) » Mac Series: Quick and Easy Editing Using iMovie » Online Multimedia Sampler » Reference Resource Management (offered 2 times) » Screencasting to Facilitate Learning Opportunities   (offered 2 times) » Supporting Student Success with the Blackboard   Retention Center » Trello: Project Management for the Classroom » Tracking Student Learning Outcomes in Blackboard » Using Lynda.com in Your Blackboard Courses (offered   2 times) » Teaching with Technology Institute: Connected   Learning » Teaching with Technology Institute: Mobile Learning During 2016-2017, center staff offered technology integration programs of varying durations on a number of topics of interest to faculty, academic supportive professional staff, and graduate teaching assistants. The following list contains a sample of technology integration programs offered during 2016-2017: special blackboard programs workshops, seminars, institutes, and related programs on integrating technology in teaching technology integration Programs offered during 2016-2017 16 15 workshops, seminars, institutes, and related programs on online teaching and course design In 2014, NIU adopted Quality Matters' nationally recognized standards for quality online courses, with the guidance and approval of the Provost. Since that time, center staff have become QM certified trainers and offer the Quality Matters, "Applying the Quality Matters Rubric" eight-hour workshop, as well as numerous other programs throughout the year for faculty designing online courses. During 2016-2017, the center offered 30 programs focused on online teaching for 336 participants, totaling 544 hours of professional development devoted to learning more about online teaching. These numbers include one-time and repeat participation by faculty, instructors, administrators, supportive professional staff, operating staff, and graduate teaching assistants. During 2016-2017, center staff developed and delivered new workshops for faculty on online course design while continuing to promote online teaching by: » Offering workshops, seminars, institutes, and related   programs on online teaching and course design » Administering Online Teaching Readiness   self-assessments and providing personalized   frameworks for growth and development for online   programs » Offering online teaching consultations, topics include:   redesigning for an online course, adapting teaching   presence, incorporating innovative approaches, and   exploring best use of technologies » Serving as the initial point of contact for faculty   teaching online credit courses » Offering training programs on adopting   evidence-based quality online programs and online   teaching pedagogy, including Quality Online Course   Series (QOCS) and Quality Online Teaching Series   (QOTS) » Making available resources on best practices in   quality online course design and strategic approaches   to online teaching » Collaborating with other units to provide support for   online course and program design and teaching While the center staff have been offering programs and consultations on online teaching for many years, the institutional focus on online quality required a significant increase in these offerings, which the center undertook with no additional budget, resources, or staffing. To absorb the additional support for online quality, existing center staff, already stretched thin, have taken on the significant increased workload with no additional pay. Online teaching programs offered by center staff during 2016-2017 included: » Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (offered 5 times) » Creating Authentic Experiences for Your Online   Course » Emerging Technologies for Online Teaching » Enhancing Your Online Course with Images and Icons » Feedback Strategies for Your Online Course » Managing the Online Teaching Workload » QOCS: Accessibility, Usability & Student Support » QOCS: Course Activities & Student Engagement » QOCS: Course Content & Instructional Materials » QOCS: Getting Students Started (offered 2 times) » QOCS: Learning Objectives & Assessments » QOCS: Promoting Learning with Technology » QOTS: Best Practices for Delivering an Online Course » QOTS: Humanizing Your Online Course » Tips for Teaching Online with Blackboard faculty learning community In spring 2017, School of Nursing faculty contacted the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center to request a series of specialized online teaching and learning workshops. Center staff developed and administered a survey to determine if School of Nursing faculty were interested in creating and participating in a faculty learning community (FLC), and to identify online teaching topics that were the most relevant to those faculty. 