Now What? Guiding an Instructional Culture Shift During the Pandemic

Your faculty know how to use Zoom. Now what? In this presentation, learn how Northwestern University guided a cultural shift in instructional practices by implementing an innovative training program in the fundamentals of online teaching. Using a cross-departmental, collaborative framework modeled after our experience, you’ll explore how to build programming unique to your institution, resources, and needs. The Practicum for the Foundations of Online Teaching took instructors through a thre-week intensive program in which they learned how to apply Universal Design for Learning principles, engage students in a remote setting, and reflect and evaluate their course design. Faculty were placed in small cohorts and paired with learning design consultants. In order to meet the resource demands of the program, the planners creatively utilized the knowledge and skills of existing staff. During this session, we will walk you through the process of forming collaborations across campus and planning curriculum and will provide a framework you can bring back to your institution, regardless of size. We’ll share common pitfalls and lessons learned. You will walk away being able to apply this adaptable model to create iterable programming tailored to your institution.