**ONLINE** EDUCAUSE Demo Day | AI Teaching and Learning Tools
Wednesday, September 2, 2026 from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM
Artificial intelligence is reshaping teaching and learning by
enabling new approaches to course content creation, student support,
assessment, and instructional design. As institutions advance their
digital and academic strategies, AI‑enabled tools are increasingly being
used to support faculty innovation, personalize learning experiences,
and improve student outcomes, all while maintaining alignment with
pedagogical goals and institutional values.
Join us for a series of engaging live sessions exploring how
AI‑powered teaching and learning solutions are being implemented across
higher education. Attendees will see live demonstrations, learn about
implementation considerations, and hear how to use AII to enhance
instructional effectiveness, support student success, and strengthen
teaching and learning ecosystems.
This session is led by EDUCAUSE; NIU faculty, staff, and students can create an EDUCAUSE account using their NIU email address to attend at no cost. Register Now!
**ONLINE** Becoming AI Ready in Education: AI Beyond Productivity: Power Platform and Dynamics 365 for Higher Ed
Wednesday, September 2, 2026 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
In this session, we explore how AI supports process transformation across community colleges—helping teams move from isolated tasks to connected, end-to-end workflows. You’ll see how AI is infused across Microsoft’s business applications, including Power Platform—Power Apps, Power Automate, Power Pages, and Copilot Studio—and Dynamics 365. We’ll demonstrate how these tools work together to help colleges build intelligent applications, automate processes, and modernize student and constituent engagement. Workshop is led by staff from Microsoft. Register Now!
**ONLINE** NAVIGATE + Mission AI: Enhancing Student Support Through Mission AI and Navigate
Thursday, September 3, 2026 from 9:15 AM to 10:00 AM
Want to make a bigger impact in helping your students stay on track? Learn how Mission AI, NIU’s new AI text chatbot, integrates with Navigate to assist with actionable insights to support students in your classes or advising caseloads.
- Capture the Student Voice: Discover how Mission AI’s chatbot responses uncover students’ needs and connect them with the right services, helping them succeed term by term.
- Themes from Student Responses: Use Navigate’s tags and alert reasons to find students with various needs of additional support to inform your outreach and campaigns.
- Function to Practice: Brainstorm ways you can see using the student responses in your teaching or advising practice.
Register Now!
**ONLINE** Using Blackboard Effectively
Thursday, September 3, 2026 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Blackboard Ultra offers a suite of advanced tools designed to elevate the teaching and learning experience. This workshop goes beyond the basics to delve into the sophisticated features of Blackboard Ultra, empowering instructors to maximize their use of the platform. Participants will explore advanced topics, which may include innovative course design techniques, the integration of AI to enhance learning, and effective strategies for assessment and grading. This workshop will provide the knowledge and skills needed to harness Blackboard Ultra's capabilities. Advanced registration required.
Register Now!
**ONLINE** Supporting Neurodiverse Students in the Classroom
Friday, September 4, 2026 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
The number of students diagnosed with neurodivergent conditions has increased significantly in the last decade, which means that traditional methods of teaching and grading may not be the most effective ways for students to learn. This workshop is designed for educators to enhance their understanding of neurodiversity and learn practical skills that will help create an inclusive learning environment for neurodiverse students. Together, we will think critically about the varying needs of neurodiverse students and how we can create environments that support their learning instead of overlooking or punishing them. Advance registration required.
Register Now!
**ONLINE** Creating a Sense of Belonging in Your Online Course
Tuesday, September 8, 2026 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Help your students succeed by learning techniques and strategies to build a sense of community and belonging in your online course. In this workshop, we will discuss ways to foster communication, build interaction, and to promote inclusivity. Join us as we explore avenues to help students engage and feel connected with their online courses. Advance registration required.
Register Now!
**ONLINE** Perusall Academy: Activate
Tuesday, September 8, 2026 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Get started and build your course with the basics to set up for the term. The Activate training session is designed for those just starting with Perusall or those who want a refresher of the basics.
You'll learn how to:
- Set up your course step-by-step
- Connect Perusall to your LMS
- Add and organize course materials
- Create your first assignments
- Customize your course for accessibility and a personalized experience
Our
interactive, hands-on sessions led by our Learning & Engagement team to help you make the most of Perusall in your courses. All instructors are invited to join.
Can't join live? Register anyway and we'll send you the recording and the Perusall sandbox course. Workshop is led by staff from Perusall. Register Now!