13 faculty members responded with their choices, and 2 faculty volunteered to lead the FLC. Center staff were tasked with developing and delivering the topic content for the community meetings. In spring 2017, School of Nursing FLC met 3 times either face-to-face or online at “Lunch and Learn” meetings, with 3 additional meetings held during summer 2017. Approximately 4-10 faculty members attended each FLC meeting. The meetings were live video-streamed to enable remote faculty to attend. The FLC’s summer meetings were held entirely online to best accommodate summer schedules. FDIDC staff presented the topics chosen by the FLC members and facilitated the technology used to stream and host the online portion of the meetings. The FLC meeting also included discussion sessions, in which FDIDC staff and FLC members could share best practices on some teaching strategies that may be unique to online nursing education. Spring 2017 presentation topics included: » Humanizing Your Online Course » Demonstrating Best Practices, Part 1 & 2 » Creating a Welcoming Online Course » Revising and Enhancing Your Online Course » Getting a Strong Start to the Semester An evaluation provided feedback on the FLC. The majority of respondents strongly agreed or agreed that the scope of the topics covered were appropriate and that their objectives for participating in the community were met. The School of Nursing FLC will continue to meet in fall 2017 after center staff conduct a survey to determine topics of interest to the FLC. specialized training and support in online teaching best practices for school of nursing Online teaching PROGRAMS No. of Students Spring Year 17 Year initiatives 18 teaching with technology institute Year No. of Course Sections % of Course Sections 63.79% Summer HIGHLIGHTING THE LATEST INNOVATIONS ON USING TECHNOLOGY  TO ENHANCE TEACHING Fall web course management system used by NIU faculty and teaching staff Blackboard Usage Figures for Teaching Credit Courses 2016-2017 teaching with technology Year 3,053 No. of Faculty NIU's course management system, Blackboard, continues to be a mission-critical system used by faculty in their teaching efforts. The system allows faculty to post materials, deliver tests, hold online discussions, and manage many other course-related functions. All teaching faculty and enrolled students have access to Blackboard. Use of the system has steadily increased during the past fourteen years. From spring 2002 to summer 2013, the use of Blackboard for teaching credit courses more than quadrupled at NIU. During fall 2016, 95.3% of students and 87.9% of all those who teach used Blackboard for 63.79% of all course sections offered at NIU. On the average, students used Blackboard for 4 courses during fall 2016. The increase in use of Blackboard would not have been possible without the collaborative efforts of the Division of Information Technology working closely with center staff for administering and supporting Blackboard, training faculty and graduate teaching assistants on Blackboard by center staff, the support of technical staff from various academic departments, and the enthusiasm of faculty and students at NIU for using online technologies for teaching and learning. BLACKBOARD USAGE 1,408 18,125 supporting instructional technology  Integration in  Teaching at NIU 2017 THEMES:  MOBILE LEARNING; CONNECTED LEARNING During 2016-2017, center staff developed and delivered new workshops while continuing to offer workshops on popular technologies for assisting faculty with teaching and learning. These workshops covered a variety of topics, including advanced features of Blackboard and the following technologies: » ePortfolios » Project Management   Tools » Screencasting » Multimedia Tools » Games and Simulations » Mobile Technologies » Personal Response   Systems » Reference Resource   Management The eleventh annual Teaching with Technology Institute, held on June 1, 2016 served as yet another venue for highlighting the latest innovations on using technology to enhance teaching. During the morning session, "Mobile Learning" faculty explored best practices for good mobile course design and mobile course development, created rich content using mobile devices, and were introduced to a number of mobile apps to make their lives as educators easier. During the afternoon session, "Connected Learning" faculty investigated the use of digital tools that can promote interactions, discussions, collaboration, and ultimately establish a vibrant learning community. The focus of the afternoon was on instruction using technologies that can activate relationships and communities through supporting exploration, discovery, and inquiry-based learning. SEEKING TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW AND WHY NIU FACULTY USE BLACKBOARD FOR THEIR TEACHING ANALYZING FACULTY USE OF BLACKBOARD 19 During 2016-2017, the center conducted two studies to better understand how and why NIU faculty use the Blackboard Learn learning management system. In the first study, the center analyzed data from Blackboard on overall “tool” use within the system. In the second, the center surveyed NIU’s faculty and teaching staff to find out why, after all of these years with Blackboard at NIU, they continue to use the system. After analyzing trends in usage data as far back as the 2011 spring semester, a few of the key findings (seen in the chart below) include: » All tools are being used more, over time » Most tools in Blackboard are used at higher rates   during summer semesters (compared to fall and   spring), following the greater percentage of online   courses during summer » The fall 2015 semester saw a dramatic increase in the   number of courses using several tools for posting   electronic content and collecting assignments   electronically, likely a grassroots faculty response to   the renewed call to lessen the need for printed   materials across campus. For the second study, all NIU faculty and teaching staff were surveyed, to see why those new to Blackboard