Digital Learning

Weekend Center Launches; Earn a Degree One Saturday Per Month Students can earn Master's or Ed.D.; in-person classes supplemented by online learning

By: Pam DeFiglio on Jul 2, 2018 in Digital Learning, Events at NLU, Innovation, Starting Your Studies

Earn a master’s or Ed.D. degree by attending class one Saturday per month at the Weekend Center at NLU. The monthly Saturday classes are supplemented by online learning between sessions.

You’re busy. You have to go to work, take care of your family and keep your household running. Still, you want to earn an advanced degree to boost your career, advance to a fulfilling position and improve your family’s situation for the long haul.

National Louis University has created a solution: the Weekend Center at NLU. By devoting just one Saturday a month to attending a class and completing the balance of coursework online, students can earn one of the following master’s or doctoral degrees: Continue reading »

ICE Learning Technologies Conference Crystallizes NLU Audiences Intense planning led to a great EdTech conference experience

By: Pam DeFiglio on Mar 14, 2018 in Alumni Focus, Digital Learning, Supporting Your Success

Ayn Keneman, Ed.D., Doug Van Dyke, Tori Alland, Mia Gutsell and Angela Elkordy, Ph.D., made a presentation at the ICE conference.

Faculty, students and staff of National Louis University spent weeks preparing for the Illinois Computing Educators conference last week, and it paid off in a successful presentation by three students, an informal faculty meetup with prospective students and a welcome table crowded with both interested prospective students and alums who wanted to talk about their wonderful NLU faculty.

“What made the conference stand out for NLU was that we did a lot of coordination before we went,” said Angela Elkordy, Ph.D., chair of the newly formed Learning Sciences program, which offers M.Ed. and Ed.S. Degrees in Learning Sciences with a concentration in Learning Technologies. Continue reading »

NLU Offers A Google Certified Educator Course Will help teacher candidates boost their resumes, apply techniques when they student teach

By: Pam DeFiglio on Jan 18, 2018 in Digital Learning, Innovation

Knowing the latest education technology (edtech) can help future teachers better manage their classrooms when they start student teaching. It also makes their resumes stand out to potential employers.

That’s why National Louis University’s National College of Education is offering a Google Certified Educator professional development course this winter and spring. Pre-service teacher prep candidates are flocking to sign up for the course, which will prepare them to incorporate the “G Suite,” a range of Google apps formerly called Google Apps for Education, into their student teaching field placements. Continue reading »

Help Students Learn EdTech; Get Learning Technologies Credential This Summer You can choose from face-to-face or online courses for this four-course credential

By: Pam DeFiglio on Jun 12, 2017 in Digital Learning, Innovation

If you’re an educator or technology coach eager to become highly proficient in using up-to-the- minute technologies to help your students learn, this is for you.

This summer, National Louis University is offering the Learning Technologies Credential, which is designed for educators and technology coaches who want to build their capacity, teaching strategies, and teaching resources through hands-on experiences with cutting-edge learning technologies. Continue reading »

Borthwick Attends White House Summit, Plays National Role in Advancing EdTech in Teacher Prep Associate Dean invited to national summit on working group to prep teachers in technology

By: Pam DeFiglio on Jan 23, 2017 in Digital Learning, Leadership

Arlene Borthwick, Ph.D., associate dean of NLU’s National College of Education, poses with the other invitees to the White House Summit on technology in teacher preparation. She is in the back row in front of the second pillar on the left side.

National Louis University’s Arlene Borthwick, Ph.D., visited Washington D.C. in December for the White House Summit on Advancing Educational Technology in Teacher Preparation. Borthwick, associate dean of NLU’s National College of Education, represented NLU as it plays a key role in preparing tomorrow’s teachers to use educational technology to help their students learn.

NLU is one of three Illinois universities that have accepted the U.S. Department of Education’s Educational Technology in Teacher Preparation Challenge, which has a goal of “ensuring every new teacher is prepared to meaningfully use technology to support student learning.” Borthwick, co-chair of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education‘s Committee on Innovation & Technology, was one of 58 invited attendees from across the nation. Continue reading »

NLU Wins Two Grants, HSI and Trio, Totaling $4.8 million Both focus on helping underserved students graduate and succeed

By: Pam DeFiglio on Dec 12, 2016 in Community Engagement, Digital Learning, Honors and Awards

hispanicstudent The U.S. Department of Education has awarded National Louis a $3.6 million Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Grant and a $1.2 million TRIO Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) Grant.