**ONLINE** NAVIGATE: How do I issue Navigate Alerts and what happens afterwards?
Tuesday, September 8, 2026 from 2:15 PM to 3:00 PM
Want to let NIU know that students in your class are falling behind and need additional support? Find out how you can use Navigate Staff to issue alerts for students to help them get back on track to succeed in your class before it's too late.
- How to issue ad hoc alerts using Navigate Staff
- How to respond to Progress Reporting Campaigns
- What happens after your alerts are posted in Navigate Staff
- Results data from alerts issued during prior terms
Register Now!
**ONLINE** Creating Multimedia to Enhance Learning
Wednesday, September 9, 2026 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Incorporating multimedia into your course can be extremely valuable to your students' learning. Some multimedia technology can be complicated to use. In this workshop, you will learn about some available and easy to use tools and studio space to record and share videos for short lectures, demonstrations, and more. Discovery which tool is best for you and your students. Advance registration required.
Register Now!
**ONLINE** Perusall Academy: Innovate
Wednesday, September 9, 2026 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Learn more about advanced assignments, engagement, and grouping to customize your course. Each Innovate session includes a 30-minute overview on grouping followed by a special topic.
In this Innovate session, you'll learn how to:
- Create student groups for flexible collaboration
- Set up differentiated assignments
Our interactive, hands-on sessions led by our Learning & Engagement team to help you make the most of Perusall in your courses. All instructors are invited to join.
Can't join live? Register anyway and we'll send you the recording and the Perusall sandbox course. Workshop is led by staff from Perusall. Register Now!
**ONLINE** Connect with Your Students Using Navigate Staff: A New Users Function-to-Practice Session
Thursday, September 10, 2026 from 9:15 AM to 10:00 AM
Are you new to NIU's Navigate Staff system, or looking to understand how it can enhance your advising and support efforts? This virtual session is tailored for those who are not yet familiar with Navigate.
What to Expect: In this beginner session, you'll get hands-on practice with Navigate's features directly from your own screen. We'll cover the basics of system navigation, key functionalities, and practical tips to help you integrate Navigate into your daily workflow.
Why Attend? Navigate is a powerful tool designed to streamline your advising process, improve student outcomes, and foster a more connected campus community. By learning to use Navigate, you'll be able to:
-
Messaging (text and email)
Connect with students to instill a sense of care and belonging. Participants will have hands-on experience with sending a text and an email to the facilitator through Navigate.
-
Student Searches
Identify students for potential academic recruitment outreach, scholarship promotion, research fellows, etc. Participants will be able to:
- Conduct a student search in Navigate to identify students assigned to them who meet specific criteria.
- Create a saved search to be used as a template to build additional searches.
-
Set Up Your Calendar for Students to Self-Schedule with You
- Calendar Sync with Outlook: Learn how to seamlessly integrate your Outlook calendar with Navigate Staff.
- Create Navigate Availabilities: Set up availability slots based on your office hours.
- Personal Availability Links (PALs): Generate PALs to include in your email signatures, Blackboard sites, and syllabi. Students can click and self-manage their appointments, reducing back-and-forth emails.
-
Alerts & Referrals
Identify students in need of additional support and connect them with their care team. Participants will create a plan for when to issue ad hoc alerts for students and plan when to issue the alerts for their classes based on their syllabi.
Register Now!
**ONLINE** Perusall Academy: Elevate
Thursday, September 10, 2026 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Go deeper into analytics and course design for collaborative learning. Each Elevate session includes a 30-minute overview on scoring and AI best practices, followed by a special topic.
In this Elevate session, you'll learn how to:
- Discuss AI best practices and explore academic integrity features
- Enable and customize automatic scoring and scoring templates for review-based assignments (peer review, fishbowl, etc.)
Our interactive, hands-on sessions led by our Learning & Engagement team to help you make the most of Perusall in your courses. All instructors are invited to join.
Can't join live? Register anyway and we'll send you the recording and the Perusall sandbox course. Workshop is led by staff from Perusall. Register Now!
**ONLINE** Using Blackboard Ally to Support Accessibility in Your Course
Thursday, September 10, 2026 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Blackboard Ally is a powerful tool for providing your students with more accessible content. NIU is full of diverse students with unique learning abilities, and Ally allows students more choice in a format that works best for them. The best part is that this is done automatically. In this workshop, you will discover how Blackboard Ally generates alternative formats for students to download and gives instructors feedback on how to improve their courses accessibility. We will also discuss some other practical strategies for incorporating Universal Design for Learning principles in your course. Advance registration required.
Register Now!