are using it, and why long-term users continue to do so. The center receive 411 responses, yielding a response rate of 25%. Several notable trends emerged, including: » Sentiment about Blackboard among faculty is high 82% feel confident using Blackboard features 66% find Blackboard easy to use 72% agreed that Blackboard increases efficiency » 95% of faculty respondents had adopted Blackboard,   due to its perceived requirement, value it   brings to their classes, and its ease of use » 5% of faculty respondents had not adopted   Blackboard, due to perceived lack of need, alternative   tools available, or a perceived lack of training Key Takeaways: » As online course delivery continues to grow in   importance, Blackboard will be used even more   heavily, by more people » While the vast majority of faculty use Blackboard in   some way (and many find it easy to use for their   purposes), there still exists a need for high quality   support 20 research and scholarly activities "Writing circle is extremely helpful to me. I can get feedback from other disciplines. Since English is my second language, the comments on my grammar are a great help." - Writing Circle Faculty Participant promoting research and scholarly activities among niu faculty and teaching staff Center staff promoted research and scholarly activities through the following activities during 2016-2017: » Encouraging collaborative research and scholarly   efforts across disciplines » Referring faculty to appropriate resource units that   support research and scholarly activities at NIU, and   conveying faculty needs to these units » Sponsoring programs on research and scholarly   activities with the help of other units During 2016-2017, center staff arranged for the following workshop: » Write Well, Publish More! by Brad Peters (English) Center staff coordinated a weekly Writing Circle meeting during which faculty participants reviewed each others' manuscripts for scholarly publications and proposals for submission, and provided each other with constructive feedback. "Thank you for an amazing session! I truly learned so much. In fact, I have a short piece that is currently being edited for publication in Fall and I ended up extensively revamping it based on what I learned in the session. It is much better than it was before!" - Write Well, Publish More! Participant The center partnered with the Associate Vice Provost for Curriculum, the Office of Assessment Services (Accreditation, Assessment and Evaluation), the General Education Committee (GEC), and the Division of Information Technology (DoIT) to investigate mechanisms for automating the collection of data to assess student achievement of NIU’s eight Baccalaureate Outcomes. This was a critical project for the university to improve the general education outcomes for our students, and to meet the expectations of the Higher Learning Commission to maintain accreditation. The GEC determined that the eight baccalaureate outcomes would be assessed using standardized rubrics, for consistent measurement across courses. The Associate Vice Provost for Curriculum and the GEC worked with faculty who teach general education courses to adapt the AAC&U VALUE Rubrics for NIU’s baccalaureate outcomes. After extensive testing and consultation with DoIT, the center recommended that the general education assessment utilize the Rubrics tool in Blackboard. Generally, this tool is used for individual courses, so the implementation required significant customization for this purpose. Center staff demonstrated the process for the GEC, and they decided to adopt it. The center built the adapted VALUE rubrics within Blackboard, and DoIT developed a process to copy the rubrics into the Blackboard course for each general education section. Each Blackboard course received only the rubrics specific to the two baccalaureate outcomes the course addressed. The center also collaborated with the Associate Vice Provost for Curriculum to develop a step-by-step guide for faculty on how to use the rubrics, and offered a face-to-face training session for faculty in the spring of 2017. To further automate the process, the center coordinated with Registration and Records, the Associate Vice Provost for Curriculum, and DoIT to have the baccalaureate outcomes designated within MyNIU for all of the general education courses. DoIT then revised the Blackboard process that creates courses when faculty request them, so that the rubrics are added to the Blackboard courses when they are requested. Once the spring 2017 semester completed, and faculty were able to complete the assessment of student achievement of the outcomes using the rubrics, the center collaborated with DoIT to retrieve the data from all of the course sections. DoIT developed a database query to aggregate the results from all of the courses that had used the rubrics. In the first semester of use, the rubrics were added to 441 general education courses. By the time data was aggregated in mid-summer, 46 courses had utilized the rubrics, for an adoption rate just over 10%. The Office of the Provost is analyzing the data as a baseline measure of student achievement toward the baccalaureate outcomes. major initiatives at request of office of the provost supporting NIU's mission Center staff provided professional development opportunities to faculty and supportive professional staff through the