The HSI Grant is a Department of Education grant which assists schools in expanding educational opportunities for Hispanic students. NLU received it in conjunction with Morton College in west suburban Cicero, Illinois, for Project CREST (CoenRollmEnt for Stem), a partnership project with the goal of increasing Hispanic enrollment and graduation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) related programs. Continue reading »

Tech Companies, Universities Connect To Better Prep Students for Jobs Tech companies want soft-skills, problem-solving ability, lifelong learners

By: Pam DeFiglio on Nov 30, 2016 in Career Planning, Digital Learning, Innovation, Leadership, News and Issues

161129-america-urban-campus-roundtable-020 In an employer’s ideal world, universities would prepare students for their careers with the right mix of foundational knowledge, skills and practical experience that hiring companies seek. Instead, however, many potential employers, at least in the tech industry, are finding that hiring and training newly-minted graduates can be a bumpy process.

In an effort to stem the disconnect and communicate about how universities can give students the preparation employers seek, the Illinois Technology Association convened a “Forecast Roundtable” event on Nov. 29. America’s Urban Campus, a consortium of 22 Chicago universities (including National Louis University), and World Business Chicago acted as co-conveners. Continue reading »

Alum’s IDEA Wins ‘School Librarian of the Year’ Award Todd Burleson ’98 created a libratory at Chicagoland school

By: Pam DeFiglio on Sep 15, 2016 in Alumni Focus, Digital Learning, Honors and Awards, Innovation, NLU in the News

2016 School Library Journal School Librarian of the Year Todd Burleson, Hubbard Woods School, Winnetka, IL (School Library Journal, September 2016) (PRNewsFoto/Scholastic Inc.)

If lightbulbs actually went on over people’s heads like they do in cartoons, the one over the head of Todd Burleson ’98 would be blindingly bright. Burleson has created not only a new concept, but a new word to go with it: Libratory, a library that blends into a laboratory, maker space, place to encourage creativity and hub of design thinking.

For his creation, School Library Journal and Scholastic Library Publishing have recognized Burleson with their School Librarian of the Year award. Continue reading »

Crain’s: NLU’s MBA Program Innovating To Provide Online and Networking Crain's Chicago Business wrote about NLU's hybrid techniques

By: Pam DeFiglio on Aug 15, 2016 in Digital Learning, Innovation, Leadership, NLU in the News

Screen Shot 2016-08-15 at 4.41.31 PM Crain’s Chicago Business led an article about the balance between online flexibility and in-person networking in MBA programs by describing NLU’s program and quoting Catherine Honig, Ph.D., director of the MBA program.

The article described how Honig recorded a class lecture and put it on the cloud, but gathered all students virtually in real time for a live chat forum. Such an approach meets students’ needs for flexibility because the class was offered online, but it also fulfills their desire to network by letting them engage with each other. Some of the value of an MBA comes from networking, the magazine pointed out.

Writer Judith Ruiz-Branch also wrapped up the article quoting Honig saying that NLU’s goal is to meet MBA students’ needs.

See the article here.

‘Wearable Technologies’ Article by Associate Dean Borthwick Drawing Attention She examines pros and cons of smart watches, Google Glass, Fitbit and others

By: Pam DeFiglio on Aug 4, 2016 in Access for Disabled Persons, Digital Learning, Faculty Distinction, Innovation

borthwick-arlene-001 Is there a place for personal wearable technologies, such as smart watches, Google Glass, Fitbit and Muse (which tracks brain activity) in the classroom?

Yes, but there are concerns too, according to Arlene Borthwick, associate dean of NLU’s National College of Education, and her co-authors. They just learned at the recent International Society for Technology in Education conference that their article, “Personal Wearable Technologies in Education: Value or Villain?” was the most-downloaded article from the Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education so far in 2016. Continue reading »

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