**NEW - ONLINE** Information Session: Program Learning Improvement Projects
Friday, September 11, 2026 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Is there an area of student learning that you'd like to see improve? Could you use some help addressing it? If so, register for this information session to learn about an exciting new program where department faculty get targeted, structured support throughout the year. Advance registration required.
Register Now!
**NEW - ONLINE** The Human Advantage: Why Liberal Education Matters More in the Age of AI
Tuesday, September 15, 2026 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Preparing students for the future means more than teaching them how to use new tools. It means helping them become active learners who can ask thoughtful questions, evaluate evidence, communicate effectively, exercise ethical reasoning, and apply knowledge to complex, real-world challenges. These human capacities are central to liberal education and become even more important as AI transforms how knowledge is created, accessed, and applied. They are essential to preparing students not only to work alongside AI, but to use their judgment, creativity, and sense of responsibility to navigate an AI-enhanced world. Register Now!
**ONLINE** Building Resilient Learners: Strategies for Converting Self-doubts into Student Success
Tuesday, September 15, 2026 from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Imposter syndrome is a common feeling characterized by persistent self-doubt despite evidence of competence. It is especially prevalent among people working in a field where their gender, race, first language, or parental status makes them an obvious minority, such as women in STEM and people of color in higher education. This workshop discusses strategies that instructors can use to destigmatize imposter feelings and to acknowledge productive failures are necessary for success. Advance registration required.
Register Now!
**ONLINE** Blackboard Ally in Practice: Prioritizing Accessibility Improvements for Instructors
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Designed specifically for instructors and faculty, this session explores
how Ally can serve as your guide on the side, helping you identify,
understand, and prioritize opportunities to improve course content
accessibility. Learn how to use Ally's feedback and indicators to focus
on the changes that can have the greatest impact on learners, without
feeling overwhelmed by where to start. Through practical examples and
actionable recommendations, you'll discover how Ally can help you build
momentum with quick wins, make informed decisions about your content,
and establish a strong foundation for ongoing accessibility
improvements. Register Now!
**ONLINE** Dig Into the Season: Winter Warm-Up: Moving Beyond the Basics to Deeper Engagement
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Moving beyond the basics: strategy that keeps conversations going. Explore how a few intentional design choices turn early participation into engagement that holds up through the rest of the term. Workshop led by Yellowdig staff. Register Now!
**ONLINE** Blackboard Ally in Practice: Prioritizing Accessibility Improvements for Instructors
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Designed specifically for instructors and faculty, this session explores how Ally can serve as your guide on the side, helping you identify, understand, and prioritize opportunities to improve course content accessibility. Learn how to use Ally's feedback and indicators to focus on the changes that can have the greatest impact on learners, without feeling overwhelmed by where to start. Through practical examples and actionable recommendations, you'll discover how Ally can help you build momentum with quick wins, make informed decisions about your content, and establish a strong foundation for ongoing accessibility improvements. Register Now!
**ONLINE** Strategies for Success in Digital Teaching and Learning: Practical Approaches for Supporting Every Learner with Flower Darby
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Like it or not, AI is here to stay, and students are using it. But they’re not all using it to outsource their learning. Students know when they need to gain specific knowledge to achieve their goals and they’re willing to resist the AI temptation in those moments. We’ll explore practical strategies to help students develop critical AI literacy and ethical approaches to working and learning with AI. Plus, you’ll leave this session with concrete tips to update your assignments, tests, and projects for an AI age. Come and learn how to help ourselves, and our students, work and learn with and without AI in productive, meaningful ways.
You’ll hear about topics such as:
- How today’s students are using AI and when they’re choosing not to use it
- How we can help them choose not to use AI when we know that’s best for their learning
- How to help students develop essential understanding about AI’s risks and benefits for today’s society and workplace
- How to update your assignments, tests, and projects to promote authentic student learning in an AI age
Workshop is presented by Flower Darby and hosted by Every Learner Everywhere.
Register Now!
**ONLINE** Using the Blackboard Ultra Gradebook
Thursday, September 17, 2026 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Blackboard overhauled the Gradebook Grid View in early August. The layout and navigation have changed and the new Grade Details panel was introduced. This workshop will review changes to the Gradebook, and users will learn how to effectively set up the Gradebook, grade assignments, record and calculate grades, and provide feedback to students. Advance registration required.
Register Now!