following activities and services during 2016-2017: » Arranging mentors for new faculty who request such   support » Offering professional development opportunities to   faculty » Serving as a referral resource to faculty for their   professional needs » Assisting the Office of the Provost in hosting the New   Faculty Forum » Conveying faculty needs to the Provost’s Office and   fostering faculty development » Providing limited funding for faculty to attend   outside professional development programs During 2016-2017, center staff coordinated and arranged a number of development programs for faculty, staff, and administrators. The professional development programs offered during 2016-2017 include: » Fall 2016 New Faculty Forum » Online Learning Consortium Accelerate 2016 Virtual   Conference » Recognizing and Embracing Cultural Communications   and Sensitivity in the Classroom » Online Learning Consortium Innovate 2017 Virtual   Conference The center offered professional development opportunities not available at NIU during 2016-2017, funding registration fee and travel expenses for the "Faculty Summer Institute" workshop on May 23-24, 2017 at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign for: » Larissa Garcia (University Libraries) » Jodi Lampi (Curriculum and Instruction) » Nicholas Pohlman (Mechanical Engineering) » Nancy Prange (School of Health Studies) » Iman Salehinia (Mechanical Engineering) » Sahar Vahabzadeh (Mechanical Engineering) professional development 22 21 blackboard rubrics to support general education assessment providing professional development opportunities for faculty and Teaching staff organizational development providing training and support using  blackboard for program assessment 23 HLC Faculty qualifications reporting system training 24 Implementation of blackboard goals and alignments With the implementation of the NIU Faculty Credentials Policy and a new OnBase system for reviewing and tracking faculty credentials moving forward, the Office of the Provost requested Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center to develop training and support materials for department chairs and school directors on the use of the faculty qualifications reporting forms in OnBase. Center staff were invited to join the NIU Faculty Qualifications Reporting Operations Team and worked collaboratively with members from the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and the Division of Information Technology to develop a collection of on-demand support materials, including step-by-step job aids and video tutorials. The resulting training and support resources regarding the implementation of the faculty qualifications reporting process have been added to the Division of Academic Affairs website and are available at go.niu.edu/credentialspolicy DEVELOPING JOB AIDS AND TUTORIALS FOR ACADEMIC ADMINISTRATORS ON use of ONBASE system forms With an increasing number of accreditors requiring student achievement data (in addition to the general education assessment project described in another section), academic departments are feeling significant pressure to gather and maintain records on student learning. This is usually falls to a single faculty member, as a heavy administrative load to carry in additional to teaching, service, and research/artistry responsibilities. Most often, this faculty member coordinates with the other faculty to request student grades on key assignments in specific courses, then manually compiling data. This is time consuming and messy, but absolutely critical to maintaining valuable accreditations. Fortunately, the Goals and Alignments tool in Blackboard can simplify this process. This allows custom sets of Goals to be created in Blackboard, such as program outcomes or accreditation standards. Once the Goals are created, faculty can align assessments within their Blackboard course to the Goals, such as Assignments, Rubrics, and Test questions. Student performance on the Goals can be viewed within the course using the Goal Performance Dashboard or the Goal Performance Report. The results can also be aggregated across all courses that include alignments to the Goals using the Goal Performance Export. Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center has offered workshops on Goals and Alignments before, but because the system-level aggregation was not available until May 2016, it was not particularly useful and no one utilized it. However, during the spring 2016 semester, the faculty in the School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders (in particular, the Doctorate in Physical Therapy), requested a custom workshop so that they could begin using it for their accreditation reporting. Since then, several departments have requested similar workshops or presentations, including a workshop that was available to any faculty in the College of Education. Once a department or program has decided to adopt the Goals and Alignments tool, staff from the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center help the department identify who within the department will be responsible for creating the Goals in Blackboard, and gives that individual the appropriate access in Blackboard. The staff also meet with them to provide training to create the Goals on the testing server, and the staff verify the Goals and migrate them to the production server when