NIU Today

It’s no secret that stressful life events can exert any number of changes on the human body. Most noticeable among these is premature graying of scalp hair—as even a cursory examination of “before-term” and “after-term” photos of past U.S. presidents will attest. Now, a new study authored by NIU alumnus Camille King and NIU professor...

Laura Ruth Johnson, associate professor in the NIU College of Education’s Department of Educational Technology, Research and Assessment, has published “Community-Based Qualitative Research: Approaches for Education and the Social Sciences.” Johnson’s book is a practical text that integrates theoretical perspectives with guidelines for designing and implementing community-based qualitative research projects. Coverage of participatory research designs...

No surprise: Kids love video games. So what would happen if teachers delivered some of their lessons through video games? And not just any games, but the wildly popular Minecraft? Plenty of children will find out this fall, thanks for a one-credit “SMASH-UP!” course offered by NIU this summer. Teachers who enroll will spend a...

The Northern Illinois University College of Education is upholding its nationally celebrated tradition of excellence in online graduate programs, according to new rankings released today by U.S. News & World Report. Honored among the nation’s Top 4 for the third consecutive year, NIU is one of only three schools to have scored 90 or more...

NIU’s faculty and staff are again at the forefront of educational innovation, this time receiving Blackboard Catalyst Awards for Exemplary Course Design in recognition of innovative and engaging online course design and development. 2014 Blackboard Exemplary Course Award recipients from NIU include Greg Long and the Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center for the Perspectives on...

NIU’s College of Education has welcomed 26 children and three teachers from Taiwan to its 2014 American Summer Education Camp. The children, from the National University of Tainan’s Affiliated Elementary School, arrived June 26 and will spend three weeks in DeKalb participating in a variety of experiences designed to immerse them in American culture. The...

NIU is the best place in the nation to earn online master’s degrees in education. So says U.S. News and World Report, which today released its third annual rankings of online programs – the only ones published that compare data of online degree programs rather than the schools that offer them. The NIU College of...

NIU’s College of Education has introduced four new department chairs. “This is an exciting time in the college, and I am impressed by our new department leaderships’ experience and innovative ideas,” Dean La Vonne I. Neal said. “I am confident that these scholar/administrators will not only continue the excellent work of their predecessors but also...

A retirement party for Rhonda Robinson, Distinguished Teaching Professor in the College of Education’s Department of Educational Technology, Research and Assessment, is planned from 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday, May 9, in the lobby of Cole Hall. Robinson, who came to NIU in 1980, is retiring after having enjoyed more than 30 years of “the...

Monica W. Tracey, who teaches in the Instructional Technology program at Wayne State University, will discuss “Developing Designer Identity Through Reflection” at 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 11, in the Gabel Hall Learning Center North. Tracey’s teaching and research focus on theory and design-based research of interdisciplinary design, including design thinking and designer reflection and decision...

U.S. News and World Report Magazine has ranked online graduate programs in the NIU College of Education as fourth best in the nation. The magazine ranked 208 schools that met the criteria for all-online graduate programs, and each was measured in four categories. NIU fared well in each: selectivity (13th); faculty credentials, both academic and...

U.S. News & World Report this week ranked the NIU College of Education’s online graduate program fourth in the nation, testimony to the college’s commitment to providing innovative solutions to students’ ever-evolving needs. This year marks the first time the magazine has ranked online college and graduate degree programs, a nod to the ever-increasing demand...