**ONLINE** Preparing Students for an AI-Enabled Workforce: A Faculty Conversation
Friday, September 18, 2026 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Generative AI is rapidly changing the skills employers expect of graduates, creating new opportunities—and new questions—for higher education. Join this interactive session to separate hype from reality, explore how AI is reshaping the future of work, and discuss why AI literacy is becoming an essential component of curriculum across disciplines. Through practical examples and hands-on activities, we'll examine the most common barriers faculty face when integrating AI into teaching and identify actionable strategies for preparing students to succeed in an AI-enabled workforce. Workshop is led by staff from EAB. Register Now!
**ONLINE** Supporting Underprepared Students in Your Courses
Friday, September 18, 2026 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
It’s not uncommon to find students in our classes that are underprepared. Regardless of why students are underprepared, we can still help them be successful. This workshop is designed for educators to discover ways to support students through providing equitable assessments, materials, and opportunities in our classes. Together, we will discuss ways to determine students’ knowledge base and readiness level for the course. We will also discuss how to support students through collecting supplemental resources, modeling expectations, grading revisions, and creating opportunities for additional support. Advance registration required.
Register Now!
**ONLINE** Perusall Academy: Activate
Monday, September 21, 2026 from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Get started and build your course with the basics to set up for the term. The Activate training session is designed for those just starting with Perusall or those who want a refresher of the basics.
You'll learn how to:
- Set up your course step-by-step
- Connect Perusall to your LMS
- Add and organize course materials
- Create your first assignments
- Customize your course for accessibility and a personalized experience
Our
interactive, hands-on sessions led by our Learning & Engagement team to help you make the most of Perusall in your courses. All instructors are invited to join.
Can't join live? Register anyway and we'll send you the recording and the Perusall sandbox course. Workshop is led by staff from Perusall. Register Now!
**NEW - ONLINE** Building Student Assessments with Adobe Express
Tuesday, September 22, 2026 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Explore Adobe Express, a versatile digital design tool now available to all NIU faculty, staff, and students. This all-in-one solution covers image generation, photo and video editing, web design, posters, presentations, animations, and more, enhanced by generative AI. With hundreds of templates to inspire creativity, Adobe Express addresses the need for accessible digital tools in education. In this hands-on workshop, participants will draft ideas for building student assessments for individual and group projects. Advance registration required.
Register Now!
**ONLINE** Perusall Academy: Innovate
Wednesday, September 23, 2026 from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Learn more about advanced assignments, engagement, and grouping to customize your course. Each Innovate session includes a 30-minute overview on grouping followed by a special topic.
In this Innovate session, you'll learn how to:
- Create student groups for flexible collaboration
- Design Peer review assignments
- Set up autoscoring and scoring templates for all review-based assignments
Our interactive, hands-on sessions led by our Learning & Engagement team to help you make the most of Perusall in your courses. All instructors are invited to join.
Can't join live? Register anyway and we'll send you the recording and the Perusall sandbox course. Workshop is led by staff from Perusall. Register Now!
**ONLINE** Video-based Assessment Using Kaltura
Wednesday, September 23, 2026 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Student produced videos are an effective and engaging way to evaluate students. In addition to demonstrating their learning, video creation provides an opportunity for students to develop their communication, critical thinking, and problem solving skills. In this workshop we will discuss how to use Kaltura, NIU’s video hosting platform, to record and share video content, the benefits of using video-based assessment for formative and summative purposes, and ways to integrate student produced videos into your overall assessment strategy. Advance registration required.
Register Now!
**ONLINE** Dig Into the Season: Spring Forward: Power User Moves and Advanced Strategies
Wednesday, September 23, 2026 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
What your Yellowdig data is already telling you. A closer look at using analytics to understand what's working, catch what isn't, and scale it across your courses. Workshop led by Yellowdig staff. Register Now!
**ONLINE** Perusall Academy: Elevate
Friday, September 25, 2026 from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Go deeper into analytics and course design for collaborative learning. Each Elevate session includes a 30-minute overview on scoring and AI best practices, followed by a special topic.
In this Elevate session, you'll learn how to:
- Discuss AI best practices and explore academic integrity features
- Add and create Checkpoint prompts or quizzes within a reading, video, or podcast
Our interactive, hands-on sessions led by our Learning & Engagement team to help you make the most of Perusall in your courses. All instructors are invited to join.
Can't join live? Register anyway and we'll send you the recording and the Perusall sandbox course. Workshop is led by staff from Perusall. Register Now!
**ONLINE** Perusall Academy: Activate
Monday, September 28, 2026 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Get started and build your course with the basics to set up for the term. The Activate training session is designed for those just starting with Perusall or those who want a refresher of the basics.