they are complete. As of the end of the 2016-2017 academic year, the following departments / schools or programs have set up Goals in Blackboard: » Counseling, Adult and Higher Education (specifically   Counseling programs) » Curriculum and Instruction (specifically Reading   Specialist program, in process) » Educational Technology, Research and Assessment (in   process) » Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations   (specifically Leadership programs) » Allied Health and Communicative Disorders   (specifically Doctorate of Physical Therapy programs) » Nursing In addition, the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards were created upon request, for a course in using technology for teaching. Combined with other tools in Blackboard, such as Rubrics or Portfolios, the Goals and Alignments are a powerful tool for more accurate and more accessible student achievement data for program improvement and accreditation. Other departments who wish to explore using Goals and Alignments should contact the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center for a demonstration of the system and to begin developing their program outcomes or standards in Blackboard. consultations 25 awards presented Consultations by College Consultations by Classification offering graduate teaching assistant awards and certificates of distinguished participation 26 1,569 consultations with 590 unique faculty, teaching staff, and graduate teaching ASSISTANTS Apart from offering programs and resources, center staff offer consultations on a range of issues for faculty, academic supportive professional staff, and graduate teaching assistants. A majority of the consultations were on teaching with technology issues, especially on the use of Blackboard web course management system for teaching purposes. One of the center's primary services is to offer consultations to faculty, instructors, staff, and graduate teaching assistants about teaching practices and integrating technology into teaching. During the 2016-2017 academic year, center staff conducted a total of 1,569 consultations to 590 unique faculty, instructors, staff, and graduate teaching assistants from 92 academic and support units. Many of the personalized consultations are one-on-one, with some offered to groups. Center staff can be reached for a consultation through phone, email, web-conferencing, or face-to-face. Meeting one-on-one for a consultation provides a unique opportunity to ask specific questions, explore new educational technologies, or to troubleshoot problems. In addition to one-on-one consultations, center staff also offer confidential teaching observation and small group instructional diagnosis, which are included in these values. The charts summarize the consultations offered by college as well as by classification. Note: The figures are not normalized based on the number of personnel in each classification or college In spring 2004, center staff established the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award to recognize the contributions of graduate teaching assistants to the teaching mission of NIU. The award review subcommittee of the Faculty Development Advisory Committee reviewed the nominations for the awards and selected the following four recipients for 2017 (pictured above): » Adam Burgess (English) » Autumn C. James (Geographic and Atmospheric   Sciences) » Daniel Kies (Theatre and Dance) » Paul Vogt (Communication) Each recipient of the award was presented with a plaque and recognized at the Graduate Student Reception sponsored by the Graduate School on April 25, 2017. Apart from the Outstanding TA awards, the center also awarded the Graduate Teaching Certificate to 10 graduate students from 7 academic departments for completing the certification requirements during 2016-2017. The Graduate Teaching Certificate recognizes the participation of graduate teaching assistants (GA/RA/TAs) in the development programs offered by the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center. The certificate acknowledges these individuals' commitment to effective teaching and can enhance their academic credentials. To quality for this recognition, a graduate teaching assistant must have attended the full-day Teaching Assistant Orientation or one other day-long teaching effectiveness program made available to teaching assistants and at least five programs of shorter duration offered by Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center. More information about the Graduate Teaching Assistant Certificate is available at go.niu.edu/tacert 27 resources 28 numerous resources on teaching for faculty, teaching staff, and Graduate Teaching assistants Online tutorials on academic integrity, previously developed in 2005 and made available in part through the “Project for Improvement of Undergraduate Education” grant by the NIU Committee for the Improvement of Undergraduate Education, were updated and re-released at go.niu.edu/academic-integrity The purpose of these online tutorials is to promote academic integrity at NIU by increasing students’ awareness of the issues, offering strategies for students to protect themselves from academic dishonesty situations, and increasing faculty’s awareness of the issues and offering them strategies to address academic dishonesty incidents effectively. These tutorials are intended for self-paced