Academic Research & Publishing

This course is designed for graduate students and junior scholars. Participants will work on research projects under the supervision of an Illinois faculty mentor, who will design, advise, and evaluate participant activities. Graduate student participants may also have peer student mentors working in the faculty mentor’s lab. Participants will attend workshops on research design and publishing strategies and may audit other graduate-level courses in the relevant field. A final research project (academic paper) will be submitted to respective mentors and a project presentation will be delivered to faculty and peers at the end of the course. Past participants have gone onto publish individual or co-authored papers in academic journals.

Developing Strategies for Teaching & Learning

This course covers topics designed to improve instructional practices and pedagogies, including creating learning activities and assessments; research-based frameworks to support learning and design; guidance on developing teaching presence and communication plan; models for developing community and connectivity; and increasing student engagement.

Education Redesign

This course enhances instructors’ capacities to engage in the teaching and redesign of academic programs. Topics include learning and teaching technologies; instructional design; preparing learners for the future; innovations in pedagogy and curriculum design; and strategies for student support.

Online Teaching & Learning

Participating instructors receive training for curriculum development and instructional design for online and hybrid delivery models. Topics include implementing blended and hybrid learning strategies; infrastructure for digital solutions; leveraging technology in the classroom; MOOC development; teaching online; effective use of visual media; and more.

Teaching in English

With increased desire at many institutions globally for academic courses in English, this program provides instructors learning opportunities to improve their ability to teach classes in English in their own field of study as well as their English language skills. Instructors will increase their capacities to deliver lectures and oral presentations, enhance their academic and professional language, improve their pronunciation, and develop strategies to teach to both international and domestic students.