You'll learn how to:
- Set up your course step-by-step
- Connect Perusall to your LMS
- Add and organize course materials
- Create your first assignments
- Customize your course for accessibility and a personalized experience
Our
interactive, hands-on sessions led by our Learning & Engagement team to help you make the most of Perusall in your courses. All instructors are invited to join.
Can't join live? Register anyway and we'll send you the recording and the Perusall sandbox course. Workshop is led by staff from Perusall. Register Now!
**ONLINE** Empowering First Generation Students, Transforming Lives
Tuesday, September 29, 2026 from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Over half of our first-year Huskies are pioneering their family's college journey, bringing with them rich cultural wealth, diverse perspectives, and remarkable resilience. As educators, we have the extraordinary opportunity to transform these trailblazers' academic experience and create a lasting impact that reverberates across generations. In this workshop, discover how to harness the strengths and lived experiences of our first-generation students while building an inclusive learning environment where all students thrive. Together, we'll explore evidence-based strategies that empower students to take charge of their success. Advance registration required.
Register Now!
**ONLINE** Perusall Academy: Innovate
Wednesday, September 30, 2026 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Learn more about advanced assignments, engagement, and grouping to customize your course. Each Innovate session includes a 30-minute overview on grouping followed by a special topic.
In this Innovate session, you'll learn how to:
- Create student groups for flexible collaboration
- Design Fishbowl and Instructor-review assignments
Our interactive, hands-on sessions led by our Learning & Engagement team to help you make the most of Perusall in your courses. All instructors are invited to join.
Can't join live? Register anyway and we'll send you the recording and the Perusall sandbox course. Workshop is led by staff from Perusall. Register Now!
**ONLINE** Perusall Academy: Elevate
Friday, October 2, 2026 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Go deeper into analytics and course design for collaborative learning. Each Elevate session includes a 30-minute overview on scoring and AI best practices, followed by a special topic.
In this Elevate session, you'll learn how to:
- Discuss AI best practices and explore academic integrity features
- Use and implement advanced features in your course library, assignments, commenting, scoring, and chats
Our interactive, hands-on sessions led by our Learning & Engagement team to help you make the most of Perusall in your courses. All instructors are invited to join.
Can't join live? Register anyway and we'll send you the recording and the Perusall sandbox course. Workshop is led by staff from Perusall. Register Now!
**ONLINE** Dig Into the Season: Summer Refresh: A First Look at New Features and Future Horizons
Wednesday, October 7, 2026 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
What's new in Yellowdig, and what's coming next. A first look at the newest features and the roadmap ahead, so you can plan your next term with the latest tools in hand. Workshop led by Yellowdig staff. Register Now!
**ONLINE** Quinncia Platform Walkthrough & Training
Wednesday, October 7, 2026 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Discover how Quinncia can help students put their best foot forward!
Quinncia is an AI-powered career-readiness platform that helps students build stronger resumes, practice AI interviews, strengthen their LinkedIn presence, and develop the confidence and skills they need to succeed in today’s job market.
Join us for an interactive tour of the Quinncia platform where we’ll explore key features, share best practices, and show you how to make the most of the tools available to your students. We’ll wrap up with a live Q&A so you can get answers to your questions and leave feeling confident using Quinncia.
Come explore, learn, and see what Quinncia can do!. Advance registration required.
Register Now!
**NEW - ONLINE** AI for Program Level Assessment Planning Support
Tuesday, October 20, 2026 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Register to learn how to access and use AI tools that can support brainstorming, drafting, and revising learning outcomes, curriculum maps, assessment methods and rubrics. (Please note that we will focus on program level processes, but these tools can also be applied to classroom level assessment processes.) Advance registration required.
Register Now!
**NEW - ONLINE** AI for Program Level Assessment Data Analysis and Decision-making Support
Tuesday, October 27, 2026 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Register to learn how to access and use AI tools to support making sense of how to use data gained from assessments of program level student learning outcomes. AI can't do the thinking for you, but it could help you facilitate conversations with colleagues in your department: better ways to present data, potential explanations to think about, next steps they might consider. (Please note that we will focus on program level processes, but these tools may be helpful making sense of classroom level assessment data as well.) Advance registration required.
Register Now!
**ONLINE** Illinois Online Higher Education Symposium
Friday, November 6, 2026 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Join colleagues from across the state of Illinois for the 2026 Illinois Online Higher Education Symposium! This free, one-day virtual conference brings together thought leaders and practitioners with expertise in online teaching and learning to discuss the latest trends in online learning--from pedagogy to technology. All who learn, teach, develop, support, or administer online education are welcome! Learn More and Register Now!