learning by students and faculty and can be used as an educational resource to supplement classroom discussions on academic integrity. Over the past 12 months, the academic integrity tutorials have been view by more than 10,000 users and average over 1,300 hits each month. Both a student tutorial and faculty tutorial are available. The tutorials are available to the public and can be accessed without any required login or password. Faculty can use the tutorial as part of their classroom discussions on academic integrity and encourage students to review the content and complete the activities as part of a course activity. Students who complete the student tutorial successfully can print a certificate of completion which can by submitted as verification of their completion. Special thanks to the staff of the Student Conduct office for reviewing the tutorials and to the staff of Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center for updating the tutorials and migrating them to NIU’s latest web templates. online tutorials updated and re-released to promote awareness of academic integrity Center staff developed or acquired and made available during 2016-2017 numerous resources on various topics of interest to faculty, staff, and graduate teaching assistants in fulfilling NIU’s mission on teaching and scholarly activities. These include the following: » Blackboard documentation with 72 tutorials » Blog » 8 Quick Tips for Effective Instruction » Teaching and technology tips on Twitter and   Facebook » Newsletters » On-demand, archived online workshops » Tutorials on academic integrity, responsible conduct   of research, effective writing practices, and teaching   effectiveness totaling 9 tutorials Apart from the previously mentioned resources, center staff maintained the following computing facilities during 2016-2017: » A eleven-station Windows-based Collaboratory with   various general-purpose software, Sympodium   Interactive Pen Display, scanners, and a projection   system for workshops, for faculty to experiment with   a variety of instructional technologies. » A five-station Multimedia Studio with scanners where   faculty can experiment with multimedia content and   develop instructional materials on their own.  The center’s Collaboratory and Digital Multimedia Studio were regularly used by individual and small groups of faculty and supportive professional staff for experimentation as well as developing materials during 2016-2017. Center staff moderated the New Faculty Network, a virtual environment in which faculty new to NIU can share ideas and ask questions about teaching, learning, and university resources. Center staff also posted information on other campus listservs and social media to disseminate information about center’s programs and periodically issue news releases through NIU Today and other media resources at NIU. Notices of programs and news items were also posted on Facebook and Twitter. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY TUTORIALS In pursuing the commitment to excellence and furthering the University Mission Statement, programs, resources, and services offered by the center during 2016-2017 were assessed in compliance with the University Assessment Panel’s guidelines. Since the center's assessment effort cannot directly measure if teaching and learning have improved at NIU as a result of instructional personnel's participation in the center's programs, center assessments focus mainly on participants' satisfaction with the programs they participate in and their perceptions on the potential impact on their teaching and related activities and benefits to students. Feedback from program participants as well as those who contacted the center for consultations on teaching, teaching with technology, and related activities continue to confirm the high quality of service and recognized high value of center activities. Six months following major programs and consultations with center staff, participants receive a follow-up evaluation survey to gauge the extent in which participants felt the concepts and techniques learned through the program attended or consultation provided had benefited students. In 2016-2017, 94% of faculty, teaching staff, and graduate teaching assistants who participated in one or more programs offered by the center responded that the program attended was beneficial to their teaching and 94% affirmed that the program attended was beneficial to their students. In 2016-2017, participants overwhelmingly confirmed the perceived impact of their consultations with center staff on their teaching, with 93% responding that the consultation(s) with center staff were beneficial to their teaching and 96% responding the consultation(s) were beneficial to their students. The chart below provides a summary of feedback responses from 2016-2017 for six-month follow-up survey evaluations received as compared to the previous four academic years. Results consistently exceed the center's 80% target for quality. % who responded  program was beneficial to their teaching 30 2013-2013 94% Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center staff periodically assess faculty needs, obtain input from the Provost, and consult with the Faculty Development Advisory Committee to refine its mission, vision, and functions accordingly. The center develops short term plans for each academic year and carries out those plans that are feasible during each academic year. All programs and services offered by the center are regularly evaluated for quality according to a comprehensive assessment plan approved by the University Assessment Panel. The center collects data using various methods such as: » program evaluations by participants » six-month follow-up program evaluations » resource usage » consultations » program attendance » mentoring program feedback » professional development opportunity reports » unsolicited feedback from center clientele 93% Assessment % who responded consultation was beneficial to their students 94% 5-Year Timeline of Program Assessments 29 % who responded  program was beneficial to their students 2014-2015 96% results from participant feedback consistently exceed target quality benchmarks 2016-2017 2015-2016 ongoing commitment to excellence and systematic review of program quality Program Evaluation assessment Overview 2013-2014 Center % who responded consultation was beneficial to their teaching accomplishments During 2016-2017, the center published two newsletters with issues released in fall and spring. The newsletters are: » Spectrum newsletter for faculty and supportive   professional staff » TA Connections newsletter for graduate teaching   assistant In addition, the center staff also published articles in academic journals and books. The staff publications from 2015-2016 include: Hsu, P.-S., Adulseranee, R., Newman, E., Underwood, J., Wills, C., & Van Dyke, M. (2016). Designing an online graph-oriented collaborative argumentation tool for middle school students: A faculty expert's perspective. International Journal of Designs for Learning, 7(3), 34-41. Johnson, Y. J., & Johnson, N. M. (2016). Copyright resources for school librarians. Knowledge Quest, 45(2), 18-24. Rhode, J., Richter, S., & Miller, T. (2017). Designing personalized online teaching professional development through self-assessment. TechTrends, 61(5), 444-451. doi:10.1007/s11528-017-0211-3 Rhode, J., Richter, S., Gowen, P., Miller, T., & Wills, C. (2017). Understanding faculty use of the learning management system. Online Learning, 21(3), 68-86. doi:10.24059/olj.v21i3.1217 Center publications To stay current in the field and share best practices with other institutions, center staff deliver many presentations at NIU, for regional organizations, and at national and international conferences. In 2016-2017, center staff delivered 2 presentations at NIU, 3 webinars, and 11 presentations at conferences. The following is a list of presentations by center staff during 2016-2017: Richter, S., Miller, T., & Rhode, J. (2016, November 11). Designing personalized online teaching professional development through self-assessment. Poster presented at the 2016 POD Network Conference, Louisville, KY. Richter, S. (2016, November 12). Using social network analysis to assess organizational development initiatives. Presented at the 2016 POD Network Conference, Louisville, KY. Rhode, J. (2016, November 17). Promise and perils of mobile streaming video using periscope. Presented at the 2016 Online Learning Consortium Accelerate Conference, Orlando, FL. Rhode, J. (2016, December 15). Selecting the best technology tools for teaching and learning: From theory to practice. [Webinar]. Presented for Blackboard Certified Trainer Community. Richter, S., Miller, T., & Rhode, J. (2017, April 5). Analyzing faculty motivation for using the learning management system. Presented at the 2017 Online Learning Consortium Innovate Conference, New Orleans, LA. Rhode, J., & Hodges, B. (2017, April 7). Faculty development's road to assessment: Lessons learned and data-driven actions taken. Poster presented at the 2017 Assessment Expo at Northern Illinois University. Gowen, P. (2017, April 19). Quick wins with data: Tracking audience engagement on web, social, email. Presented at the Center for Nonprofit and NGO Studies Breakfast Series at Northern Illinois University. Cabrera, D. (2017, May 23). Expanding your reach: Captioning your self-created videos. Presented at the 2017 Faculty Summer Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL. Richter, S., & Gonzalez, E. (2017, May 23). Learning from the learning management system. Presented at the 2017 Faculty Summer Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL. Wills, C. (2017, May 23). Quest-based learning. Presented at the 2017 Faculty Summer Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL. Richter, S. (2017, May 24). Humanizing your online course. Presented at the 2017 Faculty Summer Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL. Richter, S., Bergeron, C., Dulak, J., & Patterson, T. (2017, July 27). Leveraging Blackboard solutions for program assessment: Four perspectives. Presented at BbWorld 2017, New Orleans, LA. Richter, S., Gowen, P., & Rhode, J. (2017, July 27). Digging deeper: Discovering how and why faculty use Blackboard Learn. Presented at BbWorld 2017, New Orleans, LA. Rhode, J., & Miller, T. (2017, July 27). Essentials for preparing to teach an existing online course on short notice. Presented at the 33rd Annual Distance Teaching and Learning Conference, UW-Madison, Madison, WI. Miller, T., & Richter, S. (2017, August 2). Authentic learning: Experiential and inquiry-based learning in online and blended courses [Webinar]. Presented for the Professional and Organizational Development Network Teaching with Technology Special Interest Group. Richter, S. (2017, August 8). Online portfolio assessment and learning [Webinar]. Presented for the Education Technology Seminar Series organized by the Keiser University Graduate School Teaching and Learning Committee, Fort Lauderdale, FL. presentations 32 31 34 CENTER STAFF The following staff served in full-time capacities at the center during 2016-2017: Daniel Cabrera, Multimedia Coordinator Amy Deegan, Office Support Specialist Janet Giesen, Instructional Design Coordinator Peter Gowen, Online Analytics Coordinator Brenda Hodges, Assessment Coordinator Yvonne Johnson, Multimodal Teaching Coordinator Tracy Miller, Online Teaching Coordinator Jason Rhode, Director Stephanie Richter, Assistant Director Cameron Wills, Research Associate The center had budget support for four graduate research assistants during the 2016-2017 academic year. Below is a listing of those who served in part-time capacities as graduate research assistants for the center during 2016-2017: Allenisia Hamilton (2/16/16 - 5/15/17) Sagar Sudhakar (1/16/16 - 5/15/17) Pu Wang (1/15/15 - 5/15/17) Xiaoshu Zhou (7/1/16 - present) During 2016-2017, center staff achieved professional recognition. Listed below is a summary of recognition received by center staff during 2016-2017: » Stephanie Richter, Tracy Miller, and Jason Rhode   were selected as finalists for the 2016 POD Network  Innovation Award » Jason Rhode was named one of Top 30 Technologists,   Transformers and Trailblazers for 2016 by the Center   for Digital Education » Stephanie Richter was elected as an executive officer   of the POD Network Teaching with Technology   Special Interest Group for 2016-2017 » Cameron Wills received CompTIA A+ Certification   for Computer Technician » Tracy Miller completed the Quality Matters Teaching   Online Certificate » Center staff received 2017 SPS Council Award for   Partnership and Collaboration » Stephanie Richter was selected as a Blackboard MVP » Center staff received 2017 Blackboard Catalyst   Award for Leading Change service Center staff hosted a team from Wheaton College on  April 26, 2017 and shared about the center's operations staff recognition 33 Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center staff served on numerous formal and informal committees, commissions, task forces, and groups at NIU and contributed their services. The following list shows a sample of committees that center staff served on during 2016-2017: » Advisory Council, National Center for Online   Leadership, University Professional and Continuing   Education Association » BbWorld 2017 Program Committee » Book Award Committee, Division of Distance   Learning, Association for Educational   Communications and Technology » Educause Learning Initiative Annual Meeting   Proposal Review Committee » Faculty Summer Institute Steering Committee » NIU Adult Learner Workgroup » NIU Blackboard Learn Support Team » NIU Blackboard Status Team » NIU Computing Facilities Advisory Committee » NIU Faculty Development Advisory Committee » NIU HLC Faculty Qualifications Reporting Operations » NIU IT Steering Committee, Data Management   Sub-Committee » NIU Outstanding Civil Service Award Committee » NIU O365 Governing Committee » NIU Presidential Commission on the Status of   Women » Steering Committee, 102nd Annual Conference,   University Professional and Continuing Education   Association Center staff accepting SPS Council Award for Partnership and Collaboration on April 12, 2017 Faculty Development The information presented in this report was made possible by all of the staff at the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center. Data on programs and registration were recorded by Amy Deegan and Brenda Hodges. Program participation data and program evaluations data were collected and recorded by center staff, and web materials were posted by the graduate assistants at the center. Center staff would like to express their sincere appreciation to administrators, faculty, staff, and graduate assistants at various units at Northern Illinois University for their support of the center during 2016-2017. acknowledgements report ADVISORY COMMITTEE 35 36 The Faculty Development Advisory Committee's support has been invaluable to the center. Committee members met four times during the academic year to review center accomplishments and provide guidance. Committee members also enthusiastically supported the center, participated in the programs offered by the center, and reviewed Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award nominations. Committee members during 2015-2016 were:   Maryann Abendroth, Associate Professor, Nursing Therese Arado, Professor, College of Law Amy Buhrow, Director, Accreditation, Academic Reporting, & Strategy, College of Business Ann Dzuranin, Associate Professor, Accountancy Paula Frasz, Professor, Theatre and Dance, Committee Chair Jodi Lampi, Assistant Professor, Curriculum and Instruction Lichuan Liu, Associate Professor, Electrical Engineering Wei Luo, Professor, Geography Jessica Reyman, Associate Professor, English Leanne VandeCreek, Acting Associate Dean, University Libraries Jason Rhode, Director, Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center (Ex-Officio) Murali Krishnamurthi, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs (Ex-Officio)